The contemporary music group Lontano and their conductor Odaline de la Martinez perform works by Northern Ireland composers Stephen Gardner, Kevin O’Connell, Simon Mawhinney, Elaine Agnew and Michael Alcorn on this CD funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Four composers from University College Cork - David H. Cox, John Godfrey, Mel Mercier and Linda Buckley - present their very diverse music here, ranging from a song cycle and an electro-acoustic work to a collaborative composition for Javanese Gamelan by Mercier and Buckley.
An interplay between words and music brought to life by the voice of poet Dermot Healy and the musicians of Concorde. Twelve of Healy’s poems from ‘The Reed Bed’ are set to music by composer Bill Campbell.
Some of Frank Corcoran’s major ensemble works of the last 25 years are brought together on this release, ranging from the Concerto for String Orchestra (1982) and ‘Trauerfelder’ (1995) through to the electro-acoustic work ‘Tradurre Tradire’ from 2004. Performers include the ensemble, ‘das neue werk’ of NDR Hamburg and the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
The music of James Clarke and Michael Finnissey features alongside Gerald Barry’s ‘In the Asylum’ in this disk from contemporary ensemble, Trio Fibonacci.
The sixteenth-century Irish pirate-queen Grace O’Malley, also known as Granuaile, is brought to life in the beautiful voice of Rita Connolly and the music of composer Shaun Davey. A must for anyone who enjoys Irish music.
Working as Softday, the multimedia collaboration of Taylor and Fernström took data from the ESB Fisheries Management Project on the river Shannon and converted it into digital information simulating the behaviour of salmon. The Irish Chamber Orchestra, among others, were involved in the recording.
A selection of recent piano music by Northern Irish composers David Byers, Philip Hammond, Eibhlis Farrell, Deirdre McKay and Alan Mills. The performer is David Quigley, one of the leading Irish pianists of the younger generation.