Author: Zoé Piater

“..the finest young Irish harpist at work today” – Songlines Magazine

“one of traditional music’s finest musicians” – Hot Press Magazine

“..wonderful innate musicality, virtuosity & sense of adventure” – Máirtín O’Connor

“Her formidable technique gives voice to an intangible, lyrical musicality that keeps the listener in a spell” – Kathleen Loughnane

“..a really lovely recording that I think any fan of traditional music would enjoy very much” – Martin Hayes

Irish harpist, concertina player, and multi-award-winning musician and composer, Aisling Lyons shares her new single, ‘Sunbeam,’ a heartfelt and original contemporary harp composition. The single is a poignant tribute to her late friend Sarah and showcases Aisling’s emotive musical storytelling.

Written by Aisling, ‘Sunbeam’ is a musical reflection inspired by the profound emotions experienced after the passing of her dear friend. The composition beautifully captures the essence of memories and the healing power of music during times of loss.

Produced by Aisling & Ben Wanders in Limerick, ‘Sunbeam’ boasts a rich and evocative sound, showcasing Aisling’s virtuosity on the harp. The collaboration with Wanders brings a unique blend of contemporary elements to the composition, with all sounds created by the harp.

Gráinne Beth Enright, known for her exceptional design work, has contributed a visually striking artwork for ‘Sunbeam’.

Aisling Lyons, with a decorated musical career and multiple awards to her name such as being nominated in last year’s RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, is currently immersed in the creation of her second harp album. ‘Sunbeam’ serves as a glimpse into her evolving musical journey and artistic expression. 2024 sees Aisling travel to Australia, the U.S, Germany and Brittany for various festivals and performances.

‘Sunbeam’ is out March 15th and is available on all major streaming platforms: https://aislinglyons.hearnow.com/sunbeam

www.aislinglyonsmusic.com

Instagram: @aislinglyonsmusic.

Bandcamp: https://aislinglyons.bandcamp.com/

“Hailing from Limerick, Grimes has emerged as one of the country’s most promising pop acts of recent memory. Hotpress nominated Grimes alongside the likes of CMAT and Dermot Kennedy for Irish Artist of The Year and One To Watch.”
Hot Press Magazine

“Grimes’ songwriting is sensational throughout, and she has a real talent for crafting memorable melodies that stick with you long after the EP has ended. Her lyrics are resolute and compelling and have a universal quality that makes them relatable to anyone.”
Plastic Magazine

Michelle Grimes is a pop/dance vocalist and musician. Known for her powerful vocals, her work centers around female empowerment and good vibes.

Michelle has performed in some of the most iconic venues nationally and internationally. She performed at Trafalgar Square during London’s pride festival and has also taken the stage in Ireland’s 3Olympia and Dolan’s Warehouse. She has collaborated with some of Ireland’s most prominent current acts including Denise Chaila and Hermitage Green

Michelle released her self-titled EP in March 2023 which she debuted in King Johns Castle as part the Dolan’s Summer Gig series. This EP, which marks the first release of a body of work from the Limerick songstress, was met with praise from media outlets. Michelle is working on her album set for release in late 2024.

“Dance with me” tells a story of overcoming a toxic situation. It is a celebratory track about someone’s journey going through a tough situation, feeling paranoid that everyone knows what has happened, but then coming out the other side remembering who you are and walking in your power. The infectious anthem encourages listeners to dance through their own journey and remember there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Musicians Pól Brennan of Clannad, Seán Mulrooney, Stephan Murphy and Laura Murphy – activist and poet have come together for a very special night of music, conversation and art in aid of Doctors Without Borders and their work in Gaza.

Joining us from NYC will be Daniel Maté. Daniel is an award-winning composer, lyricist, and playwright for musical theatre. Along with his father, Gabor Maté, Daniel co-authored  the New York Times bestselling book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture. He is also known for his one of a kind ‘mental chiropractic’ service and more recently for his advocacy and support for Palestine. Daniel will be in conversation with Seán Mulrooney and Laura Murphy.

The stellar line up also includes Aziz Bushark (Palestine), Encoded Voices (Lithuania), Guud Grief (Dublin), and Fancy Dan (Dublin).

Vision Éire are a collective of artists, musicians, poets and storytellers who will be doing live art on the night and offering art prints for sale.
All proceeds will go to Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
Venue: Whelans Dublin
Date: Sunday 31 st March 7pm

Tickets: www.whelanslive.com

In celebration of International Women’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter, rising young talents Meadhbh Walsh and Sina Theil have chosen the iconic Irish love song “Grace” to make their stunning and emotional duet debut. The song entered the main Irish charts straight at number 1, knocking Beyoncé and “Texas Hold ‘Em” off her throne. Furthermore, the spectacular music video for “Grace” shot at the Cliffs of Moher and other historic Co. Clare sites has received much acclaim and several thousand clicks in the last few days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg2mBf8voIw

Between them, the singers have stacked up over 200,000 social media followers, several music awards, a large number of Irish chart successes and a recent Irish Music Magazine front cover. However, this is the first time they record together.

When being asked how they met, the singers laugh. “We knew of each other for a long time before eventually getting to talk or meet in real life!” “During COVID we were both doing frequent live videos on our social media pages”, explains Meadhbh. “We’d both been on the cover of the Irish Music Magazine… it was bound to happen that we’d eventually meet.”
Sina adds, “People on my socials would mention Meadhbh to me, saying that I should check out her music. So I got curious. I really enjoyed her content but was watching from a distance and never in a million years would have imagined that we’d end up recording together!”

With their release of “Grace”, Meadhbh Walsh and Sina Theil intend to highlight the strong female story behind the song and also make their mark by releasing possibly the first all-female duet of this iconic song.

“I was delighted how effortlessly our voices blend together. From the moment I heard the first take, I knew that this was special and something I’d be proud of”, Meadhbh Walsh said.
Sina Theil explains the motivation behind their choice of song: “We loved exploring the story from a female perspective. Grace was a woman so loyal and deeply committed that she was willing to marry her love hours before his death; burying her beating heart alongside his.”

The emotion is certainly palpable on the track; a soft fiddle gently dances with the melodic sounds of whistle and piano while Theil and Walshes voices blend seamlessly. Taking space to tell the story from their personal perspective and unique tone and then, in perfect harmony, joining forces during the chorus.

When being asked if there is a music video, the answer is an excited “yes!”. “We’ve picked out some truly stunning locations in the West of Ireland that really showcase the amazing beauty of the Emerald Isle and are going to take the viewers breaths away. We wanted it to be special”, says Sina. “The video is shot by Cinetex Films and can be viewed now on Youtube”, adds Meadhbh. “We’d love to receive views from all over the world and not only showcase one of Ireland’s most precious songs but also attract tourism to the Emerald Isle”. Sina’s International Women’s Day collaboration from 2023 with Kerry native Caitríona O’Sullivan seems to be doing just that right now – their duet of “The Fields of Athenry” has so far received close to 800,000 views on Youtube.

Regarding future plans, there’s a lot coming up this year for the pair. While Sina Theil has been on tour with Irish folk sensation Dan McCabe for the past 18 months and will be making her US festival debut at Motor City Irish Fest this June, Meadhbh Walsh has just concluded several American headline dates and also a cruise of the Caribbean with Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones to great acclaim. Both will be releasing more music this year and can be found on all social media platforms. “We want to take a moment to give a huge thanks to our supporters, mentors and followers” says Sina. “Without them, we wouldn’t be here, living the life we love.”

“Grace” is out now on all major download and streaming platforms and at https://sinatheil.lnk.to/grace
Fiddle: Billy Condon (Ray Lynam & The Hillbillies, Daniel O’Donnell,…)
Whistle: Alan Doherty (Damien Dempsey, Declan O’Rourke,…)
Piano: Tony Corbett (Cork Academy of Music)

Ye Vagabonds – Saturday 1^st June 2024

Bell X1 – Sunday 2^nd June 2024

Clonmel, Co. Tipperary

Weekend tickets €70 are on sale now:
www.whennextwemeet.ie/tickets

When Next We Meet returns to the stunning grounds of Raheen House in Clonmel, County Tipperary, for June bank holiday weekend festivities, Saturday 1^st and Sunday 2^nd June.

Now in its third year, this small-scale-big-heart concert series has steadily carved out a niche as a standout event on the Irish music festival calendar.

For the 2024 outing, festival organisers have reimagined the festival grounds, expanding capacity while retaining the cherished intimacy that sets When Next We Meet apart, ensuring meaningful connections and memorable experiences for their audience.

THE LINEUP:

On Saturday, June 1st, the award-winning folk duo Ye Vagabonds will grace the main stage with a full band performance. Sunday June 2^nd will see Bell X1 deliver a phenomenal show to an exclusive audience of just several hundred people. With tickets expected to sell out quickly, organisers urge eager fans to secure their passes as soon as possible.

“We’re thrilled to bring When Next We Meet back to audiences this year,” says Kate Twohig, festival co-director. “After two successful years, we’re confident in making slight changes for 2024. Our goal isn’t to go ‘bigger and better’—it’s about preserving the cosy, relaxed atmosphere that attendees love while offering an unforgettable line-up of acts in the stunning setting of Raheen House.”

Further line-up additions will be added in the lead up to the June Bank Holiday weekend as local original artists have also been a cornerstone of When Next We Meet’s line-up since its inception and this year will be no different.

Festival organisers, Kate Twohig and Eoin Hally (Vale), who are local artists themselves, established the event to address a gap in year-round original music programming. After two years of showcasing acoustic acts on a smaller stage, plans are in place for a larger second stage to accommodate full bands, allowing local artists to present their music authentically.

Beyond the music, When Next We Meet offers a weekend of community, art, food, and live entertainment, making it a must-attend event for friends, families, artists, and audiences alike.

Weekend tickets are now on sale, priced at €70 plus booking fees, with very limited availability. Additionally, the after-party will make its return, with passes available for purchase at the time of ticket booking. Head to www.whennextwemeet.ie/tickets

To keep up to date with announcements, follow When Next We Meet on Instagram, Facebook, and X. Day tickets will be released closer to the festival, with priority sales currently open to weekend revellers.

Supported by Camida, funded by Tipperary County Council and Creative Ireland.

“Season Changes could be the record Mellow Candle made with Harry Nilsson” – Niall Toner (RTE)

“The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up… a definite Folk Horror Vibe… I like that a LOT!” – Ralph McLean (BBC Radio Ulster).

“I think he’s Ireland’s Scott Walker… Season Changes is a little Masterpiece” – Pete Holidai (The Radiators From Space/Dublin City FM)

“Such a fantastic musician and a stalwart of the Irish music scene… ‘Season Changes’ is timeless, and I’m delighted I have a Radio Show to play it on.” – Nessy, The London Ear, RTE 2XM.

“I always love his music, there’s nothing to be said about Ger Eaton except that it’s great music, a great single, and I LOVE IT!!” – Martin Bridgeman (KCLR 96 FM)

Dimple Discs are thrilled to announce the new single from revered Irish composer/musician Ger Eaton (pronounced Jair, short for Gerard).

A multi-Instrumentalist, Songwriter, Hair Stylist and Retro-Vintage Aficionado, this iconic and stylish gentleman is most recently known as keyboardist/guitarist for Dublin alt-rock heroes The Pale. Indeed, Ger has been a mainstay of the Irish music scene for many years as a member of Premonition (EMI), Las Vegas Basement (Columbia), Les Marionettes, Pugwash, The Carnival Brothers and many solo and collaborative recordings. Throughout this time he also recorded and toured extensively with, among others, Mundy, Duke Special, Jack L and Fionn Regan, playing everywhere from Glastonbury Festival to the ‘Later With Jools Holland’ TV Show.

The story behind the song:

“Season Changes was born out of a newly strung guitar and a late night rewatching of The Wicker Man.

I’ve always found one of the most useful tools as a songwriter is using different instruments (from my ever-expanding eclectic collection!) to form a song’s cornerstone.

In the case of Season Changes, it was my old Fender acoustic guitar that I’d just restrung in Nashville tuning. It seemed to give it an almost ethereal quality that guided the formation of the song’s hypnotic and echoing arpeggio. I found myself happily picking the same chord shape for hours, my mind lost in its musical simplicity, yet also acutely aware of its endless melodic potential.

Later that evening, to switch off and unwind, I decided to rewatch one of my favourite films, The Wicker Man, the folk horror classic from 1973 … and so the song’s journey began.

The song itself deals with the often inevitable decay of a relationship, from the glowing bloom of its Spring, gradually ebbing away to its Wintry conclusion.

Video Description

The video was shot in the historic ‘Tea Lane Cemetery’ in Celbridge, Co Kildare, where I’ve spent most of the last 20 years.
I approached its custodian with my idea for the video, and they very kindly granted me access, with my very own key, to its wonderfully creaky gates!
As with my last video, for the song ‘Home Again’, I once more enlisted the help of my friend and drummer, Graham Hopkins, and new to the team this time, his childhood friend Josh Fogarty (Making Shapes).
We decided the video should have a dark, almost gothic feel, and be our own special homage to the folk horror genre!
All of my videos to date have been shot in a single continuous take, and we kept with that format up until around midway through, when things took a more sinister turn…

LYRICS
Spring unfurls desire like a web
Spinning passions round a lovers head
Summer comes around collecting words unsaid
Their warmth for charity
Season Changes
Autumn’s leaves collecting at my feet
Golden colour can’t disguise deceit 
Winter’s icey fingers scratching at belief
Laying bare my very soul
Season Changes

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After a busy 2023, where the group wowed audiences with their trademark high energy performances at Kaleidoscope and Eadestownbury Music Festivals, plus a sold out summer show in Dublin’s The Workman’s Club, Box Clone are back with their first full length album release.

Containing some singles already released by the group, plus several new offerings, ‘Matrix’ pays homage to many of Box Clone’s key influences, such as Rage Against the Machine, Muse and the Metal Gear Solid video game series. Comprised of ten tracks of both new and older material, the album showcases the groups versatility on newer, more groove based tracks, such as ‘Visions’, while we also get to see maybe the heaviest new offering in the track ‘Fuse’, a veritable tour de force from start to finish, encompassing driving guitar and double kick sections.

The title track, ‘Matrix’, draws on frontman Oggan’s own experiences of school growing up. ‘It’s about a bad day at school’, he jokingly explains. ‘Well, a matrix is essentially a grid system of lines that make up a system of squares. They contain information on how to navigate a task. In school I felt completely lost. I hated it and it hated me. There was no matrix or clear instructions on how to get through it. At that time mental health and effective guidance in schools were vague concepts. I felt completely trapped by it and had no idea how to express the way I was feeling or why I was feeling that way. There was no guide, no clear approach, no matrix. As you get older you see that education is a privilege, but for me back then it felt like a prison.’ ‘Matrix’ was recorded mostly in Oggan’s home studio in Cork, with drummer Colm’s parts being recorded in Monique Recording Studios in Middleton. Oggan also produced and mixed the album. ‘Matrix’ is a labour of love for the group and a culmination of years of hard work for the pair, who started working on the album in 2018, but really began to make headway during lockdown in 2020. ‘It’s been a long time coming and we’re very proud of it’, says Oggan. “It fucking rocks” says Colm.

‘Matrix’ is out everywhere on April 5th.

‘Absolutely Brilliant’ – Ed Smith, Today FM
‘They make a great noise’ – Jerry Fish
‘Riff Heaven’ – GBHBL

RDS, Dublin: March 11 – 22, 2024

FURTHER INFO at: https://www.feisceoil.ie

‘Ceoil and the Gang’: High hopes and high notes to fill the RDS this March as the Feis Ceoil returns for its 128^th edition, offering Ireland’s newest music talents a chance to shine at this annual landmark music event:

The annual Feis Ceoil (‘Festival of Music’) is Ireland’s leading national classical music festival, that platforms many of Ireland’s emerging classical music talents, that runs over 12 days this March – offering a huge platform for them to perform live and to make their mark in the world. Feis Ceoil remains at the heart of the country’s vibrant music tradition.

A bastion of excellence in the promotion of education and performance, where it has played a significant role in the lives of many successful musicians, actors and writers. The exciting competitive nature of the festival sees the country’s fresh talent perform in a profound live setting for judges and audiences alike, with aim to find the newest musical talent in the country. The festival runs at the RDS, who are long supporters of the Feis, as it also showcases the best in classical music whether is solo musicians, singers or choirs and orchestras all participate. The competitions are fully live with some highlight events being recorded and broadcast later for those who can’t make it to the in-person performances in Dublin.

This year the festival will announce two new competitions for 2024 and makes a stronger path for aiding music artists to develop their craft into the future beyond the Feis – mentoring emerging musicians and taking them to another level of their expertise.

Laura Gilsenan, CEO of the annual Feis Ceoil Competition and Festival says; “With the inclusion of two new competitions this year – Choral Conducting and Senior Percussion – we are thrilled to add Chamber Choir Ireland to our portfolio of competition partners (for Choral Conducting), and to extend our existing partnership with TU Dublin for both Senior and Junior percussion competitions.”

*This year again certain competitions will be filmed and videos posted online the day following the competition:

Feis Ceoil will continue to engage their online audience by recording a selection of the most popular competitions, and posting them online the following day. This will give viewers a good overview of the Feis and the incredibly high standard of performance of their competitors from wherever it best suits.

The Feis Ceoil is an essential element in the musical infrastructure of the country, and throughout the decades almost every classical Irish musician has competed at the Feis. Thousands of young classical musicians from the 32 counties of Ireland compete in over 190 individual music competitions at the festival. Well over half a million musicians have competed at the competition since it began in 1896, with past competitors including James Joyce and Count John McCormack and more recently, pianists John O’Conor and Finghin Collins, singers like Tara Erraught & Celine Byrne and comedian Risteard Cooper.

A selection of the most outstanding competitors from this year’s Feis Ceoil will be showcased at a special Gala Concert in the National Concert Hall on Wednesday 17  April, at 7.30pm.  The Gala Concert will be hosted by Laura Gilsenan, CEO of the Feis Ceoil Association and promises to be a triumphant finale to conclude this year’s event. Tickets, from €12.50 on sale from nch.ie !!

2024 FEIS CEOIL HIGHLIGHTS

RDS Concert Hall:

Monday 11th March, 7pm, Choir of the Year Final
The winning choirs from each of the choir competitions will compete against each other in the final for the title of ‘Folens Publishers Choir of the Year 2024’ and a €3,000 award.

Thursday 14th March, 7pm, Dramatic Cup (Opera) Final
Competitors will perform two contrasting operatic arias for the 1^st prize of €4,000.

Wednesday 20th March, 7pm, Morris Grant Bursary (Senior Piano Final)
The winners of 7 senior piano competitions will compete against each other for this €2,500 Bursary.

Friday 22^nd March, 7pm, Gervase Elwes Memorial Cup (Senior Vocal Final)
The winners of 9 senior vocal competitions will compete against each other for this prestigious prize.

Wesley House, Leeson Park:

Saturday 16th March, 10.00 am, Senior Musical Theatre & 2.00pm, Junior Musical Theatre,
Competitors will perform a piece from the musical theatre repertoire.

RDS Dodder Room B:

Sunday 17th March, 2.30pm, Chamber Music Cup

Ensembles of between 3 and 9 musicians perform from the Chamber Music repertoire.

Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall:

Wednesday 20^th March, 10.00am (rehearsals) & 2.00pm (performances)

Inaugural Choral Conducting competition FINAL*

(*free but ticketed event, via nch.ie)

ABOUT: Feis Ceoil

Since its inauguration in 1896, the Feis Ceoil has remained at the heart of Ireland’s vibrant music tradition. A bastion of excellence in the promotion of education and performance, the Feis has played a significant role in the lives of many successful musicians, actors and writers.

Feis Ceoil is being sponsored by IMRO.

SOCIAL MEDIA:
FACEBOOK: @feisceoil
TWITTER: @FeisCeoil
INSTAGRAM: @thefeosceoil
HASHTAG: #FeisCeoil23

“Music Current festival in Dublin has its finger more firmly on the pulse of what’s happening in Europe and internationally.”- Journal of Music

Music Current continues to punch above its weight as this small but perfectly formed annual music festival returns this April for another 5 days of pulsating new Irish and international music – with a defined focus on light and video [AI]:

Dublin Sound Lab’s Music Current festival returns this April with an outstanding dive into light, breath and video this year, as the annual five-day festival programme showcases some of the best Irish and international contemporary music makers. The festival will host 5 new concerts, Black Page Orchestra, TAK Ensemble, lovemusic collective and the return of Nadar Ensemble, as well as workshops on AI, electronic music and new composition, and more discussions that explore cutting edge new music and the future of music. The festival takes over its creative home space at Project Arts Centre, from April 2 – 6.

Music Current 2024 is the 8th edition of the festival and it continues to platform some of the most trailblazing music artists including composer João Pedro Oliveira (Portugal), TAK Ensemble (USA), Black Page Orchestra (Austria), Nadar Ensemble (Belgium) and lovemusic collective (France) – most performing in Ireland for the very first time. It’s an exciting mix and meeting of these creative minds in the current New Media and post-digital environment where composers are increasingly using new techniques and strategies to organise sound. And it all becomes very apparent at Music Current.

Festival Director, Fergal Dowling commenting on this year’s programme says: “Music Current Festival always aims to reveal the real excitement of experiencing live music. This year’s programme has a special focus on video, light (and darkness), and the human voice, with programmes exploring the relationship between music and visual image, and sound in darkness. Music creation is always central to the festival and this year we have three new works written especially for Dublin Sound Lab, three workshops focusing on music creation, and special composer events. As always, every piece in every programme is an Irish premiere. So this really is music that has to be experienced, not just heard.”

Evonne Ferguson, Director of the Contemporary Music Centre, commenting on this year’s Music Current festival says: “The Contemporary Music Centre is delighted to continue our ongoing partnership with MUSIC CURRENT festival in our support for the professional development events. The 2024 series of workshops and talks will provide opportunities for emerging and established artists active in New Music in Ireland to connect with international composers and performers – we look forward to facilitating these exciting exchanges here at 19 Fishamble St. We’re thrilled also to see this same spirit of collaboration and connection throughout the performance programme – with works by composers from Ireland featured alongside their international contemporaries.”

CONCERTS:

Tuesday 2 April sees TAK Ensemble (USA) open this year’s festival concerts while making their Music Current debut with an all-American programme. Hailed as “One of the most prominent ensembles in the United States practicing truly experimental music.” The ensemble was founded on the principles of curiosity, change, and caring communication. TAK is dedicated to the commissioning of new works and direct collaboration with composers and other artists and they have premiered hundreds of works to date. TAK delivers energetic performances “that combine crystalline clarity with the disorienting turbulence of a sonic vortex” (The WIRE), and “impresses with the organicity of their sound, their dynamism and virtuosity” (New Sounds, WQXR).

Wednesday 3 April brings Dublin Sound Lab back with their own curated programme entitled FLOWERS BLOOMING BACKWARDS. In this new programme of “classic”, new and commissioned works, Dublin Sound Lab explores the relationship between musical material and visual representation. In “Glaze of Cathexis” John McLachlan responds to the raw visual composition of Stan Brakhage’s eponymous film. Daniel Mac Dermot’s “Bezier Lines” considers abstract shape as musical material, and is in turn transposed and answered by Mihai Cucu’s video response. Eryk Salvaggio’s “Flowers Blooming Backward into Noise” is a 20-minute animated “documanifesto” on the history, context, mechanics and limitations of AI art, “performed” here with a provocative musical response. João Pedro Oliveira’s new Music Current commission, “for M” integrates live music, electronic audio and video projection into a single visual-music artwork. Alexander Schubert’s visually stunning “Sensate Focus”, for ensemble and lighting, focuses the senses on the razor-sharp synchronisation between live sound and light.

Thursday 4 April welcomes Austrian new music group Black Page Orchestra who perform their Dream Work concert making their Irish debut. Described as “something like the punk band among Vienna’s new music ensembles”, they are renowned for their bold and fearless approach to music commissioning, programming and performance, and they are well-established on the continental festival circuit. Black Page Orchestra present three works by composers closely associated with the ensemble – Mirela Ivicevic (Croatia), Matthias Kranebitter (Austria), and Vladimir Gorlinski (Russia) – as well as three new commissions written specially for this event, including a new work by Peter Ablinger (Austria), perhaps one of the most recognisable and poetic voices in contemporary music, and two new Black Page Orchestra commissions by Irish composers Amanda Feery and Fergal Dowling.

Friday 5 April welcomes back Nadar Ensemble (Belgium) who return to Music Current after a superb response at last year’s festival with a programme centred on light (and darkness) in their concert entitled LIGHT MUSIC. Serge Verstockt switches off all visual stimuli to clear the path for primal instinctive listening. Through the lighting and blowing out of matches, a surprising and tactile sound sculpture emerges. Simon Steen-Andersen, with his arrangement of Schlummert ein from Johann Sebastian Bach’s cantata ‘Ich habe genuch‘, literally extinguishes the light and movingly depicts Bach’s ‘lullaby of eternal sleep’. In “Light Music” by Thierry De Mey a soloist connected to Wi-Fi sensors seems to ‘paint’ light and sound, as if conjuring sound from the darkness. It has been said that “very little of what they do is ‘inside the box.”

Saturday 6 April makes for Irish debut of France’s music collective lovemusic – these musicians specialize in new music and offer a new approach to the idea of a concert, based on exchange, and are thought of being like “an urban breath of fresh air” by audiences. Their concert (L) AUTRE (the last in the 2024 Music Current concert programme) delves into this concept of otherness – the state of being different and foreign to one’s identity, labelling individuals as subordinate and excluding them from social norms. The starting point for this project was a collaboration with Sasha Blondeau and the new work Autres improprops/inapproprié•e•s as part of their “Devenir|s mutant es” cycle. Referencing Trinh Minh-ha’s theory and Donna Haraway’s Cyborg concept, the work for flute, clarinet, viola, cello, e-guitar, and electronics delves into questions of identity and difference. Additionally, compositions by Neil Luck, Ann Cleare, and Bára Gísladóttir explore themes ranging from actor David Patrick Kelly’s roles to meditations on self and the power of anonymity. Finbar Hosie’s The Hyacinth Garden draws inspiration from T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land”, offering a political and sensual exploration through wastelands and gardens. The project will also includes a new installation work by Lara Gallagher exploring found sounds and materials including a structural/sculptural element developing interactions between traditional and digital instruments made from organic materials.

WORKSHOPS:

On Wednesday 3 April, multi award-winning Portuguese composer João Pedro Oliveira heads the Music Current workshop on Electronic Music. Participants will analyse different models of composition and interaction between instruments and electronics. The concept of musical gesture will be used as the link between the instruments and the electronic sounds. Examples will be taken from several works of the composer.

On Saturday 6 April, Irish sound artist and performer Lara Gallagher hosts a workshop on Composition. She discusses her new work for lovemusic collective and how technology has informed both her compositional decision-making process and her collaborative involvement with the ensemble. Gallagher working across a number of mediums including interactive installation art, live electronic performance and theatre. She strives to create work that opens a kind of communication and interaction between performing and listening bodies so that human connections and reactions can be explored.

Music Current workshops are supported by the Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin (www.cmc.ie). Composer participants resident on the island of Ireland, travelling from outside Dublin, can apply for a travel and subsistence bursary by contacting festival staff when attending workshop events, or by contacting info@nullmusiccurrent.ie

Music Current has a reputation for presenting music that is cutting edge, fun and visionary, and this year the programme is entirely made up of Irish and world premieres, with a strong focus on A.I., visuals and live electronics and the experience of live music. The festival is a showcase of the “newest of the new” music from Ireland and worldwide.

A central feature of Music Current Festival is the creative collaboration of composers and performers with the presentation of new works, and Music Current regularly commissions new compositions and creates opportunities for collaborative development.

Dates for your diary at Music Current 2024:

WORKSHOPS:

Tuesday 2 April // 3pm–5pm // Workshop on AI with Eryk Salvaggio*
Wednesday 3 April // 3pm–5pm // Electronic Music with João Pedro Oliveira*
Saturday 6 April // 3pm–5pm // Composition with Lara Gallagher**

*All workshops will be free, booking is essential and participants are asked to contribute €5 at time of booking to cover refreshments. Workshop events are supported by the Contemporary Music Centre.

*Please note the venue for the Eryk Salvaggio and João Pedro Oliveira workshops will be held at the Contemporary Music Centre, 18 Fishamble Street @ 3pm-5pm
**The venue for the Lara Gallagher workshop is the Project Arts Centre, 39 Essex St East, Temple Bar @ 3pm-5pm

PANEL DISCUSSIONS / TALKS / ARTIST EVENTS:

Tuesday 3 April // 6pm–7pm // Future Music

Each year at Music Current Festival music audiences and the wider public are invited to engage in debates and discussions concerning how music making is affected by technology, social changes and the political environment.

In the current New Media and post-digital environment composers are increasingly using new techniques and strategies to organise sound. Here, three composers, academics, researchers and media artists share insights into their personal practices, working methods, compositional techniques, rationale, and the strategies they use to approach compositional problems, and how technology might inform future music developments.

2024 Panellists include: João Pedro Oliveira (PRT), composer / Amanda Feery (IRL), composer /
Lara Gallagher (IRL), composer.

Please note the venue for this event is the Project Arts Centre, 39 Essex St East, Temple Bar @ 6pm–7pm

Thursday 4 April // 3pm–5pm // Composer Talk with Peter Ablinger

Austrian composer Peter Ablinger is probably one of the most enduring, distinctive and poetic voices in contemporary music. His enormous body of work is a testimony to a lifelong sincere and direct engagement with sound in its purest form. In this talk Peter Ablinger discusses his highly personal artistic approach and in particular his new work for Black Page Ensemble who perform at this year’s festival.

These events are hosted in collaboration with the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland’s archive and resource centre for new music. It will be moderated by CMC Director, Ferguson, which will also be recorded for the ‘amplify’ podcast.

This public event is free to attend, all are welcome and booking is advised.

*Please note the venue for this event is the Contemporary Music Centre, 18 Fishamble Street @ 3–5pm

Thursday 4 April // 6pm–7pm // ARTIST EVENT – MEET NADAR ENSEMBLE

As part of Music Current 2024, the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland is delighted to host a mixer with the exciting New Music ensemble Nadar. This informal event is an excellent opportunity for early-career composers and sound artists to meet the ensemble and find out more about the Nadar’s international summer school held biennially in Antwerp, Belgium.

Join us at the Contemporary Music Centre Library for introductions and a friendly chat! Refreshments will be provided.

*Attendees may wish to head onwards to the BLACK PAGE ORCHESTRA concert at 8pm, for more information and booking for this performance.

MUSIC CURRENT COMMISSION 2024

Music Current Festival invites composers to propose new works for Dublin Sound Lab to be performed in Dublin, April 2025. Submissions may be for any combination of flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello, MIDI keyboard, electric guitar, electronics, or video, without conductor.

The festival will review proposals according to flexible criteria, but we would especially like to receive proposals that engage critically with technology, media, or collaborative performance.

One applicant will be offered an award of €4,000. The commissioned composer will work closely with Dublin Sound Lab until April 2025, and may be invited to give public presentations on their work or to contribute to outreach, mentoring, or other professional development programmes in collaboration with our production partners.

Previous commissioned composers include: Anna Murray (Ire), Silvia Rosani (Italy), Patricia Martinez (Argentina), Seán O’Dálaigh (Ire), Panayiotis Kokoras (Greece), Brona Martin (Ire), Alessandro Massobrio (Italy/Germany), and João Pedro Oliveira (Portugal).

Applications close 11:59pm (GMT), Friday 29 March, 2024. The winning proposal will be announced in Friday 31 May, 2024 – http://www.musiccurrent.ie

CONCERT LISTING INFORMATION:

PROJECT ARTS CENTRE, East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

TAK Ensemble – MOUTHPIECE:  Tuesday 2 April | 8pm [80 mins] | €16/14 | https://projectartscentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873656219
Dublin Sound Lab – FLOWERS BLOOMING BACKWARD…:  Wednesday 3 April | 8pm [75 mins] | €16/14 | https://projectartscentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873656222
Black Page Orchestra – DREAM WORK:  Thursday 4 April | 8pm [75 mins] | €16/14 | https://projectartscentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873656224
Nadar Ensemble – LIGHT MUSIC:  Friday 5 April | 8pm [60 mins] | €16/14 | https://projectartscentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873656226
lovemusic collective – (L) AUTRE:  Saturday 6 April | 8pm [75 mins] | €16/14

Box Office / Tel: +353 1 8819 613 / projectartscentre.ie
Further info at: http://www.musiccurrent.ie/2024/

ABOUT: Dublin Sound Lab

Dublin Sound Lab is a contemporary music project group specialising in electronic and computer-mediated concert performance. As well as presenting existing works, we initiate collaborations and use computer-based techniques to explore relationships between compositional process and performance practice, and to create new and engaging concert experiences. Formed in 2008 by composer Fergal Dowling and organist Michael Quinn, Dublin Sound Lab has worked with many leading Irish and international composers, performing works by: Ailis Ni Riain, Gérard Grisey, Salvatore Sciarrino, Kaija Saariaho, Luca Francesconi, Karlheinz Essl, Peter Ablinger, Mauricio Kagel, Wim de Ruiter, Ann Cleare, Scott McLaughlin, Barry Truax, Roderik de Man, Karen Tanaka, Jean-Claude Risset, Ed Bennett, Judith Ring, Gerald Barry, Jonathan Nangle, Jonathan Harvey, Rob Canning, Gráinne Mulvey, David Bremner, and Garth Knox, amongst others.

ABOUT: Contemporary Music Centre Ireland

The Contemporary Music Centre (CMC) is the archive and resource centre for Contemporary Music, supporting artists working in New Music throughout the island of Ireland. CMC connects New Music artists and audiences, facilitating opportunities for engagement, professional development and collaboration, both at home and internationally. As the archive for New Music from the island, CMC maps our vibrant musical landscape, safeguarding an ever-evolving collection for public access online and at the CMC Library on 19 Fishamble street. CMC is funded by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

SOCIALS:
FACEBOOK: @DublinSoundLab
TWITTER: @DublinSoundLab
INSTAGRAM: @DublinSoundLab
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/DublinSoundLab

Heyday – A Mixtape of Irish Rock: June 12 & 13
New World Symphony & Rhapsody in Blue –  Dvořák, Gershwin and music inspired by America: June 15 & 16
There’s No Place Like Home – A Musical Theatre Revue: June 19 & 20

www.corkoperahouse.ie

Cork Opera House this week announced the return of The Cork Proms, the popular orchestra festival that brings together some of Cork and Ireland’s finest musicians and performers to celebrate a mix of contemporary and classical music.

This year’s Proms will be presented in association with Cork Midsummer Festival and has been designed by a team of curators, led by Cork Opera House CEO and Artistic Director, Eibhlín Gleeson, and directed by Davey Kelleher.

Classic Irish rock music, an exciting selection of musical theatre greats and a programme of classical music inspired by America will be realised by three separate shows titled, Heyday, There’s No Place Like Home and New World Symphony & Rhapsody in Blue respectively.

“The Cork Proms is a celebration of everything that is great about Cork – of living in a city that has such an incredible musical legacy, and continues to be home to some of the world’s most exciting musicians,” says Cork Opera House CEO and Artistic Director, Eibhlin Gleeson. “It’s such an incredible privilege to be able to bring Proms to our community, a festival of music that is for everyone.”

Celebrating all things brilliant about Irish Rock music, Heyday will present new arrangements of beloved songs by artists and bands such as Sinead O’Connor, The Cranberries, The Pogues, Thin Lizzy and many more. Joining the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra conducted by John O’Brien will be soloists Jack O’Rourke, May Kay and Lucia Evans with more to be announced.

New World Symphony and Rhapsody in Blue will also feature the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra, performing Dvořák’s New World Symphony. The programme was curated by the renowned and award-winning Cork pianist, Gary Beecher, who will join the orchestra onstage to perform Rhapsody in Blue, following his debut performance of this piece with the National Symphony Orchestra in 2023. The programme will also feature music by composers Copland, Korngold and Barber. This concert will be conducted by Elaine Kelly.

Following the success of its previous Musical Theatre Proms, Cork Opera House will once again present two nights celebrating the best this genre has to offer. From Wicked to The Sound of Music, Dear Evan Hansen to The Phantom of the Opera – this concert will feature all the hits from Broadway and the West End, with some surprises along the way. Joining the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra, conducted by Colm O’Regan, will be soloists Killian Donnelly, Majella Cullagh and Claire O’Leary, with more to be announced.

“We would encourage our audiences to try to come to all three of the Cork Proms – each will be different but individually curated to fit together. Presenting The Cork Proms in collaboration with Cork Midsummer Festival is something we are particularly excited about this year. It will be a special festival, at a very special time of year,” concluded Ms Gleeson.