Friday 4th May 2012, St. Fin barre's Cathedral, 7.30pm
Presenter: John Fitzpatrick
It’s been five years since the Festival embarked on its collaboration with the country's premier vocal ensemble, the National Chamber Choir of Ireland and 2012 sees the choir embark on another unique musical journey, specially developed for this year’s festival.
Comprising Ireland’s top choral voices and under the direction of Conductor Paul Hillier, the National Chamber Choir will premiere a newly commissioned work entitled ‘Long Time’, by acclaimed composer Gerald Barry, as well as a performance of the winning composition from the 2012 Seán Ó Riada Competition, 'Two Unholy Haiku's' by composer Frank Corcoran.
The National Chamber Choir, together with conductor Paul Hillier and the two composers, will once again co-present the Seminar on New Choral Music, at which the new commissions will be analysed and discussed. The Seminar takes place on Saturday 5th May in CIT Cork School of Music.
Programme
The Spring - Tarik O’Regan (1978 - )
The Deer’s Cry - Arvo Pärt (1935 - )
Five Irish Songs - Nicholas Maw (1935 – 2009)
Two Unholy Haikus- Pseudonym 'Pat 010' (World Premiere) (Winner of the Seán Ó Riada Composition Competition)
Pauper’s Lament / A Stealing Sadness - Enda Bates (1979 - )
Long Time - Gerald Barry (1952 - ) World Premiere - Commissioned Work
chOirland - David Fennessy (1976 - )
NATIONAL CHAMBER CHOIR OF IRELAND
Artistic Director: Paul Hillier
The National Chamber Choir of Ireland is the country’s flagship choral ensemble. Under the internationally celebrated and multi award winning choral conductor Paul Hillier as Artistic Director, the choir is known for its unique approach to programming and has gained a reputation for the high artistic quality of its performances. The National Chamber Choir remains a thriving force in a very active choral scene both at home and abroad.
In addition to collaborating with numerous international guest conductors, the choir provides opportunities for and fosters the talents of young Irish conductors, and continues to support emerging talent on the conducting scene.
Since its inception, the National Chamber Choir has made a significant contribution to the development of contemporary Irish choral music through its commitment to commissioning new work. The choir’s repertoire spans from early to contemporary music, regularly commissioning pioneering vocal work by composers such as Gerald Barry, Andrew Hamilton, Siobhán Cleary, Kevin Volans and Tarik O’Regan.
The National Chamber Choir of Ireland has a strong commitment to touring in Ireland and continues to develop its touring network in order to present high quality choral concerts to audiences all around the country. Internationally, the choir has toured extensively in Europe, Asia and South America and recently undertook its first US tour with the assistance of Culture Ireland as part of Imagine Ireland, a year of Irish Arts in America 2011.
Recent appearances include performances at the White House on St Patrick’s Day 2011, and CD releases in 2011 include One Day Fine on the Lyric FM label and Acallam na Senórach on the Harmonia Mundi label.
The National Chamber Choir continues to foster relationships with other distinguished Irish performing ensembles such as the Crash Ensemble, the Irish Baroque Orchestra and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. The ensemble enjoys a unique relationship with Cork International Choral Festival with which it collaborates on an annual basis as Choir in Residence.Principal funding for the National Chamber Choir comes from the Arts Council / an Chomhairle Ealaíon and major in-kind support from Dublin City University, where the ensemble has been Choir in Residence since 1996.
Paul Hillier is from Dorset in England and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. His career has embraced singing, conducting, and writing about music. Founding Director of the Hilliard Ensemble, and subsequently the Theatre of Voices, he has taught in the USA at both the University of California, and Indiana University, where he was Director of the Early Music Institute.
As a Conductor, Paul has worked with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (2001-2007) and Ars Nova Copenhagen since 2003. His recordings, over a hundred CDs including seven solo recitals, have earned worldwide acclaim and won numerous prizes.
Paul was awarded an OBE for services to choral music in 2006, as well as the Order of the White Star of Estonia, and a Grammy® for Best Choral Recording in 2007. Since taking up the position of Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the National Chamber Choir of Ireland in 2008, Paul has formed the Coro Casa da Musica in Portugal in addition to releasing several new recordings and publications. His books on Arvo Pärt and Steve Reich, together with numerous anthologies of choral music, are published by Oxford University Press.
Listen to the National Chamber Choir singing Stories Kneeplay 1 by Philip Glass:
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Tickets: €20*
*Subject to booking fee
Cork International Choral Festival is proudly supported by:
