Cavan Sinfonia and Killygarry National School perform World Premieres at Ramor Theatre, Virginia, Co Cavan
RTE LYRIC FM BROADCASTS Thursday December 24 Killygarry National School, Cavan conducted by Paula O’Neill singing Child Within by Elaine Agnew after their successful performance at Ramor Theatre as part of a night of new work by Elaine Agnew and classics from Cavan Sinfonia.
The show also includes St Patricks Cathedral Grammar School Senior Choir, Dublin 8 conducted by Aine Balfe singing Suantraí ár Slánaitheora (The Saviours Lullaby). St. Patricks Cathedral Grammar School Girls Choir, Dublin 8 conducted by Aine Balfe singing Child Within by Elaine Agnew. Castle Park School Choir conducted by Edel McKiernan singing Gloria.
On Saturday 12 December Cavan Sinfonia premiered Touch Wood by Elaine Agnew. Elaine has worked with the Sinfonia since June 2015 on this commission by Cavan County Council supported by the Arts Council.
Listen to a sample of Touch Wood
List to a sample of Killygarry NS Child Within by Elaine Agnew
Cavan Sinfonia was formed by Sue King in 2010. Sue has a Masters in Performance on Piano from Trinity College, London and has performed with the Wexford Sinfonia Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra. She is a Music Tutor at Cavan Institute and her passion for music is dedicated to Cavan Sinfonia. The orchestra are an inclusive group of musicians of varying ages and musical backgrounds. They enjoy performing classical, jazz, traditional and popular music. They were accompanied on the night by Eileen Tackney. They are invited to perform in Wexford in 2016 and will be part of Cavan’s 1916 Commemoration Programme. The orchestra were delighted to premiere this work by the prolific composer Elaine Agnew whose work has been described by a London reviewer as “compelling from beginning to end”. Elaine’s work has been premiered by the Chamber Choir Ireland, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Scottish and Irish Chamber Orchestras and has featured at major festivals including the BBC London Proms, the Slovenian Unicum Festival, and in many world-class venues: the Carnegie and Wigmore Halls, the Konzerthaus Berlin and the JF Kennedy and South Bank Centres.
Elaine was appointed as the first RTÉ lyric fm Composer-in-Residence in 2008 and her commissioned Christmas Carols have been released on RTÉ lyric FM’s Choirs for Christmas CD. Killygarry NS Choir conducted by Paula O Neill performed two carols by Elaine Agnew including the world premiere of Child Within based on the poem by Gabriel Fitzmaurice. The choir has performed at The Peace Proms in the RDS and The Hallelujah Concerts in the National Concert Hall.
A programme to delight all tastes includes works by Brahms, Boublil and Schonberg and an arrangement of Cavan Girl by Eileen Tackney. The Orchestra was joined by Aileen Donohoe for a selection including White Christmas by Irving Berlin, Have Yourself, a Merry Little Christmas by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin. Aileen had her first professional role as Rose in Kurt Weill’s One Touch of Venus at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and subsequently; Carmen, La Boheme and Cosi Fan Tutte at the Royal Festival Hall. Aileen performed in the internationally successful Mamma Mia playing the lead role of Donna at The Point, Dublin as part of the show’s first International Tour.
Award winning Cavan poets Heather Brett and Noel Monahan read a selection of original poetry from their recent collections. Noel Monahan has just returned from an invitiation to read his work in Italy and Heather Brett shared a poem just completed in the week before the performance.
Master of Ceremonies on the night was Niall Lynch, teacher and actor.
This event was supported by Cavan County Council and the Arts Council. Touch Wood was commissioned for Cavan Sinfonia by Cavan County Council Arts Office, www.cavanarts.ie.
Images from Cavan Sinfonia concert at Ramor Theatre image credits: Bob Lynch, photographer.