Month: November 2011

The Contemporary Music Centre launches the tenth volume in its promotional CD series Contemporary Music from Ireland at 6pm, Wednesday, 7 Dec 2011. Orlaith McBride, Director, The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, which grant aids the Contemporary Music Centre, officially launches the CD which is supported by Culture Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Lottery Fund. The CD launch will feature live performance with Paul Roe, clarinet, as well as an outdoor electro-acoustic programme.

The CMC promotional CD series gives a snapshot of what is happening right now in contemporary music in Ireland. Volume Ten features ten works, selected for variety of styles and all written in the twenty-first century. As well as showcasing the vitality of Irish composition, the CD features many national and international performing groups and individuals, all of whom are committed and active performers of new music.

“The works featured on Contemporary Music from Ireland, Volume 10, celebrate diversity: the “what’s new”, “what’s innovative”, “what’s vibrant” within the music of Ireland over the last five years. The sonic rewards are plentiful and we hope these works entertain, inspire and entrance you as they have audiences in Ireland and abroad” says Evonne Ferguson, Director, The Contemporary Music Centre.

The CD will be distributed nationally and internationally to radio stations, festivals, concert promoters, performers and universities amongst other places.  All the tracks may be broadcast and further information on all composers can be found on the Centre’s web site at www.cmc.ie.  

Video interviews with the featured composers about their works on the CD will be available on www.cmc.ie during December. A selection of tracks from the disc will also be available to listen to through streaming on CMC's web site following the official launch.

The Centre has been producing CDs of Irish composers' work for over fifteen years. As well as producing ten volumes of Contemporary Music from Ireland the Centre partnered with Diatribe Records in 2010 for the release of Solo Series I – a 4-CD box set. The Centre plans to further develop its CD series in 2012 with a new series aimed at presenting a representative cross-section of new music

Contemporary Music from Ireland Volume 10

Track Listing

1. Ailís Ní Ríain, StreetSong (2006) | Tape, 4:25                                                          

2. Amanda Feery, Rattle (2010) | Paul Roe (bass clarinet)  4:30                                    

3. Enda Bates, String Quartet No.1  (2008) | Crash Ensemble (Kate Ellis, cello; Lisa Dowdell, vlola; Emily Thyne, violin; Cliodhna Ryan, violin) and electronics 10:57         

4. Donal Sarsfield, Gallivanting (2010) | Tape 9:41                                                      

5. Garrett Sholdice, Sonate (2009) | Maya Homburger (baroque violin) and Barry Guy (double bass) 8:51

6. Ann Cleare, I am not a clockmaker either (2009) | Magali Boissier (accordion) and electronics 7:10

7. Ed Bennett, Cartoon Music (2007) | Decibel (Neil McGovern, Damien Harron, Fumiko Miyachi) 7:09

8. Adam Melvin, Little Engines (2007) | Mary Dullea, piano 6:26

9. Brian Irvine, Big Daddy Motorhead (2009) | Ulster Orchestra, Conductor, Kenneth Montgomery 9:33

10. Neil O’Connor, Radio Aurora (2009) | Tape 7:11

‘Frozen Bones’ is the debut EP from Belfast band, Window Seats. Mixed and mastered by Neal Calderwood (Jody Has A Hitlist, The Answer, General Fiasco, Fighting With Wire), it will be released on 2nd December 2011.

Rainy Boy Sleep aka Stevie Martin with his unique songwriting haunting voice and production skills spent the Summer capturing the hearts of many playing Glastonbury, Hard Rock Calling Hyde Park London, Ray Davies Meltdown Festival, Southbank London, Reading,Leeds Festivals on the BBC introducing stage and supporting Cyndi Lauper on her UK tour along with Glasgowbury, Vantastival, Stendahl Festival, many other club shows and radio sessions.

'New Album ‘Light Side Of The Dark’ from Tony Floyd Kenna & Joe McGuinness.

The focus on Ireland during the 26th edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag will feature 21 Irish acts, including promising new artists such as Wallis Bird, God is an Astronaut, Cashier No9., We Cut Corners, amongst others. Each year, the European music conference and showcase festival highlights one European country with a flourishing musical climate. In previous editions focus countries have been France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Norway and The Netherlands.

“Elysian Dreams” is an eclectic blend of world, classical, contemporary, Native American and Irish/Celtic Folk sounds. Two songs taken from the album were released earlier this year. “I will carry you” and “Dance with the River” met with rave reviews from live audiences and the broadcast community with both songs play-listed on radio. This incredible new album also features a narration by Choctaw elder, Gary White Deer.

SHISHONNAH, formed in 2010, is a merger of the talents of Irish artist Liz Madden and US artist Jenne Lennon—both accomplished musicians, performers and songwriters. They blend their Irish and American musical heritage with their Celtic and Native American traditions, creating their own distinctive and innovative sound.  Their original songs will take you to a place that defines the human experience and uplifts the soul.  With incredible vocal arrangements, their sound reflects a canvas as diverse as the lands of their upbringing. The album is as much an instrumental as vocal with the ladies playing piano, harp, bodhran, whistle, Native American flute, keyboards and percussion.
 

 Madden and Lennon have performed and headlined individually in venues worldwide.  As SHISHONNAH, their most recent performance was with the world renowned Elgin Children’s Chorus in Chicago which received superlative reviews and ovations beyond all expectations.
They are currently finalising performance dates for 2012, which will include the United States, the U.K., Ireland, and Europe.

“Noelle’s Burden”, penned by Eoghan McNeill, is the first official Christmas release from The New Free. The single will be launched on Sunday 27th Nov in Dublin’s very slick Odessa Club. Recorded at the famous, Grouse Lodge Studios, it has a subtle waltz tempo, coupled with lonely church warmth, powerful chamber harmonies and echoes of promises made with the best of intentions.

The band were recently invoted to record four tracks in RTE for the famous “2fm live sessions” with Dan Hegarty. They recently played The Green Village festival with Ryan Sheridan, Bipolar Empire and The Stunning. The band are presently recording their debut album at Grouse Lodge Studios set for release in Spring 2012

Featuring Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh on hardanger fiddle with dancer Nic Gareiss & special guests

Sunday 11th December 2011
Doors 7.30pm, Show 8pm sharp.
Boys School @ Smock Alley Theatre, Exchange Street Lower, Temple Bar, Dublin 8

Dublin Laptop Orchestra – bring “the physicality and energy of acoustic music to electronic performance.” (Journal of Music)

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh –  “the most imaginative and fascinating musician in all of trad” (Irish Echo)

Nic Gareiss – “mesmerizing… a whirling dervish in tap shoes” (Bay City Times)

In collaboration with some of the most exciting musicians in traditional Irish music, the Dublin Laptop Orchestra present a unique concert of new music at Smock Alley Theatre. The concert will feature a series of completely new pieces that combine Irish traditional music with live electronics. Laptops will be used to create complex rhythms and virtual droning fiddle strings, controllers will manipulate sound and allow it to blend with musicians in real-time, and the sounds of the performers themselves will even be used as raw material for completely improvised creations. This collaboration aims to infuse Irish traditional music with some of the potential that modern technology offers. Definitely not to be missed!

The Dublin Laptop Orchestra makes music with lots of laptops, hands, golf controllers, and hemispherical speakers. Their aim is to bring some theatricality and ‘physical presence´ into electronic music performance. They do this by creating software instruments that require movement and skill from performers and encourage interaction and improvisation. Irish traditional music is a particular focus as they look to capture some of the energy and excitement that naturally occurs in live ‘trad´ performances.

Dublin Laptop Orchestra are Rachel Ní Chuinn, Jenn Kirby, David Collier, Enda Gallery, Mark Rooney, Tara Lewis, Amanda Feery, Alex Dowling and Saramai Leech.

This collaboration was made possible through the generous support of the Arts Council´s Deis Fund for the Traditional Arts and the Trinity College Provost´s Fund for the Visual & Performing Arts.

Tickets: €10
Bookings: www.smockalley.com
Tickets also available at the door on the night

As part of the exciting programme of events taking place at the 2012 festival IMRO will host a series of Traditional Music Showcases and Master Classes in the New Theatre, Temple Bar, over the course of the festival.

Mickey Harte returns with his second single “Time” from his Chicago recorded Album. Released on Swerve Music Ltd., “Time” is from Mickey Hartes 3rd Album “Mans Aloud to Dream” Out Jan 2012.