World Premiere’s For Vincent Kennedy

On the Friday 15th and Saturday 16th April the world premiere of Where the North Wind Blows will take place. Vincent was commissioned by the The North Wind Blows project to write this music.  That project is a Peace and Reconciliation project funded by the International Fund for Ireland and administered by the County Donegal VEC Music Education Partnership. Vincent has written a 10 minute piece of celebratory music for an ensemble made up of Lambeg Drum, Bodhrán, two Brass Bands, a Ulster Scots Highland Pipe Band, and additional woodwind and percussion. The players are from different community backgrounds in Counties Donegal and Tyrone. Vincent will conduct the premiere with St Joseph’s Brass Band Strabane, the Bready Ulster Scots Pipe Band, Glenties Brass Band, and woodwind, brass and percussion players from the Donegal School of Music. The first performance takes place at the Balor Theatre Ballybofey, County Donegal on April 15th at 8pm and the following evening a second performance takes place at the Alley Theatre, Strabane.

Also in these performances will be the world premiere of Open Air by the Belfast composer Neil Martin and arrangements of You are the Voice, She Moved through the Fair, and The Water is Wide by Brendan Breslin and Maggie by Stephen Cairns as well as a performance of the ever popular Highland Cathedral by the entire ensemble.

On Love: Live Music Day, Friday April 8th the distinguished cellist Annette Cleary will give the world premiere of Vincent Kennedy’s Etude for Cello as part of a cello recital entitled “From Baroque to Modern”. The premiere will take place at Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow at 12pm followed by a further performance at 2.30pm at the Happy Pear, Main St. Greystones.  Speaking about the world premiere Vincent Kennedy said “I think that particularly on “Live Music Day” musicians should endeavour to perform in places from where people are unable to get out to performances. I am delighted therefore that the premiere of “Etude for Cello” is taking place in Newcastle Hospital.”

 

Speaking about this work Vincent said “While experiencing the splendour of the great Atlantic waves breaking along the coast of North Donegal, as clouds bigger than mountains floated above on a perfect blue sky, I heard in my mind the beginnings of what became “Etude for Cello”. I worked on it later that day so that I could leave the music as a gift dedicated to the Gormley family whose hospitality I was enjoying at the time.”