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Tag: The Chronicles of Meath

Vincent Kennedy’s The Chronicles of Meath – CD Launch 23rd September

The Chronicles of Meath – CD Launch
8pm Friday 23rd September 2016
In the George Eogan Culture Centre, Nobber County Meath

The CD of composer Vincent Kennedy’s The Chronicles of Meath for Harp Ensemble will be launched by Cllr Maria Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council on Friday 23rd September.

The Chronicles of Meath was commissioned by Meath County Council in 2012 for Dearbhail Finnegan and the Meath Harp Ensemble. The brief was to write a contemporary setting of music for Irish harp ensemble. The Chronicles of Meath was premiered in the Solstice Theatre, Navan in March 2013 and has since been performed to great acclaim in Ireland and abroad on many occasions. The performance at the World Harp Congress in Sydney August 2014 where Vincent conducted the Meath Harp Ensemble is considered by many who heard it as one of the highlights of the Congress.

The music is in seven movements each depicting a different aspect of history and heritage of County Meath

• Newgrange
• The Hill of Tara and the Hill of Slane
• The Book of Kells
• O’Carolan’s Arrival
• Lament at the Boyne (for Solo Harp)
• O’Carolan’s Concerto
• Have you Ever Been to Nobber in the County of Meath

The movement Lament at the Boyne (for Solo Harp) is now on the syllabus for Harp in Trinity College of Music London and recent performances of this movement have been by International Harpists Anne Denholm, Emily Mitchell, Laurel McConkey and Danielle Perrett to name just a few.

The launch of the CD represents the culmination of a wonderful collaboration between the composer Vincent Kennedy, Meath County Council and its Arts Officer Gerardette Bailey and the Meath Harp Ensemble. There will be a performance of several of the movements of The Chronicles of Meath during the launch by The Meath Harp Ensemble led by Dearbhail Finnegan.

Vincent Kennedy’s ‘The Chronicles of Meath’ performed at the World Harp Congress in Sydney

Vincent Kennedy will conduct four performances of his work The Chronicles of Meath in July with the Meath Harp Ensemble, the highlight of which is the performance at the World Harp Congress Sydney on Friday, 25 July.vincent_kennedy_2

Commissioned by Meath County Council under the per cent for Art scheme, The Chronicles of Meath was written for the Meath Harp Ensemble led by Dearbhail Finnegan. Each of the seven moments is inspired by a place or facet of County Meath’s rich heritage and history and includes titles such as Newgrange, The Hill of Tara – The Hill of Slane, and The Book of Kells.

Performances of the work take place at the Cairde na Cruite International Harp Festival, An Grianain, Termonfeckin, County Louth on 1 July; The Thosel, Drogheda, County Louth on 5 July; and at the Irish Embassy, Canberra, in Australia on 21 July; with the final performance on 25 July at The Grand Ballroom, Four Season’s Hotel, Sydney as part of the The World Harp Congress.

“The Chronicles of Meath” by Vincent Kennedy to be Premiered at Solstice Arts Centre

IMRO member Vincent Kennedy’s latest work “The Chronicles of Meath” will be premiered at the Solstice Arts Centre in Navan on 14 March at 8pm. “The Chronicles of Meath” is written for six Irish harps and will be performed by the Meath Harp Ensemble.  There are seven movements of exquisite music each depicting a different time in the history of County Meath: Newgrange, The Hill of TaraThe Hill of Slane, The Book of Kells, O’Carolan’s Arrival, Lament at the Boyne, an arrangement of O’Carolan’s Concerto, and finally, Have You Ever Been To Nobber In the County of Meath? Vincent was commissioned by Meath County Council under the Per Cent for Art Scheme. “The Chronicles of Meath” is a public Art project and admission is free but tickets must be booked by contacting the Solstice Arts Centre Box Office directly at 046-9092300.vincent_kennedy_2

The performance comes soon after Vincent Received the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras special achievement award “For outstanding artistic achievement and for outstanding promotion of music in the community.” The award was a wonderful recognition for all involved in The Happy Prince production particularly Little John Nee (who wrote and retells Oscar Wilde’s story so beautifully) and Vincent, who wrote the music and conducted all the performances with the Donegal Youth Orchestra and Donegal Youth Choir. The award was presented to Vincent at the National Concert Hall on 9 February.

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