A concert with a difference is promised at Conwal Church in Letterkenny on Sunday afternoon, featuring the Donegal Chamber Orchestra, brilliant young trad group Coirm and virtuoso musician Tom Byrne.
It’s a ‘Classical meets Trad’ concert, organised by the Donegal Chamber Music Society. Classical suites will rub shoulders with traditional tunes, and the violin and cello will share the limelight with the fiddle and mouth organ.
The concert presents one of the most novel musical programmes of the year in Donegal.
Tom Byrne will take the lead on mouthorgan on two much-loved pieces by Kreisler, ‘Liebesleid’ and ‘Liebesfrued’. Classical and trad will meet when DCO and Coirm join forces to play a piece by Zoe Conway, ‘Suaimhneas’, written specially for Coirm.
Fittingly on Mother’s Day, the DCO’s set will include ‘Ten Pieces for Children’ by Bartok, arranged by Weiner. They will also play a selection from the ‘Carmen Suites’ by Bizet.
Coirm, brought together by Paul Harrigan of Letterkenny trad school Ceol na Coille, will perform ‘Failte an Earraigh’, a commissioned work for them from Altan’s Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh.
Paul Harrigan said he’s really looking forward to the concert.
“I’m delighted that Coirm are getting the chance to share this platform with the Donegal Chamber Orchestra, who must be among the leading string ensembles in the country. It’s a wonderful learning experience for our young trad players.
“Of course we’re already seeing crossover between classical and trad in Donegal. There are quite a few young musicians doing both. A concert like this helps to broaden the horizons of everyone involved.”
DCO conductor Victor Yelamo, a cellist himself, said the concert programme will bring listeners “from the cafes of central Europe to streets closer to the Río de la Plata” of South America.
“The DCO will present Bartok and Bizet, Coirm will have those new traditional pieces, and the brilliant Tom Byrne will bring us those Kreisler pieces on mouthorgan but also the music of Argentinian tango king Astor Piazzolla on the accordion. It’s promises to be a wonderful afternoon.”
The Donegal Chamber Music Society wishes to thank the parish of Conwal and Gartan parish for their generosity in making Conwal Church available. The concert is organised in association with the Donegal Music Education Partnership (DMEP) and Ceol na Coille.
Admission to the concert is €10 (€5 concession), payable at the door. The concert starts at 3pm.
