Top Irish musicians perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
on World Music Day
in aid of national children’s rights organisation

21 June 2017, Midsummer’s Day and World Music Day, will see Dublin celebrate one of its most exciting musical ventures pushing the boundaries of what can be expected from a classical music performance, with more than 120 musicians taking to the stage to perform the monumental Beethoven's Ninth Symphony alongside four world premieres.

This fundraising concert, ‘A Midsummer Rights Theme’ is performed by Co-Orch Dublin, Ireland’s charity orchestra, in partnership with and in aid of the Children’s Rights Alliance. The concert will be held in CHQ with the backdrop of the sun setting on the Custom House Quarter in Dublin 1.

The programme will be brought to life by orchestral and vocal musicians from across Ireland, with soloists including children, representing some of the country’s most eminent professional and amateur musical groups including choral members from Cór na gCairde. All ensemble participants volunteer their time and expertise to support the Children’s Rights Alliance. 

John Doyle, Artistic Director of Co-Orch Dublin said:
“This will be the most ambitious project yet for Co-Orch. We’ve been performing together for more than five years and have always been proud to push the boundaries of what is expected at a classical performance, but for ‘A Midsummer Rights Theme’ we’re taking it to a new level. 

“Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, with its glorious Ode to Joy theme, is rarely heard in Ireland due to the scale of the performance. We’re delighted to work with some of Ireland’s most up-and-coming composers for the four premieres which complete the programme. The night is sure to be one of the most exciting performances in Ireland not just on World Music Day, but across the year.”

Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance added:
“The Children’s Rights Alliance is honoured to be invited to partner with Co-Orch Dublin for this concert to support of our work on human rights issues including child poverty, child refugees, and children’s health and education.

“Children will be at the heart of this concert in every way and every cent raised will support our work to better children’s lives in Ireland. We are especially excited to welcome young soloists on stage on the night, making real their right to participate in cultural and artistic life.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:
Co-Orch Dublin aims to enrich the musical life of Dublin by introducing a wide audience to the music of the 20th and 21st centuries in an accessible setting, to support young Irish musical talent, and to raise funds for Irish charities in a cost-effective manner. Co-Orch is, as its name suggests, a cooperative. This means that all aspects of the orchestra's life are chosen by its members including the concert programmes, dates and partner charities.

The Children’s Rights Alliance unites over 100 members working together to make Ireland one of the best places in the world to be a child. We change the lives of all children in Ireland by making sure that their rights are respected and protected in our laws, policies and services. We identify problems for children. We develop solutions. We educate and provide information on children’s rights. We unite our members and put pressure on Government to put children first.

This event is proudly supported by EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum, EPIC is an award winning experience located in Dublin’s Docklands, where you can immerse yourself in the Irish stories of sacrifice, endurance, adventure and triumph, discover why 10 million have left the island of Ireland and how they influenced and shaped the world.

Composer details:
Amy Rooney
Amy Rooney is a composer and violinist from Co. Down. Her works show a particular interest in the generation of microrhythms, investigating whether the pursuit of such minute inflections is best achieved through mathematically exact scores or a more improvisational approach. Many of her scores employ the use of aleatoric procedures as a means of creating dense rhythmic textures.
Amy’s music has been played by various soloists and ensembles including the JACK Quartet, the RTÉ ConTempo Quartet, the Delmege Quartet, Concorde, Kirkos, the Hard Rain Ensemble, Mary Dullea, Robert Plane and Joanne Quigley among others.
Amy is currently completing a PhD in Composition at Queen's University Belfast.

Anne-Marie O’Farrell
Composer Anne-Marie O’Farrell has received many awards for original composition. She holds a PhD in composition at Queen’s University, Belfast where she studied with Piers Hellawell, a first class honours MA in composition from the NUI Maynooth and an honours BA, BMus from UCD. She has composed for a variety of instrumental and vocal media, and her compositions are featured on the higher examination grades of conservatory syllabuses around the world. She lectures in composition at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and for three years she was Composer in Residence at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, funded by the Arts Council. Her works have been performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, the BBC Singers, Chamber Choir Ireland, the RTÉ ConTempo Quartet and numerous international solo artists. She is the winner of the BBC Baroque Remixed composition competition with her orchestral work,Rann Dó Trí, which was conducted by Charles Hazlewood at London’s Roundhouse and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. She is regularly invited to give lecture recitals, workshops and masterclasses at festivals worldwide in addition to presenting regularly at international conferences and acting as jury member for competitions. 

Sam Perkin
Sam Perkin is an Irish composer who has composed for leading orchestras, ensembles and soloists such as The Irish Chamber Orchestra, The Fidelio Trio and Miranda Cuckson. The extent to which Sam likes to explore the boundless possibilities of music can be seen in his recent compositions for Orchestra with Whale Sounds, Orchestra with Sign Language, and Strings with Body Percussion.

Sinead Finegan
Sinéad completed her Masters in Music and Media Technology at Trinity College in 2011, where she studied with Linda Buckley and Donnacha Dennehy. Through her work for Music Generation, Sinéad works with children from a young age, introducing them to music, and composing both with and for them. She has a special interest in combining music with other art forms, including theatre and poetry. Sinéad is also actively involved in environmentalism, which regularly informs her music. She is a recipient of the Annette Halpin Music Bursary from South Dublin County Council and the Provost's Fund for the Visual and Performing Arts at Trinity College. Her music has been played at the Dublin Theatre Festival, BÉAL Festival of Music and Poetry, the Burren Music Festival, Dublin Fringe Festival, the Hilltown New Music Festival, Ortús Chamber Festival and New Music Dublin at the National Concert Hall. Sinéad is an active member of the Irish Composers' Collective and is represented by Ireland's Contemporary Music Centre.