Success in Cork for DCU Music Staff and Students

The School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music received a number of accolades at the Cork International Choral Festival 2017, which took place over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Róisín Blunnie’s Laetare Vocal Ensemble won Ireland's Choir of the Year 2017 competition. They were also awarded the Contemporary Music Centre trophy for the performance of contemporary Irish music, for It's Strange About Stars by Seán Doherty, and the Schuman/Europe prize for the performance of a work by a living European composer, for Rhona Clarke’s The Old Woman. Both pieces were commissioned by Róisín and received their world premieres as part of the competition. Current BRelEd students Daniel Connell and Meaghan Brady sang in both award-winning performances.

Rhona Clarke was invited to the festival to give a lecture on her choral compositions, to participate in the composition seminar, and was a jury member for the Seán Ó Riada composition competition.

Finally, the Derry-based choir Codetta won the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition, with a programme that included A Nywe Werk by Seán Doherty. Both the Fleischmann Trophy and Ireland's Choir of the Year are judged at the highest competitive standards by a distinguished jury of choral conductors, and are renowned internationally. Seán performed with New Dublin Voices, who had been invited to sing at the prestigious Evocations concert, in a programme that included his This Endris Night.

Well done to everyone involved!