On Friday 24 February, 2017, the Choral Sketches project culminated in a public workshop led by leading international composer, Tarik O’Regan with Chamber Choir Ireland conducted by Paul Hillier, in collaboration with the Contemporary Music Centre. The Choral Sketches project was part of a larger touring programme for Chamber Choir Ireland and the Irish Chamber Orchestra featuring A Letter of Rights by Tarik O’Regan and Alice Goodman. Alice gave an exclusive public interview with Michael Dervan, music critic of the Irish Times, as part of the Choral Sketches workshop and more details of that will be available soon.
Irish composers Seán Doherty, Amanda Feery and Michael Gallen worked from November 2016 – February 2017 with Tarik in producing a series of sketches for choir. During the public workshop with Paul Hillier and Chamber Choir Ireland, the composers had the opportunity to try-out their sketches in various ways, adapting the performance style, articulation and sometimes even construction of the sketches to what they’d originally intended, and taking away with them more finalised sketches and ideas with which to write up a full piece. We very much look forward to hearing the finished product of those sketches. In the meantime, CMC has produced a wonderful review video about the process and final workshop of the project:
Chamber Choir Ireland would like thank its partners in this project, The Contemporary Music Centre, Tarik O’Regan for his fantastic mentoring throughout the project and facilitation of the open workshop, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music for hosting the event in the wonderful Organ Room of the RIAM. We would also like to thank Seán, Amanda and Michael for their participation in the project, presenting an exceptionally high standard of contemporary choral music at the workshop. A special mention also to Galway-based composer Alyson Barber, who was given a special recommendation by Tarik O’Regan for mentoring in this project.