Music Generation Sligo in association with Sligo County Council Arts Service, Sligo Academy of Music and Sligo International Choral Festival is delighted to announce the premiere of Where never lark, nor even eagle flew for choir and orchestra on Sunday 10th November at 2pm in the Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo.
This multi movement work was inspired by the mystery and wonder of space and our place within it. Composed and created over several months by a group of young Sligo musicians working in association with the composer Brian Irvine, the composition is a multifaceted, sideways study of our relationship with the universe - stars, time, black holes, the orbiting of friends and planets, gravitational pull, love, the interconnectedness of people and place and our continuous fascination and exploration of the unknown.
This extraordinary performance combines an extended Sligo Academy of Music Orchestra with the newly formed Music Generation Sligo Youth Choir made up of singers from a number of youth choirs from all over Sligo and specially created film imagery by Loch Bo Films.
Belfast-born Brian Irvine was appointed as Composer in Residence for the Music Generation Sligo Composition Programme 2012-2013. The composer, who has collaborated with everyone from Seamus Heaney to Snow Patrol and was associate composer with the Ulster Orchestra for four years, worked closely with six young local composers (aged 12+) under an innovative Mentoring Programme. The Music Generation Sligo Young Composers are Ferdia Durkin, Niamh Feeney, Dulra Hanley, Ciara Murphy, Alice Purcell, Matthew Rooney.
The title for the piece is taken from a poem High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. that is recited by astronauts before the launch of a new mission.
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings…
Where never lark nor even eagle flew —
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
The project was commissioned by Sligo County Council funded by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government Per Cent for Art Scheme.
Further information available from Music Generation Sligo.
A look back at Access Artistry and Advocacy - Music Generation's National Conference which spotlighted the importance of access to music.
On 2nd March 2024 over 1,000 music makers from all over Ireland attended 'We are Music Generation' at the Convention Centre.
We are asking young musicians nationwide to share online what music means to them and their favourite music-making moments.
Get the latest news and stories from the Music Generation network delivered straight to your inbox each month.