Music Generation Laois Harp Ensemble perform at The Ireland Funds Young Leaders Christmas Gathering

Seven members of the Music Generation Laois Harp Ensemble, under the direction of musician Siobhán Buckley, packed their harps and hit the road to Dublin last Thursday evening, 7 December 2017 to perform for guests at The Ireland Funds Young Leaders Annual Reception in Trinity College.

The Ensemble performed a diverse repertoire of music arranged for the group by Siobhán, and they rounded off the evening with a memorable set met with rapturous applause from all present.

Established just over three years ago, the Music Generation Laois Harp Ensemble features some of the 116 harp students currently working with the partnership locally. The group is well-accustomed to performing for national and international audiences – earlier this year, members travelled to Scotland to join acclaimed musicians from around the world at the internationally renowned Edinburgh Harp Festival 2017, and previously the Ensemble collaborated with Scottish Harpist Catriona McKay to create a new suite of music titled ‘Rising of the Harps’ as part of the Laois New Works Series, funded through the Music Generation/Arts Council Partnership.

On Thursday 14 December the full Harp Ensemble was joined by the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra, bands from the School of Rock and Pop, Music Generation Laois’ Junior Trad Group, Samba Band and Stampede Drumming Group for a Christmas Concert in Portlaoise Further Education and Training Centre, Tower Hill.

Music Generation Laois is part of Music Generation – Ireland’s National Music Education Programme, initiated by Music Network and co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds together with, The Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships. Locally, Music Generation Laois is managed by Laois Music Education Partnership and funded by Laois County Council, Laois-Offaly Education and Training Board and Laois Partnership Company.

The Christmas Gathering at Trinity College is just one in a series of annual events organised by the Young Leaders Society, whose work involves cultivating an emerging generation of philanthropists and whose members are an important fundraising source for the work of The Ireland Funds worldwide.

For further information about the Harp Programme and other initiatives at Music Generation Laois contact:

Rosa Flannery, Coordinator, Music Generation Laois
Laois County Council, Áras an Chontae, Portlaoise, County Laois

t: +353 57 8664176
e: musicgenerationlaois@laoiscoco.ie
musicgenerationlaois.ie