Nós Nua – Louth Folk Youth Orchestra have released a snippet of a new composition developed for them by award-winning musician Mohsen Amini, who plays with bands Talisk, Ímar and Eadaoin. The 60-member Orchestra had been scheduled to take part in a three-day residential in Carlingford over the Easter school holidays, to work on the new composition by Mohsen, commissioned by the Arts Council’s Young Ensembles Scheme. When the COVID-19 restrictions ruled that out, Mohsen and the Orchestra took to social media to play together.
Their short performance can be viewed online here:
A collaborative initiative between Music Generation Louth and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Ireland’s north-east region (based at The Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol), Nós Nua was established in 2017. Drawing its members from counties in the northeast and border regions, the Orchestra has been mentored by a number of iconic figures from the world of traditional music and song including Martin Power, Zoe Conway, Padraigín Ní Uallacháin and Gerry Cullen – and more recently by Mohsen and fellow bandmates, Ryan Murphy, Éadaoin Ní Mhaicín, Cormac Crummey and his fellow Glaswegian, Benedict Morris. Both Mohsen (2016) and Benedict (2019) have won the prestigious title of BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year. Mohsen was also named BBC 2 Musician of the year in 2018.
The orchestra has made widely acclaimed appearances at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Drogheda in 2018 and 2019 as well as featuring on Fleadh TV and at the IAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras in Dublin’s National Concert Hall.
Five members of the orchestra recently performed at the United Nations Headquarters in New York as part of the launch of ‘The Drive For Five’– a global call to action for the education of adolescent girls. Among the audience for this performance were UN Secretary General António Guterres, Chair of The Elders and former President Mary Robinson and U2’s Bono.Music Generation Louth is part of Ireland’s national music education programme, initiated by Music Network and co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds and the Department of Education and Skills. Locally Music Generation Louth is led by Louth and Meath ETB with support from Create Louth and Dundalk IT.
The Oriel Centre at Dundalk Gaol was established in 2009 as the North East Regional Centre for Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann. The Centre works alongside other cultural organisations in raising awareness of local history, storytelling, an Ghaeilge, songs of the region, music and dance. It provides facilities for teaching, rehearsal, archives, recording, performance and exhibition, focusing primarily on the provision of educational initiatives with music, song and the Irish language.
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