Ticket Lottery closes this week for ‘A Nation’s Voice’ – enter before Friday

There are just four days remaining to apply for tickets for A Nation’s Voice as the online lottery will close this Friday 19th February. This free, open-air performance, which promises to be a highlight of this year of 1916 commemorations, will take place at 2.30pm on Easter Sunday in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins’ Barracks.

Full details on how to register for tickets and more information about the event can be found online at www.artscouncil.ie.

Those lucky enough to be allocated tickets to A Nation’s Voice will experience the world premiere of ‘One Hundred Years a Nation’, a major new orchestral and choral work commissioned for the occasion by RTÉ from composer Shaun Davey with text by writer Paul Muldoon. The afternoon programme will also feature orchestral works by Seán Ó Riada and Bill Whelan and a massed choral performance of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ from Handel’s Messiah. Presented by Miriam O’Callaghan, A Nation’s Voice will also be broadcast live at 2.30pm across RTÉ One television, RTÉ Radio 1 and online at www.rte.ie/1916.

Music Generation is thrilled to be part of this momentous occasion. 300 young singers from Music Education Partnerships across Ireland will join together 800 further choir members from the Association of Irish Choirs, Cór na nÓg and the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir – a total of 31 choirs from 18 counties throughout the country. This massed choir will join with the full forces of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and conductor David Brophy in performance. Writer Paul Muldoon will narrate ‘One Hundred Years a Nation’ for this premiere performance.

The Music Generation Choirs taking part are:

• Borris Vocational School Junior Choir, Music Generation Carlow
• Escalation Singers and The Burren Children’s Choir, Music Generation Clare
• Cork City SINGS! in 2016, Music Generation Cork City
• Music Generation Laois Choir, Music Generation Laois
• Sing Together Vocal Group, Music Generation Limerick City
• Young Louth Voices, Music Generation Louth
• Westport Children’s Choir, Music Generation Mayo
• Midhe, Music Generation Offaly / Westmeath
• Music Generation Sligo Choir, Music Generation Sligo
• Scoil Chrónáin Choir, Music Generation South Dublin
• Blessington No.1 School Choir, Music Generation Wicklow
• Donegal Youth Choir, Donegal Music Education Partnership

Event Details:

A Nation’s Voice is presented by the Arts Council and RTÉ, in association with the National Museum of Ireland, the Association of Irish Choirs and Music Generation, as part of Ireland 2016.

Date: Sunday 27 March 2016, 2.30pm
Venue: National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks

Programme:
Shaun Davey (with text by Paul Muldoon) - One Hundred Years a Nation (World premiere / RTÉ commission)
Handel - Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah
Ó Riada - Mise Éire (Orchestral Suite)
Bill Whelan - Macdara’s and An Cistin from Carna

Credits:
David Brophy, conductor
Paul Muldoon, narrator
Massed choirs
Soloists to be announced

Tickets: Free, ticketed event. Tickets allocated by means of an online lottery
Booking information: www.artscouncil.ie

Please note: Tickets will be distributed by lottery and fulfilled through an online ticketing service. Applicants into the lottery will be randomly selected and offered tickets, which they must then confirm before the tickets are ultimately issued. On arrival at the event audience members will either present a print out, a bar code on their phones or a reference number (plus ID, in that case) to gain access.