Got any bright ideas?!

The Donegal Chamber Orchestra, with conductor Victor Yélamo on left, pictured outside Mussenden Temple in June 2019 – another sell-out performance there!

We’ve had a project or two in our time. And we’ve got ideas for more. If we can pull down the finance from somewhere! At the moment there are possibilities around strings and also music technology, but we’ll have to wait and see.

We’re not relying on special projects as we’ve a busy tuition programme with around 450 young musicians and singers, and around thirty tutors. On top of that we have ten performing groups. And as a result we’re involved in organising or helping to organise well over 50 events a year, or one a week!

But we’re always interested in new ideas. If you’ve got one, and it’s even a bit musical, get in contact for a chat if you think we can help. Email musiceducation@donegaletb.ie or phone Martin or Aisling on 07491 76293.

Past projects have been helped by Music Generation, the Arts Council and Music Network. They include the very successful Soundwaves, which we hope have helped developed young musicians and singers in Donegal (and there’s every sign it has, with lots of young people doing lots of stuff, from bands to solo material). We’ve had John McLachlan write a piece for panoramic string quartet and chamber orchestra (thanks Arts Council), with a premiere in Conwal Church, Letterkenny, and a second performance in Dublin.

We might go for another work by a composer with strong Donegal links if we can secure funding.

More news as it develops!

Soundwaves, delivered for us by Wall2Wall Music, and supporting by funding from the Arts Council/Music Generation Partnership. Here are four great songs conceived, worked up, performed and recorded in one day (!) at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny –

https://youtu.be/ug2gLUx0yro

https://youtu.be/J_BIWagbIpY

https://youtu.be/JiNJZ_LE_es

See and hear more good stuff from right across the DMEP spectrum on YouTube, the Donegal Music Education Partnership playlist. From the Donegal Chamber Orchestra at Mussenden Temple to the Donegal Highlanders on the gig-rig at the All-Ireland Fleadh in Dundalk last summer 🙂