What’s happening update – late April/May

Friday 27th April, 7.30pm – student concert, St Patrick’s Centre, Donegal Town, beside chapel (with thanks to tutor Evan McGarrigle)

Sunday 29th April – Wall2Wall delivering Soundwaves Monthly at RCC, Letterkenny

Saturday 5th May – Errigal Groove Orchestra playing Derry Jazz Festival, Guildhall Square, 11.30am to 12.30pm

Sunday 20th May, 3pm  – Donegal Youth Orchestra end-of-year concert in Glenties. Provisionally booked for Highlands Hotel main function room. Guests – Glenties Brass Band and hopefully some local young fiddlers 🙂

Saturday 26th May (to be confirmed) – Choral concert at Amharclann, Gaoth Dobhair, featuring Donegal Youth Choir, DMEP junior choirs and guests

Saturday 26th May – Donegal Chamber Orchestra, Church of Ireland, Lettermacaward (with thanks to conductor Victor Yélamo)

Sunday 3rd June – Donegal Chamber Orchestra, Mussenden Temple (again with thanks to Victor)

Monday 3rd September – tuition starts up once more

Sunday 16th September – Donegal Youth Orchestra, Errigal Groove Orchestra, concert on Arranmore during Peadar O’Donnell weekend

Saturday 10th November tbc – Donegal Youth Orchestra, Abbey Centre, Ballyshannon, as part of Allingham Festival weekend

Sunday 22nd April – DMEP student concert, RCC, Letterkenny. Extravaganza of music and song, featuring Donegal Junior Strings, Donegal Youth Choir and lots of young musicians and singers. Accompaniment on piano from Paul McCarroll

Sunday 25th March to Thurs  29th March – Donegal Youth Choir trip to Lourdes. Fine performances in front of visitors from across the world. And an appearance on Sky 🙂

Sunday 25th March – Soundwaves Monthly, RCC, Letterkenny. 20 young musicians creating original music with the help of Wall2Wall Music’s Sarah Murphy and Seamus Devenny

Friday 23rd March – Music Generation Musicians’ Day, St Patrick’s (DCU), Drumcondra, Dublin. Keynote from Bill Whelan among highlights. Martin McGinley helped facilitate one group discussion. Tutor John Lee also attended from Donegal

Tuesday 20th March – Errigal Saxtet (cond. Sean McCarron) playing at launch of OPTUM education scholarships at Glenveagh Castle

Sunday 18th March – ‘A Year in Donegal’ concert, An Grianán Theatre. Vincent Kennedy celebrating his decade as conductor of the Donegal Youth Orchestra. What a concert, featuring the DYO, Little John Nee, soprano Aisling Kennedy, narrator Declan O’Brien and the Arranmore Pipe Band

Friday 16th March – Errigal Singers (cond. Margaret McAteer) perform in Café Davitt, Letterkenny, to raise money for Crumlin Children’s Hospital. Full house

Sunday 11th March – ‘Classical meets Trad’ at Conwal Church, with Donegal Chamber Orchestra (cond. Victor Yélamo) and trad group Coirm, with guest Tom Byrne. A treat.

Tues 13th Feb to Friday 16th Feb – ‘Music at Mount Leinster’ in Borris, Co. Carlow. Ten young Donegal musicians attended trad residential, working with James Mahon of Kila. They did the county proud in final concert.

Sat 10th Feb – Donegal Youth Orchestra closes the Festival of Youth Orchestras, National Concert Hall, Dublin. They delivered a brilliant performance under conductor Vincent Kennedy

Thurs 1st Feb – Sugar Club, Dublin. ‘This is Real’, John McLachlan piece commissioned by DMEP with the help of Arts Council funding, performed by Robinson Panoramic Quartet at high-profile Kaleidoscope event. Donegal Chamber Orchestra part and ambient sounds on tape

Sun 21st Jan – ‘This is Real’, world premiere of new work by composer John McLachlan at Conwal Church, Letterkenny, performed by Robinson Panoramic Quartet and Donegal Chamber Orchestra (+ tape). Second word premiere of ‘Absence’ by Derek Bell, Glasgow-based composed originally from Letterkenny. ‘This is Real’ was commissioned by DMEP with support of Arts Council

Sat 20th Jan – Music workshops organised by DMEP in Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny featuring Music Network touring artistes John Doyle (guitar) and Ciaran Tourish (fiddle). Big turnout for both.

Below – the Donegal Youth Choir in Lourdes recently, with conductor Sara Laughlin (front right) and accompanist Evan McGarrigle (front left)