Media Release 19 November 2015
The National Concert Hall launches ‘IMAGINING HOME’, seven themed concerts to mark 100 years of Ireland
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys T.D., and Aodhán Ó Riordáin, Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht joined National Concert Hall CEO Simon Taylor, and Chairman Gerry Kearney today (Thursday 19 November 2015) to announce details of Imagining Home ; the National Concert Hall’s initiative as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.Inspired by the 1916 Proclamation, Imagining Home is a series of seven concerts to take place from Monday the 28th of March to the 3rd of April 2016 that speak of Ireland’s cultural journey over the last 100 years, its place in the world today and its shared future.
Imagining Home gathers some of Ireland’s leading musicians, writers, thinkers and acclaimed international artists to celebrate Ireland’s cultural life.
It is one of four programmes at the National Concert Hall that will mark 100 years of Ireland as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary programme. These include Composing the Island : A Century of Music in Ireland to take place in September; Song for ’16 : an All-Island song competition for schools with Disney Music Group and a New Commissions project with Dublin Port which sees songs recorded, released and premiered at a special multi-media concert at the National Concert Hall in June.
Heather Humphreys T.D. Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht said:
“The seven concerts which will be staged consecutively at the National Concert Hall over Easter Week next year will reflect on the ideals which inspired the 1916 Leaders and how they impacted on Ireland’s interaction with the world, on our literature and on contemporary and traditional music. The Concert Hall, as one of our National Cultural Institutions, will be a focal point for the commemorations, and will help us to explore our past and look to the future through music, song and debate.
“I am pleased that the Concert Hall’s programme for 2016 also includes an All-Island Song Competition for primary and post-primary schools. Pupils will be asked to write and perform a song celebrating the modern, multi-cultural Ireland we live in today. The winning song will be released on Hollywood records by Disney Music Publishing, which is a very exciting prospect for aspiring young singers and musicians. With this innovative project the Concert Hall is encouraging our youngest and brightest to engage with our history through contemporary culture.”
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, T.D. Minister of State at the department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht said:
“As we reflect on the momentous events which took place a century ago, it is important that culture and the arts are central to our Ireland 2016 programme, and I am proud that this is to be the case. The National Concert Hall’s special programme of concerts will allow us to enjoy the wealth of artistic and creative talent for which Ireland is known globally. Given the role of artists in the events of a century ago it is only fitting and right that they take such a central position in our Easter Rising commemorations.
“The 1916 Centenary Commemoration offers a special opportunity to raise further international awareness of Ireland and to celebrate Ireland as a nation of strong creativity and artistic excellence. The National Concert Hall has selected many artists who are representative of this excellence, and I am confident that they will enthral audiences both home and abroad as we commemorate this centenary. I wish the National Concert Hall every success with their programme.”
Speaking at the launch of Imagining Home , Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall said:
“We are delighted to launch Imagining Home today; the first of four major projects to take place next year at the National Concert Hall as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. Our ambition in devising such a diverse range of historical, cultural and artistic activities is to speak of Ireland’s cultural journey over the last 100 years whilst also looking forward to the next century. We hope the programme will capture the imagination and facilitate reflection, commemoration, celebration, debate and an active re-imaging of our shared future.”
IMAGINING HOME
AMERICA Monday 28 March 2016 8pmRosanne Cash, Paul Brady, Maura O’Connell, Rodney Crowell, Andy Irvine, Tim O’Brien, Mick Moloney and band and more to be announced. Celebrating the long musical conversation across the Atlantic, America is a gathering of Irish and American musicians performing songs from this rich musical dialogue.
ENGLAND Tuesday 29 March 2016 8pm
Martin Carthy, Camille O’Sullivan, Cait O’Riordan, Paul Brady, Andy Irvine, Cathal Coughlan, Lisa O’Neill and more to be announced. A conversation between neighbours in song hosted by writer and broadcaster John Kelly, England celebrates the musical interplay between Ireland and England.
INTO EUROPE Wednesday 30 March 2016 8pm
Inspired by the European identity of the Irish republican tradition, Into Europe explores Ireland’s place in European culture. Samuel Beckett, John Field and Roger Casement spark an evocative evening of word, performance and music. The programme includes Lisa Dwan performing Samuel Beckett’s Not I and Footfalls; Fintan O’Toole on Roger Casement and human rights and pianist Barry Douglas performing with Camerata Ireland. More to be announced.
ON REVOLUTION Thursday 31 March 2016 8pm
An evening of word and music exploring revolutionary ideals and their impact with an international gathering of writers and commentators from Ireland, Egypt, Libya, India and Europe including Joseph O’Neill, Ahdaf Soueif, Hisham Matar, Pankaj Mishra, Adam Zagajewski, and Colm Tóibín . This concert includes the world première of a new commission ‘Casement/Conrad’ by Colm Tóibín, and acclaimed composer Donnacha Dennehy to be performed by Crash Ensemble.
THE LITERARY IMAGINATION Friday 1 April 2016 8pm
A celebration of the country’s literary heritage its present and its future, with some of Ireland’s greatest living writers and poets including John Banville, Anne Enright, Colm Tóibín, Eavan Boland, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, John Montague, Marina Carr, Kevin Barry, and Paul Muldoon. More to be announced.
THIS IS IRELAND Saturday 2 April 2016 8pm
Glen Hansard gathers friends and collaborators to celebrate Ireland in 2016. (Guests to be announced).
OUT OF THE TRADITION Sunday 3 April 2016 8pm
A journey through Irish traditional music from its roots to the thriving traditional scene of today and an exploration of the great works of the Irish language and its place in Ireland featuring Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill, Usher’s Island, the Tulla Céilí Band, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, and Iarla Ó Lionáird. More to be announced.
Serious in association with the National Concert Hall present IMAGINING IRELAND Friday 29 April 2016
at the Royal Festival Hall, London, supported by the Embassy of Ireland in London and Culture Ireland.
This special concert is a celebration of Ireland’s musical journey over the last 100 years and the rich musical interplay between and Ireland Britain featuring Paul Brady, Camille O’Sullivan, James Vincent McMorrow, Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, Andy Irvine, Cait O’Riordan, Martin Carthy and John Kelly.
More artists will be announced and added to Imagining Home programme over the coming months.
*Tickets for Imagining Home at the National Concert Hall are on sale Monday 23rd November 2015 from 10am (Priority Booking for Friends of the National Concert Hall Thursday 19 November).
Tickets for each concert in IMAGINING HOME at the National Concert Hall are €39.50, €29.50, €22.50
[book 3 or more concerts and receive a 10% discount. Book 5 or more concerts and receive a 15% discount]
Tel: 01 417 0000 or www.nch.ie.
[Tickets for IMAGINING IRELAND at Royal Festival Hall £35, £25 (+booking fee) +44 0207 960 4200 or www.southbankcentre.co.uk]
Full details of the National Concert Hall’s Imagining Home series can be found here
Imagining Home is part of The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, led by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, T.D. It is a year-long programme of activity to commemorate the events of the 1916 Rising, reflecting on our achievements over the last 100 years and looking towards Ireland’s future. www.ireland.ie
Imagining Home media partners include The Irish Times and RTÉ Radio 1.
ENDS
For further information please contact: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 417 0057/087 1775334
NOTES FOR EDITOR
The National Concert Hall’s Programme for 2016 also includes the following programmes:COMPOSING THE ISLAND - A century of music in Ireland, September 2016
Audiences will have a unique opportunity to encounter the music of Irish composers written between 1916–2016, during a three-week period in September 2016, performed at the National Concert Hall and broadcast on RTÉ lyric fm. Presented by Bord na Móna in association with RTÉ and the National Concert Hall, the festival will include six major orchestral concerts given by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and RTÉ Concert Orchestra and a further 20 concerts featuring choral, instrumental, song and chamber music given by a range of performers including the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, RTÉ Cór na nÓg, the RTÉ ConTempo Quartet, Crash Ensemble, Chamber Choir Ireland, Vanbrugh Quartet, Concorde and The Fidelio Trio.
SONG FOR 16 - All-Island Song Competition for Schools with Walt Disney Music Group
Song for ‘16 is an all-island song competition which invites primary and post-primary students to write and perform a song celebrating the modern, multi-cultural Ireland of 2016.
Presented by the National Concert Hall, the Department of Education and Skills, and Disney Music Group it is the key outreach programme for 2016 encouraging students to engage with Song for ’16 is the National Concert Hall’s key outreach programme for 2016, encouraging students to engage with contemporary culture through a historical perspective, and to produce a hit song that celebrates what the island has become over the last 100 years. In a unique opportunity, the overall winning song will be published by Disney Music Publishing and released on Hollywood records.
NEW PROJECT WITH DUBLIN PORT June 2016
As part of the National 2016 Centenary Programme, Dublin Port and the National Concert Hall are partnering to produce a project which commissions a series of songs by some of Ireland’s leading contemporary song writers. The project will see the songs recorded, released and premiered at a special multi-media concert at the National Concert Hall. The project is inspired by the centuries old commercial and cultural relationship between the river Liffey, the port and the city.
*Please note the above National Concert Hall programmes, as part of the Ireland 2016 centenary programme, will be launched at a later date. Full details will be made available then.
The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, led by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, T.D., is a year-long programme of activity to commemorate the events of the 1916 Rising, to reflect on our achievements over the last 100 years and to look towards Ireland’s future. Full details of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme are available at www.ireland.ie
