Festival of Voice: Songs of Earth with Cór Linn

NCH Cór Linn
​​​​​​​Ciarán Kelly, conductor
Orlaith Sharkey, accompanist

Programme to include

Gerald Custer Fiddler of Dooney
A.R Rahman Balleilakka
Christopher Tin Baba Yetu,
Jim Clements Underneath The Stars
Moses Hogan My Soul’s Been Anchored
Ben Parry Bella Ciao
Dan Davison Ritmo
Ollie Lambert Lake Isle of Inisfree
Bob Chilcott God So Loved The World
Don MacDonald When The Earth Stands Still
Eric Whitacre Seal Lullaby
Morten Lauridsen Dirait On

Festival of Voice is a weekend festival celebrating the power, beauty and universality of the human voice.

Journey through music that speaks to the heart, the land, and the shared human spirit. Songs of the Earth  weaves together folk traditions, sacred reflections, and contemporary choral soundscapes from around the world. From the rhythmic energy of Balleilakka and Ritmo to the profound stillness of When the Earth Stands Still, this programme celebrates humanity’s connection to place, faith, love, and hope. Lush harmonies, evocative poetry, and powerful rhythms combine in a concert that moves between joy and contemplation, reminding us of music’s ability to unite voices across cultures and generations.

Cór Linn is an auditioned, mixed voice choir of 55 singers aged 14 -18, performing a wide range of repertoire from classical to contemporary. Founded by RTÉ in September 2018, the choir was established to provide young singers with an opportunity to develop their vocal skills and to serve as a stepping-stone into adult ensembles. Following its transfer to the National Concert Hall in January 2022, Cór Linn has settled into rehearsals and performances alongside its NCH choral family - National Symphony Chorus Ireland and Cór na nÓg.

Initially conducted by Mary Amond O’Brien (2018–2023) and now led by Ciarán Kelly (Sept 2023 - present), the choir has continued to grow from strength to strength. Its achievements include winning the Youth Choir Competition at the City of Derry International Choir Festival in 2024 and 2025, the Sacred Music Competition 2025, and the prestigious National Choir of the Festival Award 2025. Rehearsals are highly focused, incorporating sectional work and regular vocal coaching, while also placing strong emphasis on the joy of singing and performing together. Many members go on to join adult choirs in college and beyond, bringing the friendships and skills they’ve developed with them throughout their lives.

Recent performances have included a celebration of music from film and musical theatre (March 2025), and a Christmas 2025 performance with Fabre Chamber Choir in the Adam and Eve’s Church, Merchant’s Quay, Dublin. In July 2026 they will making their international debut, performing at the Bratislava Summer Music Festival.

Ciarán Kelly

Ciarán is a versatile and accomplished conductor, singer and composer based in Dublin. Originally from Derry, he currently serves as Director of Cór Linn, The Guinness Choir, and Fabre Chamber Choir. He also holds the position of Head of Music at King’s Hospital School in Palmerstown, Co. Dublin.  He is a former Assistant Director of Music at St Mary's Pro Cathedral and the Irish International A Cappella Festival and has released numerous albums with Ardú, an award-winning vocal group he founded in 2014.

Ciarán’s training with the VOCES8 Foundation in London led to workshops in the UK, Europe and Asia where he worked in schools and universities as well as with choral societies and professional singers. He has worked as a singer and educator with many choral organisations, such as Sing Ireland, National Youth Choir of Great Britain, Anúna and Chamber Choir Ireland.  

In addition to his work as a conductor, Ciarán is an accomplished composer with works performed by ensembles across the UK and Europe. His collaboration with Carl Corcoran, A Child of the Universe, was  premiered at the National Concert Hall as part of the New Music Dublin Festival 2025. In July 2024 he led the development of the first NCH Youth Choir Summer Course at the National Concert Hall, Dublin. 

Ciarán has served as Choral Director of Cór Linn since September 2023, programming a diverse range of concerts and leading the ensemble to major successes at the City of Derry International Choir Festival in 2024 and 2025, including winning the National Choir of the Festival award in 2025.

Orlaith Sharkey

Orlaith Sharkey, a Donegal native, is a pianist and accompanist based in Dublin. She completed a Master’s in Music at MTU Cork School of Music in 2025, following a BMus in Pedagogy from TU Dublin Conservatoire and a professional mentorship at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. In 2024 she won the Larchet Memorial Cup for sight-reading accompaniment at Dublin’s Feis Ceoil, and in 2025  was one of the Festival’s official accompanists. Orlaith was selected to be the Peter Rankin Piano Intern at the Glenarm Festival of Voice in 2024 and 2025.

Orlaith is currently accompanist for the Portmarnock Singers, the Seafield Singers and since September 2025, the National Concert Hall's youth choir Cór Linn, and is the official accompanist for the TU Dublin Operatic Society season 2025-2026. She also enjoys working as a piano teacher at Rathdown School, Glenageary and St. Andrews College, Booterstown. 

Highlights from 2025 include a recital with Sorcha O’Regan (Soprano) at the Boyle Arts Festival and recitals with Rory Dunne (Bass-Baritone) and Maria Mulcahy (Flautist). Orlaith also accompanied the Walter’s State Community College Chamber Choir from Tennesse on their 2025 Irish tour.

Presented by NCH and supported by IPUT Real Estate Dublin