Made up of leading chamber musicians, orchestral leaders and principals and soloists from Ireland, the UK and Europe, The Fews Ensemble performs up to eight projects per year in Newry, Mourne, and Down, as well as in Dublin and Belfast.

The resident ensemble of Newry Mourne and Down and Newry Chamber Music, The Fews are renowned, not only for the quality of their playing, but for their innovative programme led by Artistic Director, Joanne Quigley McParland.

The group perform well loved staples from the Chamber Music repertoire as well as countless commissions by Irish composers and Chamber version arrangements of larger scale orchestral works, including Mahler Symphony No. 4 for thirteen players and Brahms Serenade for nine players.

The group specialises in cross arts projects, working most notably with actor Ciarán Hinds on several projects including a sell-out, critically acclaimed run, of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, in 2022.

In 2024 NCM and The Fews Ensemble founded the Narrow Water Festival to celebrate the announcement of the construction of Narrow Water Bridge. Future plans are in place to expand the festival on both sides of Carlingford Lough in 2025 and beyond.

The Fews Ensemble present a fresh approach to the String Quartet recital with a concert of stunning single movement pieces for this most popular of chamber music genres, interspersed with thematic poetry and prose.

The programme will include

Jesse Montgomery: Strum

Ernest Hemingway: Extract from Death in the Afternoon

Joaquin Turina: La Oración del Torero

Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Sunset

Ottorino Respighi: Il Tramonto

Roisin Kelly: Oranges

Caroline Shaw: Valencia

Emily Dickinson: By The Sea

Osvaldo Golijov: How Slow the Wind

Rainer Maria Rilke: The Sonnets to Orpheus (Book II, No. 29)

Anton Webern: Langsamer Satz

Anton Chekhov: Letter to A. S. Suvorin

Tchaikovsky: Andante from String Quartet, No. 1

Daniel Kemper: The Tango Argentine

Astor Piazzolla: Four for Tango

Fews Ensemble on this occasion is

Mia Cooper

Joanne Quigley McParland

Paul Cassidy

Jonathan Aasgaard

Mary McCabe, soprano

Ciarán Hinds, actor

Ticket prices for this concert are €20, €17 (concessions) and €5 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds)

Join us at 7.30 and again at 8.30 to celebrate Culture Night 2026.

Dean Glynn, Classical Guitar

Mollie Carroll, Harp

Eve Donohoe, Violin

Ciara Breen, Soprano

Isabella Caulfield, Soprano

Michael Lennon, Piano Accompanist

Two free concerts by some of Wexfords best young talent.

Dean:

Dean will perform works by contemporary Irish composers for the guitar, featuring his own composition and arrangements.

Mollie:

Mollie Carroll has been playing the harp since she was 8 years old. She is looking forward to performing An Cruitire, The Winner Takes it All, and The Rectory Reel in the concert.

Eve:

Eve Donohoe is a 20 year old violinist currently studying medicine in Trinity College Dublin. She will perform Salut D'Amour - Elgar and Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana - Mascagni.

Isabella:

Isabella Caulfield is currently studying classical singing at the royal Irish academy of music. She is very excited to be singing pieces from Ivor Novello and Thomas Dunhill.

Ciara:

Forr this year's Culture Night Concert, Ciara Breen will sing, Non so più from Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro followed by Les chemins de l’amour by Poulenc and finally the Tennessee Waltz dedicated to John Murphy.

Michael Lennon Piano Accompanist

We are delighted to welcome two fantastic performers who are well know to Wexford audiences who will be delighted to see them back in town.

Dublin Soprano Rachel Croash was a member of the inaugural Irish National Opera Studio and the Cork Opera House Cara O’Sullivan Associate Artists. Awards include the Wexford Festival Opera Aria Friends Award and the WFO & PwC Emerging Artist Bursary.

 Operatic Roles include Mathilde (Nouvel Opéra Fribourg), Blanche; Norina and Avis (Glyndebourne Festival Opera – Covers), First Nymph; Rusalka (Cover); Mathilde; Marianne; Frasquita; Clorinda; Erste Dame; Kate Pinkerton; Mademoiselle Silberklang (Irish National Opera), Mimi; Fiordiligi; Susanna; Frasquita (Cork Opera House), Marzelline; Musetta; Mabel; Valencienne (Lyric Opera Productions), Elvira; Fiordiligi (Blackwatervalley Opera Festival), Ines; Serafina; Reneé; Dew Fairy; Annina (Wexford Festival Opera), Una; Susanna (Opera Theatre Company), and Mrs.Coyle (Opera Collective Ireland).

Oratorio performances include Verdi’s Requiem, Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Brahm’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C Minor with Limerick Choral Union, Fauré’s Requiem with The Kilkenny Choir, Stanford’s Stabat Mater at Cork City Hall, Händel’s Messiah at St. Muerdach’s Cathedral in Ballina, Vivaldi’s Gloria at Knock Basilica with the Palestrina Choir, Haydn’s The Creation, Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle with Culwick Choral Society, Haydn’s Die Jahreszeiten with The Guinness Choir, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle with Maynooth University Choral Society, and Brahm’s Requiem and Elgar’s For The Fallen with the combined choirs of Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin.

Concert Highlights include performances with The Ulster Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland,  The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, City of Dublin Chamber Orchestra, West Wicklow Chamber Festival, Music in Great Irish Houses Festival, Music for Galway, The Contemporary Music Centre and The Metropolitan Club, New York.

Rachel had the privilege of singing at Áras an Uachtaráin for The President of Ireland Michael

D.Higgins and as guest soloist for the televised National Commemoration Day Service at Collins Barrracks. Rachel has appeared with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in RTÉ’s ‘Carols from Dublin Castle’ and ‘Christmas with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra

Wexford native Rebecca Warren is an Irish répétiteur, collaborative pianist, Musical Director and choral conductor working across Ireland and the United Kingdom. She has worked with Buxton International Festival since 2023 and with Wexford Festival Opera since 2022, where she was Wexford Factory répétiteur in 2022-23 before continuing to work professionally with the company.

Her recent operatic work has included productions of La voix humaine, Trouble in Tahiti, Ernani, The Land of Might-Have-Been, Deidamia, Le maschere, La ciociara and Lalla Roukh. She has also been Musical Director of several productions, including Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, Ethel Smyth’s The Boatswain’s Mate and Bizet/Brook’s La Tragédie de Carmen. In 2026 she returns to Buxton International Festival as répétiteur and Chorus Master for Lehár’s The Merry Widow, and to Wexford Festival Opera as Musical Director for Balfe’s The Rose of Castile and répétiteur for Rossini’s L’equivoco stravagante.

Alongside her operatic work, Rebecca performs extensively in recital, coaching and ensemble settings with singers across a broad range of repertoire, with particular experience in French, Italian, German and English-language works. She maintains an active performance diary as a collaborative pianist throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom and regularly curates recital programmes and concert series in the South East of Ireland.

Rebecca was répétiteur with the inaugural Irish National Opera Studio and has since undertaken further work with Irish National Opera, including productions of Aida, Die Zauberflöte and Madama Butterfly. A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (MMus Répétiteurship), she was awarded the Arts Council of Ireland Next Generation Artist Award in 2020. Also a trained classical violinist, she also holds an MA (Hons) in Classical String Performance and has performed professionally with chamber and symphony orchestras across Ireland and internationally. Passionate about contemporary music, she works closely with Irish and Ireland-based composers to workshop and promote new repertoire.

Rebecca will be Artist-in-Residence at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris in January 2027.

Programme

They are bringing an extensive, varies & wonderful programme to include;

Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24 - Samuel Barber

Beau soir, L. 6 
Mandoline, L. 29 
Romance, L. 79 
Noël des enfants qui n’ont plus de maisons, L. 133 
Fantoches, L. 29 

                   - Claude Debussy

Drei Lieder, Op. 22 - Erich Wolfgang Korngold

1. Was du mir bist

2. Mit dir zu schweigen

3. Welt ist stille eingeschlafen

The Mother - T. C. Kelly

Dirty Work - Havelock Nelson

Sea Wrack - Hamilton Harty

I Could Have Danced All Night, from My Fair Lady - Frederick Loewe / Alan Jay Lerner

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, from The Wizard of Oz - Harold Arlen / E. Y. Harburg

Art Is Calling for Me (I Want to Be a Prima Donna), from The Enchantress - Victor Herbert / Harry B. Smith

Ticket prices for this concert are €20, €17 (concessions) and €5 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds)

We are delighted that the winner of the 2026 Music for Wexford Bursary award is Ciara Breen and as has become a tradition she will be performing on our final lunchtime concert of the July series.

She will be joined by

Leo Lupascu Piano

Domnic Lucian Drutac Violin &

Ivan Cherednichenko Carrillo Cello

Ciara is currently studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London under the tutelage of Mary Wiegold. She began her musical journey at age seven with the Danescastle Music Group, where she sang and played flute, specialising in traditional Irish music. Ciara competed in numerous competitions including Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Scór, and Siansa, in solo singing, ballad group singing, and Grupa Ceoil. At the same age, Ciara started classical singing training at The Kiltra School of Music with Angela Mahon. She later joined music theory classes and became a member of The Little Sea Musical Society.

In 2022, Ciara continued her studies at The Purcell School for Young Musicians in London, where she expanded her skills in singing, guitar, music theory, and music technology. During her time at Purcell, she was an active member of the Chamber Choir, performing in major concerts such as Holst’s The Planets at Queen Elizabeth Hall and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Southwark Cathedral with the Purcell Symphony Orchestra, as well as various evensongs and church celebrations. During her first year Ciara was awarded the D’Oyly Carte charitable trust scholar 2023/2024.

In September 2023, Ciara performed Mozart’s concert aria “Ch’io mi scordi di te?” accompanied by strings and piano obbligato at St Albans Cathedral. She also featured in a song produced and arranged by a fellow student, which was selected for the Commonwealth Youth Awards held at St James’s Palace.

A passionate folk musician, Ciara has begun performing regularly in the folk scene. Over the summer, she was a guest artist at Camden Stewart’s concert at St John the Evangelist, London, performed at the Phil Murphy Weekend, and held her first solo concert at Colfer’s Pub, joined by Jim Murray, Liam Berry, Caoimhe O’Dwyer, and Alan O’Dwyer.

The Christmas of 2025 Ciara organised her first short tour around Ireland, Performing in venues in Wexford,Cork and Dublin.

Todays programme will include

Deh vieni, non tardar- Mozart

● Ma rendi pur contento- Bellini

● Wolf song collection (1.Verborgenheit, 2.Die Bekehrte und 3.Die Spröde)

● The swan played by strings from carnival of the animals

● The white rose of athens

● O del mio amato ben- Donaudy

● Beau Soir- Debussy

● Violin and Cello duet

● Chio mi scordi di te?- Mozart

● Carrickfergus

● Nobody loses all the time- Edward Longstaff

Ticket prices for this concert are €15, €12(concessions)  €5 (students) and will be available on the door or at wwew.eventbright.ie (where a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds)

The final of three lunchtime concerts by students from the Royal Irish Academy of Music [RIAM] and Cork School of Music [CSM]

These concerts are devoted to groups from RIAM’s & CSMs third level programmes (BMus, MMus, DipMus, Recital Artist Diploma) consisting of students training at the colleges for careers as professional musicians. A special selection process is linked to RIAMs / CSMs chamber music exams, from which, outstanding groups are selected for the Music for Wexford recital opportunities, offering a professional platform for pre-professional chamber musicians

Today we are delighted to present The Olympia Quartet From the Cork School of Music

Yevlaliia Yershova [violin]
Ellen Crowley [violin]
Charlie Duff [viola]
Adam Joyce [cello]

Programme

Mendelssohn - String Quartet no. 6 in F minor, Op. 80 

Janáček - String Quartet no. 2 ‘Intimate Letters’ 

The Olympia Quartet was formed in September 2024 in the MTU Cork School of Music, under the tutelage of Christopher Marwood. The quartet consists of violinists Yevlaliia Yershova and Ellen Crowley, violist Charlie Duff, and cellist Adam Joyce. Their shared love for exploring a mix of classical and contemporary music, and their passion for bringing fresh energy and creativity to their performances, draws them together as an ensemble.

Since their formation, the Olympia Quartet have performed at venues in Kinsale, Youghal, Bantry and Kenmare, at the Aula Maxima in University College Cork, in the Whyte Recital Hall in RIAM as part of the EMPOWER Dublin event, and in the MTUCSM Curtis Auditorium. They are delighted to be returning to the West Cork Chamber Music Festival next summer.

Whether performing well-known chamber music works or exploring new compositions, the Olympia Quartet strive to make meaningful connections with their audience through music and showcasing their joy of playing together.

Yevlaliia Yershova began her violin journey at the age of four and graduated from the Stolyarsky Lyceum in Odesa (Ukraine), where she studied from the age of seven. Since moving to Ireland in 2022, she has studied with Elizabeth Charleson and is now in her second year of a Bachelor of Music degree at the MTU Cork School of Music, studying under Katherine Hunka. She is a laureate of several competitions in Ukraine, Ireland, Poland, and the Czech Republic. In 2025, she won the Feis Ceoil Aileen Gore Cup and was selected as one of five finalists for the RDS Music Bursary. As a soloist, Yevlaliia has participated in numerous masterclasses with renowned professors including Gernot Winischhofer (Austria), Zoya Nevgodovska (Germany), and Maurice Sklar (USA), and has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland at the National Concert Hall as part of a masterclass with Maxim Vengerov.

Ellen Crowley began her violin studies at the age of five in the Cork ETB School of Music and is currently in her first year of her Bachelor of Music degree in the MTU Cork School of Music, studying violin under Elizabeth Charleson. Ellen was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland in 2023 and of the Ulster Youth Orchestra in 2023 and 2024 and is currently a member of the Cork Concert Orchestra, the Adult Youth Orchestra of Ireland, the MTUCSM Symphony Orchestra and the Cork Fleischmann Symphony Orchestra. In 2023 Ellen was concertmaster of the Cork Youth Orchestra. She is a multiple prize winner is Feis Maitiú Corcaigh and MTUCSM Concerto and Recital Competitions. Ellen is an avid chamber musician and has been a member of various chamber groups over the years, more recently performing in the MTUCSM Vanbrugh Chamber Music Competition and the Crawford Art Gallery as part of their Music at Midday Series.

Ticket prices for this concert are €15, €12(concessions)  €5 (students) and will be available on the door or at wwew.eventbright.ie (where a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds)

The second of three lunchtime concerts by students from the Royal Irish Academy of Music [RIAM] and Cork School of Music [CSM]

These concerts are devoted to groups from RIAM’s & CSMs third level programmes (BMus, MMus, DipMus, Recital Artist Diploma) consisting of students training at the colleges for careers as professional musicians. A special selection process is linked to RIAMs / CSMs chamber music exams, from which, outstanding groups are selected for the Music for Wexford recital opportunities, offering a professional platform for pre-professional chamber musicians.

We are delighted to present two ensembles

Alba Clarke Gosalvez, mezzo-soprano

Jeannette Bogado, viola

Grace Minnock, piano

will perform

Brahms: Two Songs for Voice, Viola, and Piano Op.91

and

Tara Quartet:

Estella Fischer, violin

Eva Paturyan, violin

Katie Ní Mhaoláin, viola

Aoibhín Keogh Daly, cello

will perform

Komitas: Selections from Armenian Folk Songs arr. S Aslamazyan

Haydn: Poco Adagio Cantabile from String Quartet in C 'Emperor' Op. 76 No. 3

Bartok: String Quartet No. 3

Ticket prices for this concert are €15, €12(concessions)  €5 (students) and will be available on the door or at www.eventbright.ie (where a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds)

The first of three lunchtime concerts by students from the Royal Irish Academy of Music [RIAM] and Cork School of Music [CSM]

These concerts are devoted to groups from RIAM’s & CSMs third level programmes (BMus, MMus, DipMus, Recital Artist Diploma) consisting of students training at the colleges for careers as professional musicians. A special selection process is linked to RIAMs / CSMs chamber music exams, from which, outstanding groups are selected for the Music for Wexford recital opportunities, offering a professional platform for pre-professional chamber musicians.

This concert features a number of wonderfully talented singers & musicians

Sulamita Pyvovar piano

Brian Dietlmeier, piano

will perform

Hindemith: Sonata for piano four hands

Liszt: Weihnachtsbaum for piano four hands No. 3-7

and

Rachel Reid, mezzo-soprano

Emma Pezolt, flute

Daniel Uman, piano

will perform

Jake Heggie: The Deepest Desire

Ticket prices for this concert are €15, €12(concessions)  €5 (students) and will be available on the door or at www.eventbright.ie (where a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds)

Crash Ensemble premieres Everything is Connected, a bold and inclusive new work by acclaimed Irish composer Ed Bennett, created with collaboration and community at its core.

Commissioned by Crash, the project brings together members of the ensemble with local musicians and performers from diverse musical backgrounds in a dynamic live performance showcasing the possibilities of collaborative performance. 

For this world premiere concert, Crash are joined by Wexford’s WindJammers in a compelling presentation of Bennett’s expansive and energetic score.

Described by The Guardian as creating “unclassifiable, raw-nerve music of huge energy and imagination”, Bennett is one of Ireland’s most distinctive contemporary composers. His work spans orchestral music, opera, electronic music, installations and film, and has been commissioned and performed internationally by organisations including the BBC, RTÉ and Music Network. In 2024, he was elected to Aosdána in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the creative arts in Ireland.

Everything is Connected celebrates collaboration, connection, and the collective energy of live performance - an ambitious new work that showcases community musicians alongside one of Ireland’s leading contemporary ensembles.

Crash Ensemble:

Cello - Kate Ellis

Violin - Larissa O’Grady

Clarinet - Leonie Bluett

Trombone - Roddy O’Keeffe 

Electric Guitar - Barry O’Halpin

Composer/Director/Electronics - Ed Bennett

This premier performance will be in Wexford County Hall Carricklawn Wexford

Ticket prices for this concert are €20, €17 (concessions) and €5 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds).

For their concert as part of the Music for Wexford Series, horn players Hannah Miller, Dewi Garmon Jones and Peter Mullen are delighted to be joined by award winning pianist Máire O'Carroll to perform a delightful selection of works for horns and piano including Friedrich Kuhlau, Richard Bissil, Andrea Clearfield and Anton Reicha. 

CORNUCOPIA is a chamber music collective for French Horn players in Ireland. Cornucopia have in recent years performed at the Killiney Music Series, FuddleFest music festival in Wexford, and for the Classical Kids Series at the National Concert Hall. The hornists of Cornucopia comprise of players from the Irish National Opera Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, and who frequent with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, RTE Concert Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Wexford Festival Opera Orchestra and who freelance all over Ireland. They often perform together in orchestral horn sections, and in chamber music configurations.

Máire Carroll is a hugely versatile artist who has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America including performances at Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, National Opera House in Tallinn, Liszt Academy in Budapest, and the Princess Grace Library in Monaco. As the first pianist in Ireland to be awarded the prestigious RDS Music Bursary, Máire maintains a diverse wide-ranging programme of solo and collaborative work, from baroque to twenty-first-century repertoire. Her recently acclaimed album Máire Carroll:The Complete Piano Études of Philip Glass was released on Delphian Records in 2024 and was chosen by The Scotsman as one of the top five classical music records of 2024, “..She does everything Glass asks for, then applies the expert pianist’s touch”. BBC Music Magazine describes the record as “..a testament to her achievement, in performances that also always stay true to the spirit of the composer” while Gramophone hails Máire as “..a most persuasive exponent”. With collaboration at the core of Máire’s artistic output, exciting partnerships include an ongoing project of song and literature recitals at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival alongside actor Barry McGovern. Other 2025 collaborations included performances of Jennifer Walshe’ opera MARS with Irish National Opera at Galway International Arts Festival and the Abbey Theatre, Dublin and a national tour of Dancehall with Crash Ensemble and LUAIL, Ireland’s national dance company. In 2024, Máire gave a complete performance of the Ros Tapestry Suite alongside pianist Finghin Collins at Kilkenny Arts Festival. Her solo composition ‘Lavinia Fontana’ was commissioned by the National Gallery of Ireland in celebration of their exhibition, Lavinia Fontana: Trailblazer, Rulebreaker.

Ticket prices for this concert are €20, €17 (concessions) and €5 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds).

Carmen Co’s “A Pocket Opera” is more than a concert: It is a performance of Spanish and Spanish inspired music presented as a play, with costumes, props and a storyline which roughly follows the story of Bizet's opera Carmen, but told from her point of view. Dare you consult the cards with her? What does she think of the men in her story? Did she foresee her gruesome ending? And does she like the opera Bizet wrote about her? 

This is really not to be missed.

Carmen Co will have you in turn laughing out loud, and listening with absolute silence to the immersive and evocative music. It's a brilliantly accessible and fun way to present classical music. 

A fun-filled evening of fantasy, comedy, drama and tremendous music arranged from Bizet’s Carmen and Spanish and Spanish-inspired music by Boccherini, Falla, Garcia-Lorca, Granados, Ravel and Albeniz, all arranged by the musicians for guitars and flute / voice. 

Emily Andrews mezzo, flute

David Massey guitar

Francisco Correa guitar

Press Quotes and Reviews

“Bouts of intimacy, creativity and comedy... nearly all the best Spanish tunes I can think of.” ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ The Latest magazine

"An unusual, highly entertaining evening... The three first-rate musicians rose to the challenge of acting and dancing as well as musical performance... Superb range of musical colour and artistry throughout the programme" - Ayrshire Post

"What an outstanding performance by the extraordinarily talented and delightful CarmenCo ensemble. It was a magnificent evening ending with rapturous applause" - concert organiser, Arts in The Langfords

"The feedback from your concert has been huge, universally everybody loved it. The number of times I have been stopped in the street this week to compliment the performance is countless." - concert organiser, Portesham for ArtsReach Dorset

"The musicianship was wonderful, I love Emily's beautiful voice and the story telling was spellbinding. What I had absolutely not expected was that it would be so entertaining as well as dramatic and touching - I laughed out loud when I was listening. A lot!" - concert organiser, Frome Concerts Group

“There certainly was a "buzz" as people left having thoroughly enjoyed the evening!” - Margaret McIntosh, artistic director of Ayr Music Club, Dec 2023

Ticket prices for this concert are €20, €17 (concessions) and €5 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds).

This concert is presented in association with Music Generation Wexford

Musici Ireland

Musici Ireland is a women-led, socially engaged arts collective creating original, multidisciplinary work that blends music, theatre, dance, film, and spoken word. Founded in 2012 by violist and artistic director Beth McNinch, the ensemble has become a platform for bold collaboration across artistic genres, with a strong focus on amplifying underrepresented voices and addressing contemporary social issues. Signature productions include A Mother’s Voice, a poignant tribute to survivors of Ireland’s mother-and-baby homes; Chronically Hopeful, an immersive response to chronic illness and invisible disability; SLIME!, an eco-conscious performance for young audiences; and Deeds Not Words, a dance-film inspired by the suffragette movement. The group has developed a strong reputation for commissioning and performing new music, with a growing catalogue of premieres created through close collaboration with living composers. In 2025, the ensemble released their debut album Earthrise on the Métier label (Divine Art Recordings), featuring new chamber works by Linda Buckley, Deirdre Gribbin, Ian Wilson, Liam Bates, and Deirdre McKay. www.musici.ie

Tonight, Musici Ireland are presenting us with a very strong ensemble of top-class performers who have garnered amazing reputations with their talents and abilities, and they have graced some of the biggest stages. We are very fortunate to have;

Soprano Róisín O’Grady

Mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty

Tenor Eamonn Mulhall

Violinist Kerenza Peacock

Violist Beth McNinch

Cellist Katie Tertell

Arvo Pärt “Es sang vor langen Jahren” for Mezzo-Soprano , violin and viola [7']

Libby Croad “To Have Body” from Chronically Hopeful (with voices) [7’]

Purcell “Music for a while” Soprano & Strings [3.50']

Linda Buckley “Fiol” for string trio [14’]

Deborah Pritchard Stabat Mater [10’] WORLD PREMIERE

INTERVAL

Arvo Pärt Stabat Mater [26’]

Soprano Róisín O’Grady has performed in recital and oratorio throughout Ireland and specialises in the performance of early music

Róisín has performed with early music ensembles, orchestras and choral societies throughout Ireland and the UK including the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Irish Baroque Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Cecilia. She is a member of the early music duo tonos who performed in the John Field Room, National Concert Hall, the National Gallery of Ireland, the Sligo Festival of Baroque Music, and was broadcast in concert by Lyric FM.  In 2011 she performed for US President Barack Obama in the White House on St. Patrick’s Day with the National Chamber Choir of Ireland. She regularly performs with harpsichordist Malcolm Proud.

Irish mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty has firmly established a reputation as a respected interpreter of both early and contemporary works, and she also has a busy schedule in mainstream opera and concert repertoire. She is a Creative Associate on the Arts Council’s Creative Schools scheme, and as of 2025 is the Artistic Director of Sligo Baroque Music Festival. Her opera repertoire includes many of the important lyric and coloratura mezzo-soprano roles, and on the concert platform she has sung most of the major sacred concert works, including all the major works of Bach, as well as Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Mass in C minor, and numerous chamber-music works. She is also a dedicated song recitalist, most recently appearing in song recitals with pianists Finghin Collins and Jonathan Ware. A champion of new music, recent highlights include the world premieres of several new works Silvia Colasanti’s opera, Proserpine at the Spoleto Festival, Deirdre Gribbin’s “The stones of life” and Anne Marie O’Farrells civil war cantata “Who’d ever think it would come to this”, as well as Dorabella for Irish National Opera in their recent production of Cosi fan tutte, 2025 saw her role debut as Orlowsky in Irish National Opera’s Die Fledermaus, as well as a festival and role debut as Kate in Owen Wingrave at the Festivale della valle d’Itria, Martina Franca.

Irish tenor Eamonn Mulhall’s bright, agile voice place him ideally for Mozart’s, Handel’s, Donizetti’s and Rossini’s lyric tenor roles. He is also a highly accomplished baroque and classical oratorio soloist.

Future and recent engagements comprise performances at the Opera Carlo Felice of Genoa, Teatro La Fenice, the National Concert Hall, Krakow Congress Centre, the Slovak National Theatre of Bratislava and the Prague Spring Festival, the Festival Musica sull’Acqua at Lake Como in Italy, the Belfast Festival, Mid Wales Opera and many more.

He performed with Wexford Festival Opera and other career highlights have led him to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden (ROH 2) and to the Scottish Opera. . He has broadcast live on BBC Radio3 and RTÉ Lyric fm.

Kerenza Peacock studied at the Royal Academy of Music and has just returned to the UK after several years in Los Angeles. She has recorded several albums as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic and one album with the London Symphony Orchestra, featuring pieces written for her by Oliver Davis. Her recordings are often played on classical radio stations worldwide. Kerenza led the Pavão String Quartet on five albums and 15 years of tours throughout Europe and the Middle East. She has performed in palaces and hospices, at the Oscars during Will Smith’s tantrum, and once smuggled her violin into the Great Pyramid past the armed guards.

A keen fiddle player, Kerenza toured with the alt-bluegrass band The Coal Porters and wrote two songs on their last album. Kerenza has played on many film and television soundtracks, including Encanto and Avatar, and has recorded with a huge number of artists, including Harry Styles, Celine Dion, Madonna and Barbra Streisand. She was concertmaster for Adele’s World Tour and Vegas residency and led Billy Joel’s orchestra at the Grammys.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, Kerenza gathered 94 violinists from 29 countries to play in harmony with young Ukrainian violinists hiding in their bomb shelters. The video went viral and raised much money for humanitarian aid.

 Violist Beth McNinch is very well known to Wexford Audiences for not only is she a founder member of Muisici Ireland she is also it artistic director as well as the Artistic Director of Music for Wexford.

She is an esteemed Irish violist, producer, educator, and artistic director, recently honoured as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) for her outstanding contributions to the field. Known for her ability to craft compelling programmes that balance classical favourites with lesser-known gems, Beth is passionate about collaboration across artistic genres. This spirit of innovation is at the heart of her company, Musici Ireland, an acclaimed chamber collective and interdisciplinary production house.

She has  performing with leading UK ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She has appeared in principal viola positions with the Irish National Opera, Wexford Festival Opera, English National Ballet, Ulster Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.

In the past couple of years, Beth has made her directorial debut with two major Musici Ireland productions: A Mother’s Voice, a multi-media performance honouring women affected by Ireland’s mother-and-baby homes, and Chronically Hopeful, an interdisciplinary work exploring themes of invisible disability through music, movement, and spoken word.

Beth plays on a rare cut-down Barak Norman viol, originally made in the 1650s and converted into a viola by Matthew Hardie in 1818. Her work has been supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Artlinks!, SEVN, and Creation Artists Residency.

Award-winning American cellist Katie Tertell is a performer and artistic curator, innovating how classical music is digested in modern times. Katie is the Executive Artistic Director and Founder of the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival, headquartered in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, USA. She is a core member of Musici Ireland , member of critically-acclaimed band Howay the Lasses, artistic lead and co-founder of the “Lost in Plain Sight” research project, and founding member of her duo, Cello Power. Formerly a member of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, she enjoys a rich and varied experience as an artist in Europe, America and globally.  and Southbank Centre in London, BBC Proms and the National Concert Hall of Ireland.  She can be heard regularly on BBC Radio 3 and RTÈ Lyric FM in recorded and live performances of both chamber and orchestral works. Katie teaches cello at Durham University and Newcastle University (UK).  

This concert is presented in association with Music Generation Wexford

Ticket prices for this concert are €25, €20 (concessions) and €10 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds).

Celebrated Musicians Sinéad Farrell (Flute), Katie Tertell (Cello) and Fiachra Garvey (Piano) come together for a beautiful concert of chamber music

The programme includes

J.S. Bach: Sonata in E major BWV 1035

Gaubert: Three Watercolours for flute, cello and piano

Martinu: Trio for flute, cello and piano

Louise Farrenc: Trio for flute, cello and piano

Dublin born flautist, Sinéad Farrell, combines a busy career as an orchestral musician, teacher, soloist and chamber musician. 

As a soloist, Sinéad has performed concerti with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Dublin Orchestral Players, Hibernian Chamber Orchestra and the RIAM symphony orchestra. She has also worked with many leading orchestras including the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Ireland, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and English National Opera. She has given many recitals around Ireland with acclaimed Irish pianists, Hugh Tinney and Darina Gibson.

In 2008, Sinéad was appointed principal piccolo/sub principal flute at the National Symphony Orchestra.

Award-winning American cellist Katie Tertell is a performer and artistic curator, innovating how classical music is digested in modern times. Katie is the Executive Artistic Director and Founder of the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival, headquartered in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, USA. She is a core member of Musici Ireland , member of critically-acclaimed band Howay the Lasses, artistic lead and co-founder of the “Lost in Plain Sight” research project, and founding member of her duo, Cello Power. Formerly a member of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, she enjoys a rich and varied experience as an artist in Europe, America and globally.  

Fiachra Garvey is well known for appearances which include the Janáček Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, RTE Concert Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra, RIAM Symphony Orchestra, Hibernian Orchestra and UCD Symphony Orchestrahas. He is a prizewinner at AXA Dublin International Piano Competition (Brennan Prize and McCullough Bursary), EU Piano Competition Prague (concerto finalist), 3rd Soirees-Concours Internationales de Piano a Collioure, France (Audience award) and Feis Ceoil Dublin (Morris Grant Bursary and Mabel Swainson award). The National Concert Hall Dublin awarded Fiachra the “Rising Star” prize in 2011 which led to a number of solo and concerto debuts.

Ticket prices for this concert are €20, €17 (concessions) and €6 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds).

Anamus Ensemble are a new and exciting international music ensemble of world class musicians with a like-minded vision to break down the barriers between performers and audiences. Programming music from all genres, often in one concert, the collective aim is to draw the listener into the performance in an entirely new way, offering them a chance to hear music with all their senses.

The ensemble was formed by Irish violinist Lynda O’Connor for her debut Avie Records album ‘The Irish Seasons’. Each musician was hand-picked by the violinist and when the ensemble bonded throughout the recording process, they decided to form a touring group.

You can expect a rip roaring evening of virtuosity from violinist Lynda O’Connor in Vivaldi Four Seasons and two concerti by cellist/composer Ailbhe McDonagh

Programme:

Ailbhe Mc Donagh World Premiere for Cello and chamber ensemble

Ailbhe Mc Donagh The Irish Four Seasons

Vivaldi The Four Seasons

"The Irish Four Seasons" (Ailbhe McDonagh, featuring Lynda O'Connor):

The Strad: beautifully judged, rewarding melding of Irish-style tunes and Baroque-style settings, from the shapely phrases in O’Connor’s pregnant solo opening to ‘Earrach’ (‘Spring’) to the unearthly, icy purity of ‘Geimhreadh’ (‘Winter’).

Ticket prices for this concert are €25, €20 (concessions) and €10 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds).

DATE CHANGE

Due to unforseen circumstances this performance has moved from 3rd October to 21st November. Tickets are transferrable

We are delighted to present the wonderful pairing of Benjamin Russell, baritone and Niall Kinsella, piano  

Irish baritone Benjamin Russell was a member of the ensemble of the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Germany, where he performed a wide repertoire of roles from Mozart to Wagner. Winner of the Richard Tauber Prize for the best interpretation of Schubert Lieder at the Wigmore Hall Song Competition 2019, Benjamin has been praised for his “powerful baritone voice” (Bachtrack) and “outstanding diction” (Opera Magazine). Together with pianist Niall Kinsella, he performs a programme of songs by Beethoven and Schubert, Ina Boyle’s Three Songs by Walter de la Mare, selections from Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs and George Butterworth’s beloved and touching song-cycle, A Shropshire Lad.

“Powerful baritone voice.” - Bachtrack on Benjamin Russell

“Outstanding diction” - Opera Magazine on Benjamin Russell

“Kinsella is a meticulous collaborator.”  - BBC Music Magazine on Niall Kinsella

The Programme will include

Ludwig van Beethoven Ich liebe dich, Adelaide, An die ferne Geliebte

Franz Schubert Selected Songs

Ina Boyle Three Songs by Walter de la Mare

George Butterworth A Shropshire Lad

Aaron Copland Selections from Old American Songs

Ticket prices for this concert are €20, €17 (concessions) and €5 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds).

The Marmen String Quartet join us for what promises to be an exceptional evening of music.

Presented in association with the National String Quartet Foundation.

Johannes Marmen, violin
Laia Braun, violin
Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola
Sinéad O’Halloran, cello

The quartet brings its energy and intelligence to an impressive range of repertoire, ranging from Haydn to music of today.

The quartet formed at the Royal College of Music in 2013, and has returned there as Quartet in Association, giving regular coaching to chamber music groups, playing in side-by-side projects, and mentoring young quartets through the RCM String Quartet Platform.

Last season they gave the world premiere of Garth Knox’s Secret Letters, written for them as a companion piece to Janáček’s Intimate Letters. Previous commissions have included Salina Fisher’s Heal, composed for them in the wake of the pandemic, and they made their Australian debut in 2023, playing a work written for them by Hannah Kendall as part of the Australian National Academy of Music’s Quartetthaus project. They are currently working on a new project with composer Samuel Adams and percussionist DOMNIQ. 

Their recording schedule for BIS demonstrates their wide-ranging musical appetite. Their debut recording (released in January 2025) features works by Ligeti and Bartók, with future recordings including Debussy, Ravel and Takemitsu; Haydn quartets and Chausson’s Concert and Franck’s Piano Quintet with violinist Johan Dalene and pianist Can Çakmur.

The quartet has played in the UK’s most prestigious halls and festivals, including Wigmore Hall and BBC Proms, and its reputation is spreading quickly across Europe, with performances including at Berlin Philharmonie, Boulez Saal, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Stockholm Konserthuset, Palladium Malmö and Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, as well as festival appearances at Lockenhaus, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Rheingau, Heidelberg and Zeister Musiekdagen music festivals, as well as the Amsterdam, Barcelona and Gulbenkian Foundation string quartet festivals. Recent North American highlights have included performances in Calgary, Kelowna, Victoria and Capital Region Classical and the group recently completed its Peak Fellowship Ensemble-in-Residence at Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University, in partnership with the Banff International String Quartet Competition.

They held a Guildhall School of Music String Quartet Fellowship (2018–20) and studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Hannover with Oliver Wille, as well as in London with Simon Rowland-Jones and John Myerscough (Doric Quartet). They were mentored by the late Peter Cropper and have received support from the Musicians Company/Concordia Foundation, Hattori Foundation, Help Musicians and Royal Philharmonic Society. The Marmen Quartet is an official Pirastro Artist.

The Programme will include

Haydn - String Quartet Op.76 No.4 Sunrise [1797]
Sam Perkin - My Young Love Was Gone [2016 rev. 2024] †
Bartók - String Quartet No.3 [1927]
Beethoven - String Quartet in F major Op.135 [1826]

† First performances

Ticket prices for this concert are €20, €17 (concessions) and €5 (students/unwaged) and will be available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie (a booking fee will apply and there are no refunds).

The Music for Wexford Young Musicians Bursary was launched in 2023, in memory of Betty O’Brien. The competition is open to any young musicians living or from Co. Wexford.

We are delighted to announce that we have joint winners for 2025. Classical Guitarist Dean Glynn and Irish Harpist Mollie Carroll

Both young musicians showed outstanding musical talent and connection with the audience in their auditions and the panel felt together they would provide a really interesting concert to close out our Summer Season.

You can expect to hear a mixture of Classical, Trad and modern arrangements from these two wonderful Wexford musicians

Dean Glynn is a guitarist from Wexford. He began studying classical guitar in the County Wexford School of Music with David Creevy at the age of 6. He is currently studying classical guitar on the Bachelor of Music programme in the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Dean has just finished his second year in RIAM, with Peter Katona as his instrumental teacher. He has performed on the main stage of the National Opera House, is the winner of the Bach Guitar Prize in Feis Ceoil 2024, and recently was a finalist  and received awards for most original program and best audience engagement in the inaugural Maeve Broderick Prize for Strings. He has also performed in ChamberFest Dublin 2024 and 2025 and is a member of the Music for Wexford Youth Committee.

Mollie Carroll a harpist who has been playing since the age of eight. Music has always been a core part of her life, and the harp has given her a voice through which she can express both tradition and creativity. While her repertoire is deeply rooted in traditional Irish music, she loves experimenting with other genres, including pop, rock, and classical, which has helped shape her into a versatile and open-minded performer.   Mollie is a member of Wexford Harp Ensemble and CCÉ Gorey/Ballygarrett.

The third of three lunchtime concerts by students from the Royal Irish Academy of Music [RIAM] and Cork School of Music [CSM]

These concerts are devoted to groups from RIAM’s & CSMs third level programmes (BMus, MMus, DipMus, Recital Artist Diploma) consisting of students training at the colleges for careers as professional musicians. A special selection process is linked to RIAMs / CSMs chamber music exams, from which, outstanding groups are selected for the Music for Wexford recital opportunities, offering a professional platform for pre-professional chamber musicians.

We are delighted to present

Kseniia Yershova, violin & viola

Yevlaliia Yershova, violin

 These sisters are students of Cork School of Music BMus course, Kseniia in 2nd year, Yevlaliia in first. Kseniia was winner of last year’s CSM Advanced Recital Competition and Yevlaliia was winner of last year’s CSM Senior Concerto Competition, so they are two highly accomplished musicians. The will perform a programme of both violin and viola solos and duos.

Handel-Halvorsen – Passacaglia for violin and viola

W.A. Mozart – Duo for violin and viola in G major, I. Allegro

F. Kreisler – Recitative and Scherzo

H. Vieuxtemps - Capriccio for solo viola

L. Spohr – Duo Concertante Op. 67 No. 2 for two violins

I. Allegro

II. Larghetto

III. Rondo. Vivace

6.  B. Bartók – 44 Duos for two violins, No. 35  "Ruthenian Kolomejka"

The second of three lunchtime concerts by students from the Royal Irish Academy of Music [RIAM] and Cork School of Music [CSM]

These concerts are devoted to groups from RIAM’s & CSMs third level programmes (BMus, MMus, DipMus, Recital Artist Diploma) consisting of students training at the colleges for careers as professional musicians. A special selection process is linked to RIAMs / CSMs chamber music exams, from which, outstanding groups are selected for the Music for Wexford recital opportunities, offering a professional platform for pre-professional chamber musicians.

We are delighted to present Johanna Dietz, piano with Rohan Harron, violin and separately Éadaoin Hassett, soprano with Oana - Alexandra Leluțiu, piano 

Programme

Johanna Dietz & Rohan Harron, will perform

L. Boulanger: Nocturne 

L. Boulanger: Cortège 

Montgomery: Peace 

Bacewicz: Partita for Violin and Piano 

Éadaoin Hassett, soprano 

Oana - Alexandra Leluțiu, piano 

Mahler: Rückert-Lieder II. Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft 

Debussy: Beau Soir L.84 

Lehmann: Bird Songs, No. 4 The Wren 

Respighi: I Fauni from Deità Silvane P. 107 

Rachmaninov: Spring Waters Op. 14, No. 11 

Delibes: Les Filles de Cadix 

Obradors: Canciones Clásicas Españolas 

I. La mi sola, Laureola II. Al Amor III. Corazón, porque pasais IV. El majo celoso V. Con amores, la mi madre VI. Dos Cantares Populares VII. Coplas de Curro Dulce

The first of three lunchtime concerts by students from the Royal Irish Academy of Music [RIAM] and Cork School of Music [CSM]

These concerts are devoted to groups from RIAM’s & CSMs third level programmes (BMus, MMus, DipMus, Recital Artist Diploma) consisting of students training at the colleges for careers as professional musicians. A special selection process is linked to RIAMs / CSMs chamber music exams, from which, outstanding groups are selected for the Music for Wexford recital opportunities, offering a professional platform for pre-professional chamber musicians.

We are delighted to present The Lucens Trio & Banshees Brass Ensemble.

The Lucens Trio explores 20th century and contemporary works for the less standard combination of flute, oboe and piano, Banshee Brass a programme based on musical history's fascination with the story of Romeo and Juliet, Johanna and Rohan present a programme exclusively by women composers who contributed significantly to musical history from the1900s to the present day (for some, perhaps not with the recognition deserved) and Éadaoin and Oana present a 2 part themed programme – the first part, songs inspired the nature, and the second part, Spanish themed Les Filles de Cadix and Obradors Canciones Clásicas Españolas. 

The Lucens Trio 

Kristina Gerasimova, flute 

Grace Mercer, oboe 

Jingyi Yang, piano 

Eugene Goossens: Harlequinade and Pastorale  

Madeleine Dring: Trio for flute, oboe and piano I. Allegro con brio II. Andante semplice III. Allegro giocoso

Andrey Rubtsov: Marbella Fantasy 

Banshee Brass 

Erick Castillo, trumpet 

Aoife Garry, trumpet 

Enda Collins, horn 

Casey Trowel, trombone 

Adam Buttimer, tuba 

A Romeo and Juliet themed program exploring the popularity of the Shakespeare in musical history with arrangements of Bernstein West Side Story, Tchaikovsky  Romeo and Juliet Overture and Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet Ballet 

The Bangers and Crash Percussion Group is a collective of Irish percussions who regularly collaborate for a wide range of projects. Their flexibility means that they can perform everything from huge, spectacular shows that fill the stage with instruments to small, intimate concerts, school workshops, street performances and much, much more.

Bangers and Crash Percussion’s mission is to use the vast range of sonorities and magic of percussion to open doors and make music fun and accessible to all. The group perform a mix of seminal works, arrangements and new commissions. They also collaborate with other artists and provide education workshops. Their repertoire journeys through the textures and colours of a range of composers that include Philip Glass, Matthias Schmitt, Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen, Chris Cerrone, Amanda Feery and Steven Snowden among others.

Bangers and Crash projects have included large productions for Cork Midsummer Festival and PIMA! Fest in Ennis, an 8-date Music Network tour, a collaboration with Irish National Opera, performances at Body & Soul, Westport Arts Festival, Killaloe Chamber Music Festival and over 100 workshops in schools for the likes of West Cork Music and Music Generation.

The programme will include:

- And So The Wind Blew by Gene Koshinski

- Postlude No 8 by Elliot Cole

- 2+1 by Ivan Trevino

Tickets for this concert are €20, €17 (concessions) and €5 (students/unwaged) and are available at the door or can be booked at www.eventbrite.ie using the link below (booking fees apply, no refunds).

‘Sing with Sestina’ on 26 April 2025 at 4 pm. Duration: 1 hour

You are very welcome to join the ensemble prior to their concert this evening for "Sing with Sestina" an immersive choral workshop designed to provide music enthusiasts of all levels with a unique and unforgettable experience.

Under the guidance of renowned musical director Mark Chambers, participants will have the opportunity to sing alongside a professional choir, learn from expert baroque musicians, and experience the joy of creating beautiful music together.

Key features of the workshop include:

● Pre-workshop materials: Materials (sheet music, lyrics, etc.) are distributed to participants in advance upon booking.

● Collaborative learning: Participants will be seated in their voice sections, with Sestina Music vocal members interspersed among them, fostering a sense of inclusivity and belonging.

● Expert guidance: Mark Chambers, musical director, will lead the workshop, providing valuable insights and guidance.

● Interactive learning: The workshop will include instrument demonstrations, Q&A sessions, and a collaborative run-through of a selected piece with the authentic period instrument ensemble.

By participating in Sing with Sestina, you'll not only improve your singing skills but also gain a deeper appreciation for choral music and the artistry of the baroque period.

Booking is essential for this event and is available on the following link at a cost of €17 (booking fees may apply and refunds are not available)

TICKETS

The cost of the workshop is €17 with a Student rate at €12.

In addition they are two other ticket categories added:

Student - Combo for €15

General - Combo for €30.

These tickets allow the buyer to attend both the 'Sing with Sestina' and the evening concert.

If you already purchased a ticket before these changes were announced and wish to buy a different ticket, please contact us at mfwpayments@gmail.com or on the day at St. Iberius and we will make the necessary changes.

Cassiopeia Winds is a group of five of Ireland’s top wind players committed to sharing their passion for the superb wind quintet repertoire with audiences throughout Ireland.

The players inspire and refresh their audiences by their infectious enthusiasm for the music they are playing. Members of the group introduce each piece in the programme, engaging with and developing a rapport with their audience, drawing them in so that they feel almost like a sixth member of the group.

Cassiopeia Winds was formed in 2010 by five friends with a passion for wind music. In the past 14 years it has championed the performance of wind quintet music by Irish composers & when possible has commissioned new works. The ensemble aims with each performance to run the full and varied gamut of the wind repertoire from 19th-century to contemporary works. They have a dedication to bringing the lesser-known works of this repertoire into the Irish and international concert halls and festivals. Their concerts represent the startling originality and exoticism and the inimitable palette of tone colours of the wind ensemble.

Cassiopeia Winds are:

Catriona Ryan – Flute

Matthew Manning – Oboe

Deirdre O’Leary – Clarinet

John Hearne – Bassoon

Cormac Ó hAodáin – French Horn

Programme

Briccialdi: Potpourri Fantastico on Rossini's Barber of Seville

Amy Beach: Pastorale

Milhaud: La Cheminée de Roi René

Valerie Coleman: Umoja

Adele O’Dwyer “Three Chromatic Miniatures”

Ibert: Trois Pieces Breve

Complimentary tea, coffee and scone will be served prior to the performance in the cafe at Grantstown Day Care Centre from 3pm.

Ticket Pricing for this concert is €20, €17 (concessions) and €5 (students/unwaged) and are available at the door or on www.eventbrite.ie using the link below (subject to a booking fee, no refunds possible.)

Woodpeckers Recorder Quartet features Kate Hearne (Ireland), Caroline Eidsten Dahl (Norway), Katarina Widell (Sweden) and Pernille Petersen (Denmark)

When four friends create an ensemble where their biggest love is playing Baroque music on

recorders, one has to get creative. There is a serious lack of original Baroque repertoire for this

combination, and that’s how our concept ‘Borrowed, not Stolen...’ was brought into being. We

have ‘borrowed’ music of all kinds and turned it into our own. Despite our wanderings in life, the

four of us are still deeply rooted in our childhood traditions stemming from Sweden, Norway,

Denmark and Ireland, and some of our favourite folk tunes, many of which date from the Baroque

era or even earlier, appear in this programme.

Programme: Borrowed, not Stolen...

Johann Sebastian Bach

Trad. Sweden:

Turlough Carolan:

Ruaidhrí Dall Ó Catháin (1580-1653)

Coxetown

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Trad. Denmark

Trad. Norway

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Under Paris Skies with the Far Flung Trio

A  very special concert infused with Parisian charm.

In characteristic fashion, the Trio’s repertoire will be drawn from many idioms including Romantic Opera, the Moulin Rouge and Hot Club Jazz, with music by Bizet, Satie and Michel Legrand among many others.

Celebrating their 10th anniversary with a national tour in 2024, the Far Flung Trio promises you a musical saunter to touch the heart and lift the spirits.

The Far Flung Trio are

Katherine Hunka (violin),

Dermot Dunne (accordion)

Malachy Robinson (double bass)

The name reflects their sense of fun and the eclecticism in their programming and performances. All leading Irish players, this trio is fuelled by the sheer joy generated in playing together. This evident rapport is one of the elements that particularly delights audiences; their aim has always been to deliver the highest calibre of musicianship, with lots of flair, in a way that is appealing and accessible to all.

Enoch Arden by Richard Strauss

Enoch Arden, a poem by A. L. Tennyson, was the inspiration for a melodrama for piano and narrator by Richard Strauss. It was composed in 1897 for actor Ernst von Possart who was influential in securing a position for Strauss as conductor of the Bavarian State Opera. Strauss and Possart toured extensively with this work, and it proved hugely popular with audiences.

Cellist Annette Cleary and pianist Réamonn Keary have collaborated to create a new arrangement of the work for cello, piano and actor. With renowned actor Barry McGovern as narrator, we are very excited to see this piece in Wexford.

Annette Cleary Cello

Réamonn Keary piano

Barry McGovern narrator

Annette Cleary and Réamonn Keary have been performing as a cello and piano duo for several years. In addition to exploring the standard repertoire they also specialise in rediscovering works that have unfairly fallen into obscurity, in particular works by female composers. In 2018, in the first Sounding the Feminists series at the NCH, they performed a cello sonata by the much-neglected Leokadiya Kashperova, and in a concert in August 2020 in Berlin they resurrected from obscurity the wonderful sonata by Melanie Bonis. Their most recent project involves a unique performance of the Rita Strohl cello sonata that includes narrator Barry McGovern with commissioned text by poet Josephine Collins. Annette and Réamonn also enjoy arranging songs for their combination of instruments; past performances have included arrangements of songs and works by Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss, and they are currently arranging songs by Fauré, Poulenc and other French composers. Future concerts include a performance of Enoch Arden by Richard Strauss.

Barry McGovern's recent theatre work includes Woyzeck in Winter (Galway Arts Festival, Barbican and Dublin Theatre Festival); First Love (Gate); Krapp's Last Tape, Watt (adapted from Beckett's novel) and I'll Go On (adapted from Beckett's Three Novels) (all at Edinburgh International Festival); Ohio Impromptu, Act Without Words 2 and That Time (Walt Disney Hall, L.A.); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Abbey Theatre); Waiting for Godot (Mark Taper Forum, L.A.) and Endgame (Kirk Douglas Theatre, L.A.). Other theatre includes Sweeney Todd, The Home Place, Waiting for Godot, Endgame, Happy Days, A Christmas Carol, The Price, Glengarry Glen Ross (Gate), Faith Healer (Island Theatre Company) and Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Gaiety).

TV and Film includes Braveheart, Royally Ever After, Citizen Lane, The Cured, Aithrí/Penance, My Name is Emily, The Tudors, Miracle at Midnight, Na Cloigne, Game of Thrones, Gift of the Magi, Waiting for Godot, Joe Versus the Volcano, Dear Sarah and The Treaty. On radio he has directed a number of plays including Beckett's All that Fall and Pinter's Silence and played in Embers and Rough for Radio 2. A former member of the RTÉ Players and the Abbey Theatre company, he served on the Arts Council from 1984 to 1988. He has co-written two musicals with Bryan Murray and incidental music for some plays. He has recorded the complete Beckett novels Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnamable with RTÉ and the Lannan Foundation and gives frequent readings from Beckett's poetry and prose. He has taught at the University of Los Angeles at Davis and at the University of Notre Dame and was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Letters by Trinity College Dublin.