Offaly ready to hit a high note as Birr Festival of Music gets under way

The eighth annual festival will feature concerts, masterclasses and pop-up performances by singers and musicians of national and international acclaim over the May bank holiday weekend.

The action begins today with a number of events in local schools.

‘Out of the Ordinary’ by the Irish National Opera comes to St. Brendan’s Community School and will see music students experience the world’s first virtual reality community opera, telling the tale of a community forced to flee their barren homeland. Elsewhere, students will gain an insight into what it means to be a successful professional musician as Martina Rosaria O’Connell and David Vesey visit Coláiste Naomh Cormac, Kilcormac, while baritone Bruno Caproni and concert pianist Julian Evans travel to Banagher College.

Younger music fans are also in for a treat as The Far Flung Trio – Katherine Hunka (violin), Dermot Dunne (accordion) and Malachy Robinson (double bass) – bring the much-loved story of Peter & The Wolf to a number of local primary schools.

Friday will see the first of the half-hour pop-up performances by local and visiting musicians. These will take place at 12.30 p.m. in Birr Castle Courtyard and at 4 p.m. in The Organic Store.

From 2.30 p.m., Memories in Music will allow those at Birr Community Nursing Unit to take a trip down memory lane with musical guests Bruno Caproni and Julian Evans, who will be bringing much-loved melodies and classic songs to residents, staff, family and friends.

The much-anticipated Celebrity Gala Concert takes place at Birr Theatre and Arts Centre on Friday evening. Irish mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy and world-renowned pianist Malcolm Martineau make a rare recital appearance in Ireland to present a wonderful programme of Debussy, Berlioz, Benjamin Britten, Vaughan Williams and Ina Boyle, which they will reprise at London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall at the end of May. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and tickets cost €25/€22.

Saturday, May 4, will begin with another pop-up performance – this time at 11 a.m. in Emmet Square. A second pop-up show will be held at 3 p.m. in Memory Lane Antiques.

The Stella Sings Ella event at 1 p.m. is a complete sell-out, but music lovers can still get their hands on tickets for the Laetare Vocal Ensemble concert in the Church of Ireland, Oxmantown Mall, at 8 p.m. This award-winning choir, under choral director Róisín Blunnie, performs a selection of beautiful choral music from the Renaissance to the present day, including new compositions by Birr’s Laura Sheils. Tickets cost €18/€16.

The crème de la crème of upcoming talent will perform at the Trench Awards 2024 at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre on Sunday night. The six singers and musicians, all pursuing professional careers in classical music, will perform a 15-minute programme of their choice before the recipients of The Trench Award, Birr Lions Club Bursary, Canto Al Serchio Prize and Audrey Chisholm Award are announced. This year’s talented finalists are Laura Aherne (Soprano), Johanna Dietz (Piano), Eva Kavanagh (Soprano), Jayden Lamcellari (Cello), Erinn Lennon (Trumpet) and Rosie Murphy (Harp). The show begins at 7.30 p.m. and tickets cost €18/€16.

Masterclasses at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre will kick-off bank holiday Monday. Taking place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., this free event will allow the public to observe the Trench Award finalists in vocal and piano masterclasses given by Bruno Caproni and Julian Evans.

The final event of this year’s Birr Festival of Music is a special free performance by Birr Young Voices, a choral group set up in 2017 for young people aged eight to twelve years. This year’s project, Creatures Great and Small, takes its inspiration from the wonderful photography of Tina Claffey and features songs of strange and familiar fauna and creatures created by the children in collaboration with Tina and artist Caoimhe Dunn. The show takes place at 3.30 p.m. in the Church of Ireland, Oxmantown Mall.

For more information on the festival or to purchase tickets, visit birrfestivalofmusic.com.