On Sunday, 9 May 2021, the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras are holding an online, Youth Orchestra Day of Celebration, where they will celebrate the incredible work of youth orchestras and ensembles that has continued over the past year in keeping the music going with two brilliant online events!

Youth Orchestra Day of Celebration | Feature Film

At 3pm, to launch the proceedings, we will be streaming a newly created video of youth orchestras and young musicians alike, performing at home and in-person (but socially-distanced), throughout Ireland over the past twelve months.

Compered by Seán Rocks, this will feature interviews and performance highlights during lockdown. You will also see the Online Chamber Ensemble who are playing together, without latency, using real-time-audio rehearsal software. No pre-recording or stitching together for these musicians!

The finale of this video will be the premiere of the specially commissioned Hope Springs Eternal composed by Vincent Kennedy featuring more than 250 musicians from across the country who recorded themselves at home for inclusion in this project.

Join us here or our YouTube channel on Sunday, 9 May at 3pm to help us celebrate how you kept the music going! We would ask that, if any of your young musicians took part, please let them know how they can watch.

And there’s more …

Carnival of Orchestras

At 6pm, there will be a Carnival of Orchestras, an online, play-along at home performance featuring young players aged 7 to 12, from nine junior orchestras steered by St Agnes’ Community Centre for Music & the Arts, Crumlin, Dublin.

Taking part remotely in the Carnival Orchestra are young musicians from Accora Orchestra, County Cavan, Athenry Music School, County Galway, Budding Bows WIT Waterford, Kiltra School of Music, County Wexford, Music Generation Louth, Sligo Academy of Music, Sligo, St Agnes’ CCMA Junior Strings, Crumlin, Dublin, St Peter’s School, Phibsboro, Dublin, and The Staves Orchestra, Carlow College of Music, County Carlow.

This special musical programme will include 150 players, in 9 orchestras, from 7 counties, showing 100’s of pets, joking with 1 clown and you just might see a Tiger Who Came To Tea!

Spread the word as we celebrate our young musicians and ensembles in their continued efforts in making music, no matter what. And why not share your own performances from the year on your social media and let’s all make some noise together on Sunday, 9 May.