South Tipperary Arts Centre in Clonmel is hosting a unique three-day celebration of women composers on 8–10 March to coincide with International Women’s Day.

The series, titled ‘Finding a Voice’, is curated by Róisín Maher and features the work of composers such as Hildegard of Bingen, Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Poldowski, Ina Boyle, Jane O’Leary, Jennifer Walshe, Amy Beach, Karen Power, Linda Buckley, Anna Murray, Julia Wolfe and many more.

‘It feels quite radical to programme a concert series featuring music entirely by woman composers’, commented Maher, who is a lecturer in CIT Cork School of Music.

New works, concerts and discussion 
In the run-up to the series, South Tipperary Arts Centre – which has a new manager this year in Cliona Maher – also held a composition competition for young women composers under 30. The winning work, written by Carmel Whelan, will be performed in the opening concert on Thursday 8 March at 1pm in Old St Mary’s Church with a performance by the a cappella trio Voice.

This will be followed by the opening of an exhibition curated by Catherine Marshall titled ‘Ain’t I a Woman?’; a concert by female-voice choir Cappella Lyrica on Thursday evening featuring a new piece by Tipperary’s own Marian Ingoldsby; RTÉ ConTempo Quartet on Friday lunchtime will perform string quartets by Deirdre McKay, Jane O’Leary, Jennifer Walshe and Ina Boyle; early music group Ensemble Dagda perform 17th-century works on Friday evening; soprano Marie Lemaire and pianist Jenny Martins perform Schumann, Mendelssohn and more on Saturday at 1pm; a panel discussion titled ‘Arts and the Woman’ is at 3pm; and the series will conclude on Saturday evening with a performance by Kate Ellis (cello) and Isabelle O’Connell (piano) of contemporary works by women composers.

The ‘Finding a Voice’ series is supported by a music project award from the Arts Council.

See the full programme below and download the brochure, or visit www.southtippartscentre.ie

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Finding a Voice
Celebrating Women Composers
South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel
Curated by Roisin Maher

8–10 March 2018

Featuring
Kate Ellis (cello) and Isabelle O’Connell (piano)
RTÉ ConTempo Quartet 
Ensemble Dagda
Marie Lemaire (soprano)/ Jenny Martins (piano)
Cappella Lyrica – from CIT Cork School of Music
Voice – a cappella trio 
Ain’t I a Woman? – exhibition 
Arts and the Woman  – panel discussion 

Programme

Thursday 8th March, 1pm
Old St Mary’s Church
€12 (€6 conc.) 

Voice is a female a cappella trio who perform repertoire spanning both ages and continents. Their programme in this opening concert will take the listener on a musical journey from the 12th-century medieval world of Hildegard of Bingen through to the present day with the premiere of the winning piece from the South Tipperary Arts Centre’s Young Composer’s Composition Competition. www.voicetrio.co.uk

Thursday 8th March, 6pm
South Tipperary Arts Centre
Free 

Ain’t I a Woman? An exhibition curated by Catherine Marshall of three artworks by three women artists – Cathy Prendergast, Pauline Cummins and Aideen Barry – to mark International Women’s day and the first centenary of Women’s Suffrage in Ireland and Britain.

Thursday 8th March, 8pm
Old St Mary’s Church
€18 (€9 conc.)

Cappella Lyrica, the award-winning female-voice choir from CIT Cork School of Music, under the directorship of Maria Judge, perform choral music and more with some very special guests, including acclaimed Irish soprano Mary Hegarty. The concert features a new piece by Tipperary’s own Marian Ingoldsby, as well as a work by UK composer Emily Hall, premiered by the choir at Sounds from a Safe Harbour in September 2017.

www.csm.cit.ie/cappella
www.maryhegarty.ie

Friday 9th March, 1pm
The Main Guard 
€12 (€6 conc.) 

RTÉ ConTempo Quartet perform string quartets by Irish composers Deirdre McKay, Jane O’Leary, Jennifer Walshe and Ina Boyle.

www.contempoquartet.com

Friday 9th March, 3pm
Melview Nursing Home
Free

A short concert by acclaimed a cappella trio Voice for residents and visitors.

Friday 9th March, 8pm
The Main Guard €18 (€9 conc.)

Early Enchantresses sees one of Ireland’s newest early music groups, Ensemble Dagda, bring music from the 17th century to vibrant life, using original instruments and a creative and playful interpretive approach. Featuring baroque violin, baroque cello, harpsichord and soprano, the ensemble mixes expressive sonatas and light-hearted dance movements with some of the most moving sacred and secular works of the time by composers including Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi and Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. 

www.ensembledagda.wordpress.com 

Saturday 10th March, 11:30am
Clonmel Library
Free

A short concert by acclaimed a cappella trio Voice for library users and the general public.

Saturday 10th March, 1pm
Old St Mary’s Church
€12 (€6 conc.) 

L’heure exquise (the exquisite hour) brings Belgian soprano Marie Lemaire and Leeds-based pianist Jenny Martins together to perform a gorgeous programme of lieder and love songs in English, French and German from the 19th and early 20th centuries by composers including Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Amy Beach, Poldowski, Liza Lehmann and Augusta Holmès.

www.marielemaire.wordpress.com

Saturday 10th March, 3pm
Tipperary County Museum
Free

Arts and the Woman – 100 years after getting the vote, have the arts helped to change women’s lives? Panel discussion with women working in the arts, chaired by art historian and curator Catherine Marshall, with South Tipperary Arts Centre artist-in-residence Grace Wells (poet and writer), Aideen Barry (visual artist) and Marian Ingoldsby (composer).

Saturday 10th March, 8pm
Old St Mary’s Church
€18 (€9 conc.) 

Kate Ellis (cello), artistic director of Ireland’s leading new music group Crash Ensemble, and Isabelle O’Connell (piano) finish the series of concerts with an exciting programme of new music by Irish and American composers including Karen Power, Linda Buckley, Anna Murray, Joan Tower and Bang on a Can’s Julia Wolfe.

www.kateelliscello.com
www.isabelleoconnell.com

This news item is supported by South Tipperary Arts Centre.