Composer and harpist, Michael Rooney has published the score of his de Cuéllar Suite. In this eighty-page book of sheet music, the eleven movements of the suite are notated for lead instruments, piano, and voice, as well as for first and second violins, viola and violoncello.

The introductory material includes musical information on the tunes and a historical account of  Francisco de Cuéllar. The publication comes with a CD recording of the suite for instructional use, performed live by Ceol na nÓg, Sligeach with musicians from Galicia.

Rooney writes: ‘Work on The de Cuéllar Suite began in June 2009 and is my second commission from Ceol na nÓg, Sligeach following The Battle of the Books suite in 2007. What began as a good idea, came to fruition two years later after much blood, sweat and tears. Along the way, we’ve had great fun with our Galician colleagues, Ceol na nÓg musicians and great friendships have been forged. After three trips to Santiago de Compostella, I have to admire the people, the culture and particularly their music. The suite has been composed respecting both traditional forms.’

Rooney has also recently published his Aifreann Gaeilge, which was composed for the Corofin Traditional Festival 2006. It is a traditional mass, with ten liturgical hymns in Irish and nine instrumental pieces, all of which are fully orchestrated and arranged. It was performed at the Corofin Traditional Festival in 2006 and was broadcast live on Raidio na Gaeltachta from Corofin.

These as well as his harp tunes book and others are available on his website http://www.draiochtmusic.com/

Rooney himself is performing at this year’s Masters of Tradition festival in Bantry.