Chamber Choir Ireland

PurposeProfessional choral ensembleLocationPaul HillierWebsitechamberchoirireland.comNational Chamber Choir of Ireland

Chamber Choir Ireland, formerly known as the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, is the Republic of Ireland's national choral ensemble and national chamber choir, and the only regularly funded professional choir in the country. Primarily funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, the choir is the resident ensemble at the National Concert Hall and Affiliated Artists to Dublin City University. Paul Hillier, has been the choir's Artistic Director since 2008.

The choir's repertoire spans from early Renaissance music to the present day. It also commissions new works by contemporary composers. In addition to its performances in Ireland and international tours, the choir has released recordings on the Naxos, Harmonia Mundi, Orchid Classics, RTÉ Lyric FM, and Louth Contemporary Music Society labels.

Chamber Choir Ireland is a member of the European network of professional chamber choirs, TENSO

Artistic directors

• Paul Hillier (2008–present)
• Celso Antunes (2002 –2007)
• Colin Mawby, founding Artistic Director (1991–2001)

The Choir also regularly invites international guest conductors to work with the group, and since 2016 has worked with Sofi Jeannin, Eamonn Dougan, Grete Pedersen,^[1] Andrew Synnott, Zoltán Pad, Bernie Sherlock, Nils Schweckendiek and Jörg Widmann. In February 2024, it was announced that this would be Paul Hillier's sixteenth and final year as Artistic Director of Chamber Choir Ireland.^[2]

Commissions

Since its inception, Chamber Choir Ireland has regularly commissioned choral work by both Irish and international composers such as Gerald Barry, Ian Wilson, Andrew Hamilton, Siobhán Cleary, Tarik O'Regan, David Fennessy, Deirdre McKay, Amanda Feery, Áine Mallon, Caroline Shaw, Cassandra Miller, Linda Catlin Smith, Stephen McNeff, Gabriel Jackson, and Jennifer Walshe.^[3]

Touring

Chamber Choir Ireland regularly tours throughout the island of Ireland, presenting choral concerts to audiences all around the country. Internationally, the Choir has toured extensively in Europe, Asia and North and South America including performances at the White House for President Barack Obama on St Patrick's Day 2011.^[4]

Learning & Participation

Chamber Choir Ireland has developed learning and participation programmes across the choral art form: Composers in the Classroom (for school children aged 15–18 to write new choral music), Axis SING (a community choir project in North County Dublin), Choral Music in Ireland: History and Evolution (a series of lectures on the history of choral music in Ireland) and Choral Sketches (a professional development programme for emerging Irish choral composers). In 2023, Chamber Choir Ireland launched the CCI Studio, a professional development programme designed to provide training and professional experience to emerging choral singers.^[5]

Funding

Principal funding for Chamber Choir Ireland comes from the Arts Council /an Chomhairle Ealaíon, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Fund, and Dublin City Council.

Recordings

The choir's recordings include:

• Gerard Victory: Ultima Rerum – Virginia Kerr (soprano), Bernadette Greevy (mezzo-soprano), Adrian Thompson (tenor), Alan Opie (baritone), RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, National Chamber Choir of Ireland, Cór na nÓg (children's choir), National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Colman Pearce (conductor). CD, 1994. Label: Naxos/Marco Polo.^[6]
• White Stones – Secret Garden (ensemble), National Chamber Choir of Ireland, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Fiachra Trench (conductor). CD, 1997. Label: Philips^[7]
• One day fine (Irish choral music from the 14th to 21st centuries) – National Chamber Choir of Ireland, Paul Hillier (conductor). CD, 2011. Label: RTÉ Lyric FM^[8]
• Tarik O'Regan: Acallam na senórach: an Irish colloquy – National Chamber Choir of Ireland, Stewart French (guitar), Paul Hillier (conductor). CD, 2011. Label: Harmonia Mundi^[9]
• Carols from the Old and New Worlds, Vol. 3 – Chamber Choir Ireland, Fergal Caulfield (chamber organ), Paul Hillier (conductor). CD, 2014. Label: Harmonia Mundi.^[10]
• Choirland: an anthology of Irish choral music (scores for 15 pieces by Irish composers for unaccompanied mixed choir with accompanying CD) – National Chamber Choir of Ireland, Paul Hillier (conductor). CD, 2014. Publisher: Contemporary Music Centre (Dublin)^[11]
• Barry Meets Beethoven (works by Gerald Barry) – Stephen Richardson (bass), Chamber Choir Ireland, Crash Ensemble, Paul Hillier (conductor). CD, 2016. Label: Orchid Classics^[12]
• Letters (featuring A Letter of Rights by Tarik O'Regan and Alice Goodman; and David Fennessy's Triptych, a set of three pieces commissioned by Chamber Choir Ireland) — Chamber Choir Ireland, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Paul Hillier (conductor). CD, 2020. Label: Naxos Denmark.^[13]
• Folks' Music (featuring Folio by Linda Catlin Smith and The City, Full of People by Cassandra Miller) — Chamber Choir Ireland, Paul Hillier (conductor), Esposito Quartet. Digital Release, 2023. Label: Louth Contemporary Music Society, Ireland.^[14]

References

External links

• Official website
• Dervan, Michael (23 February 2007). "National Chamber Choir must be championed". The Irish Times
• Chamber Choir Ireland on WorldCat