Solstice Ensemble

This album is dedicated to the memory of Mrs Iris O’Brien, who was a great supporter of young people, education, the Arts, and Choral Scholars.

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With sincere gratitude we wish to acknowledge the creative work of the 18 composers involved in this project, all of whom embraced the significance of fulfilling the wish of James Joyce: they delivered a palette of music compatible with the Irish sound of our ensemble. Heartfelt thanks to our wonderful collaborators, Solstice Ensemble singers and instrumentalists; to producer, Nick Parker, and engineer, Andrew Mellor, for another wonderful recording and editing experience; to Steve Long and the team at Signum Records (Kim Bourlet and Matt Conn, in particular); to Sarah Blackman and Rebecca Petts Davies at Hyperbeau for the cover-art concept and design for this album.

We are all greatly obliged to Gavin Coll, Hanna- Mari Marshall, Abby Molloy and Aoife Perry, each of whom helped plan and execute logistical elements of this production over the course of three recording patches from October 2021 to November 2023. We wish, particularly, to thank Principal Yvonne Markey, Very Rev Fr Tom Nash, Stephen Waters and his staff at Blackrock College who welcomed us into their beautiful chapel for all three recording patches.

We add our most sincere thanks to writer and academic, Dr David Vernon, for his meaningful programme notes on each piece. To Professor Harry White, Chair of Music at University College Dublin, for the eloquence of his pen and his deep engagement with art music and the Irish literary oeuvre, evidenced in his essay for this booklet, ‘Distant Music’.

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The warm welcome of the Special Collections team at UCD Library was matched only by the excitement of discovery and an appreciation for all archivists: sincere thanks to Rachel Daly, Eugene Roche, and Evelyn Flanagan of the James Joyce Library at University College Dublin, and the UCD Librarian, Sandra Collins. We extend similar gratitude to the team at the National Library of Ireland, led by Audrey Whitty.

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We are beyond grateful to Síle McCarthy- Cannon, vocal coach to Choral Scholars, for her dedication, endless enthusiasm and infectious energy which never fails to inspire us; we also recognise Glenn Murphy, Sharon Carty, Fergal Caulfield, Mark Chambers, Gillian Daly, William Gaunt, David Leigh, Vincent Lynch, Suzanne Nance, Tristan Russcher, and Ksenija Walsh for their répétituer and vocal-coaching work in rehearsal and workshop as part of this project.

Our deepest gratitude to Emma Arthur, for her keen editorial eye overseeing this booklet, and for her work in the choral library: navigating an ever-changing whirlwind of editions and parts produced by the Artistic Director in consultation with each composer; our thanks to David Lockey and his team at UCD Copi-Print, for printing newly printed manuscript-editions for us in rehearsal and recording.

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This project would not have been possible without the generous support of the Iris O’Brien Foundation: we are deeply grateful to all at the Foundation including Denis O’Brien, Maria Mulcahy, and Andrina Moore whose contributions have enabled our beloved ensemble to flourish. Other sponsors/funders of new commissions include Henry Cox & Michael Kunkel, for funding Eoghan Desmond’s setting of ‘Rain has fallen all the day’ (XXXII); our partners

in co-commissioning Dale Trumbore’s setting of ‘Dear heart, why will you use me so?’ (XXIX), Scott Tuomi at Pacific University Chamber Choir; and Toby Gilbert, alumnus scholar, for his ongoing generosity.

The choir wishes to acknowledge the support of Professor Orla Feely, President of University College Dublin; thanks to the current Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin, and to the previous College Principal, Professor Sarah Prescott; to all on the College of Arts & Humanities team, especially our colleagues Bríd Reason and Niall McLernon; to Jordan Campbell and her team at UCD Foundation; and, to our many friends at UCD Estate Services for their incredible generosity and willingness to turn up to Richview at all hours.

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Sincere thanks to all members of the Advisory Board to Choral Scholars for their sustained contribution and commitment to the choir (David Agnew, Sarah Blackman, Joseph Brady, Mary Codd, Desmond Earley, Tríona McCormack, Eilis O’Brien, and Bill Whelan) and particularly the Chair, John Keogan; thanks to David Agnew for his many stimulating discussions around Joyce and music; to Andrew Stephens for his distinctly Joycean (Dublin) turn of phrase and unparalleled wit; to Dennis Jennings, who has always encouraged the development of Performing Arts at University College Dublin. 

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Joyce wrote a letter to composer Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer candidly expressing the hope that his poems from Chamber Music would one day be set to music, indicating they were ‘pretty enough to be put to music. I hope someone will do so’ (1909). With the aim of fulfilling the wishes of Joyce, our Artistic Director, Desmond Earley, has brought together 18 composers from around the world in this first volume of choral/instrumental settings. With the permission of the composers Timothy Stephens, Owen Brady, Ivo Antognini, Natasa Paulberg and Laura Shiels, Desmond Earley arranged/orchestrated tracks 2, 8, 9, 10 and 15 for the full Solstice Ensemble. In typical fashion, he is now at work on gathering composers to set the next 18 tracks, for a Volume II release on Signum Classics in the future. The choir is deeply appreciative of his artistic vision, talent and dedication.