COMPOSERS
Matthew Emery
Track 01 - 'From dewy dreams, my soul, arise'
A native of Canada, Matthew Emery is a multiple prize-winning composer who has received over 40 commissions for choral, chamber and orchestral works. His music has been performed in 29 countries: recent performance venues include at the Great Wall of China, the White House and in the Musikverein. Dr Emery studied at the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto, and he currently teaches at Carleton University, Western University, Concordia University of Edmonton, and the University of Toronto.
Timothy Stephens
Track 02 - 'When the shy star goes forth in heaven'
American composer Timothy Stephens is best known for being a writer for vocal music which includes nearly 70 art songs and choral works on both American and European poets. Art song collections include Letters to the World (14 songs on poems of Emily Dickinson), Houses of Dreams (9 songs on poems of Sara Teasdale), and Six Baritone Songs (on poems of Teasdale, Yeats and Williams) as well as Ransom!! (an almost comic opera in one act). His compositions have been featured on multiple recordings, including on Signum Classics (UK), where they have been recorded by Choral Scholars of University College Dublin.
Damien Walters
Track 03 - 'O cool is the valley now'
David Walters is an Atlanta-based, international award-winning composer. In 2019, his composition A Voice is Heard in Ramah won 3rd place with the International Federation of Choral Music. The Dreams of the Dreamer won 1st place in the 8th Japan International Choral Composition Competition.
Additionally, David is a National Finalist for the 2024 American Prize in three separate categories. In 2023, he completed his DMA in choral conducting and composition at Louisiana State University.
Mark Armstrong
Track 04 - 'Winds of May, that dance on the sea'
Mark Armstrong is one of Ireland’s most renowned musicians, with a career spanning over thirty-five years as a conductor, arranger, and composer. He regularly adjudicates at Irish choral festivals and teaches conducting for the Association of Irish Choirs. He founded Seolta Music, publishing works from Irish and international composers in the 'College Choral Series' with Choral Scholars and Desmond Earley. Since 2010, Mark has been the Director of the Defence Forces School of Music, overseeing musical policy, performance, and training for Irish military and pipe bands as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Eoghan Desmond
Track 05 - 'Rain has fallen all the day'
Award-winning Irish composer Eoghan Desmond draws on his vast experience as a choral singer and professional bass-baritone to write music that showcases a deep understanding of the voice and its capabilities. Eoghan’s music has been widely performed, by ensembles such as Chamber Choir Ireland, ConTempo String Quartet, New Dublin Voices, Irish Chamber Orchestra and Choral Scholars of University College Dublin. As a singer, Eoghan has toured worldwide with Chamber Choir Ireland, Ars Nova Copenhagen, The Gabrieli Consort and The Monteverdi Choir, among others. He is an accomplished soloist with an extensive repertoire of oratorio and song. Â
Andrej Makor
Track 06 - 'All day I hear the noise of waters'
Composer and conductor Andrej Makor belongs to the new generation of Slovenian composers. As a composer he works with the BBC Singers, the Jenaer Philharmonic Orchestra and other professional orchestras and choirs. His music has won several prizes and has been performed all over the world. Makor has also made a name for himself as a solo singer, music teacher and choral conductor.
Damien Geter
Track 07 - 'Gentle lady, do not sing'
Damien Geter is an acclaimed American composer who infuses classical music with various styles from the Black diaspora to create music that furthers the cause for social justice. He is Composer-In-Residence at the Richmond Symphony, and serves as Interim Music Director and Artistic Advisor at Portland Opera, as well as the Artistic Advisor for Resonance Ensemble. Geter’s rapidly growing body of work includes chamber, vocal, orchestral, and full operatic works. He is also a celebrated bass-baritone whose varied credits include performances from the operatic stage to the television screen.
Owen Brady
Track 08 - 'O, it was out by Donnycarney'
As a featured artist, Owen Brady has been described as ‘the best kept secret in Irish music’ (Irish Independent). His third LP release was featured in GQ Magazine’s 100 Greatest Things in the World. He has released under the Sony BMG, EMI, Warner and RMR Music labels with music featuring on numerous advertising, film and TV productions. Brady is a former Choral Scholar of University College Dublin, a talented multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of RMR Music.
Ivo Antognini
Track 09 - 'The twilight turns from amethyst'
Swiss composer Ivo Antognini started as a pianist, and he has composed and improvised at the piano since childhood. He studied at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern, published three CDs as both composer and performer and collaborated with a number of filmmakers for whom he composed several soundtracks. In 2006 he began a collaboration with the Calicantus Choir in Locarno, and this adventure inspired Ivo to devote himself almost exclusively to composing choral music. Antognini currently teaches ear training and piano at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in Lugano.
Natasa Paulberg
Track 10- 'Sleep now, O sleep now'
Natasa Paulberg is an award-winning Australian/Irish composer with compositions for the concert hall, television, film, advertising and gaming. Natasa has scored many projects, including The Hunger documentary, narrated by Liam Neeson, the RTE series The Island, narrated by Liz Bonnin, and The Irish Civil War narrated by Brendan Gleeson. Natasa’s work is largely based on combining orchestral and electronic components in creating a richly layered, hybrid score. With a Masters and PhD from Trinity College Dublin in Music Technology and Composition, Natasa regularly lectures around the world on various composition courses, and supervises student research projects.
Dale Trumbore
Track 11 - 'Dear heart, why will you use me so?'
Dale Trumbore is a Los Angeles -based composer and writer, whose compositions have been performed widely in the United States of America and internationally. She has won several awards for her music, and she has also been awarded artist residencies at Copland House, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Tusen Takk, and Ucross. She holds a dual degree in Music Composition and English from the University of Maryland, as well as a Master of Music degree in Composition from the University of Southern California. Trumbore has written extensively about working through creative blocks and establishing a career in music.
Desmond Earley
Track 12 - 'Silently she’s combing'
Desmond Earley, Artistic Director of the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin, is a leading choral director and early-keyboard specialist in Ireland. He lectures in Performance Studies at UCD and was a Visiting Scholar at Lewis & Clark College and Guest Conductor/Scholar at Bowdoin College. Desmond has collaborated with prominent orchestras and musicians, including the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Sir James Galway, and Christopher Hogwood. As a composer and arranger, he has published works with major publishers and created notable pieces like Body of the Moon (2017) for the total solar eclipse across the USA.
Elaine Agnew
Track 13 'In the dark pine-wood'
Irish composer Elaine Agnew has had her work commissioned and performed globally in venues like Carnegie and Wigmore Halls, and at prestigious festivals including Spitalfields and Classical Berlin.
Elaine was the first RTÉ Lyric fm Composer-In-Residence with the National Symphony Orchestra. Her 2012 BBC Proms commission, "Dark Hedges," premiered by the Ulster Youth and Ulster Orchestras with Sir James Galway, was praised as ‘compelling from beginning to end’. She also created the soundtrack for the animated graphic novel "Songs of Travel" with Vienna-based Causa Creations. An acclaimed facilitator, Elaine excels in engaging people of all ages in collective music-making.
Kevin Whyms
Track 14 - 'Because your voice was at my side'
​Kevin Whyms is an Irish composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist of bespoke music for use in TV, film, games and advertising. His portfolio includes music for Disney Interactive, Netflix, PBS, BBC, Virgin Media, RTÉ and Jameson International. In 2019 he gave his Carnegie Hall debut, performing one of his works in Zankel Hall (New York) with Choral Scholars of University College Dublin. Kevin is a founding member of ‘The Screen Composers Guild of Ireland’ and he currently serves on the board. He is also a represented composer at Contemporary Music Centre (Ireland).
Laura Sheils
Track 15 - 'Now, O now, in this brown land'
Laura Sheils is a choral composer and music educator from Birr, Co. Offaly. She studied Music and Religious Education at the Mater Dei Institute of Education (Dublin City University) and also holds an Advanced diploma in Choral Conducting and Music Pedagogy from the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary and a Masters in Choral Studies (DCU). She is currently completing a PhD on Irish contemporary choral music at Dublin City University. Her vocal writing draws inspiration from a range of musical interests, most notably the rhythms of electronic dance music, as well as the compositional techniques of the Medieval and Renaissance era. She has been commissioned to write multiple pieces for the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin.
Ä’riks EÅ¡envalds
Track 16 - 'My love is in a light attire'
Ä’riks EÅ¡envalds is one of the most sought-after composers working today, with a busy commission schedule and performances of his music heard on every continent. He has won multiple awards for his work and undertakes many international residencies working on his music and lecturing. Born in Latvia, he obtained his Masters degree in composition from the Latvian Academy of Music. He has been teaching in the Latvian Academy of Music since 2004, and he serves as Head of the Department of Composition there.
Joceyln Hagen
Track 17 - 'Lean out of the window, Goldenhair'
American composer Jocelyn Hagen is a pioneer in the field of composition, pushing the expectations of musicians and audiences with large-scale multimedia works, electro-acoustic music, dance, and opera. Her melodic music is rhythmically driven and texturally complex, rich in colour and deeply heartfelt. A champion of the female spirit, many of her projects focus on the stories of women. The majority of her compositions are for the voice: solo, chamber and choral.
Seán Doherty
Track 18 - 'My dove, my beautiful one'
Seán Doherty is an award-winning composer from Ireland whose captivating compositions are fast becoming a favourite of choirs worldwide. His music has a deep connection to the text, and it draws inspiration from a wide variety of musical influences, from arcane mediaeval techniques to electronic dance music. Seán is an active choral singer, singing with the internationally-acclaimed chamber choir New Dublin Voices. Seán is an Assistant Professor of Music at Dublin City University.
