St Canices Instrumental Music Programme

The 20th Anniversary Festival of Youth Orchestras concert took place on Saturday 7 February in the beautiful surroundings of the National Concert Hall in Dublin. This is the fifth time St Canice’s have been invited to perform at the concert over the past 20 years and it is a singular honour for a primary school orchestra to be invited to perform.  St Canice’s shared the stage that night with the Irish Wind Ensemble and the National Youth Orchestra, amongst others, and was the only primary school orchestra to perform that night.

Orchestra conductor, Ruth O Leary, had planned an ambitious programme for this special performance. Weekly orchestra rehearsals were held since September and even included some additional Sunday rehearsals! Many children sacrificed their Sunday swimming and rugby matches to attend these practices and their diligence and commitment is to be commended. A special version of Ravel’s “Bolero” (more familiar to us as the music to that famous Torvill and Dean ice skating routine) was commissioned for the event and specially adapted for the orchestra by Irish Conductor Fergus Sheil.  The repertoire also included Tchaikovsky’s “Trepak”, “Dambusters” by Eric Coates and American Composer Sean O Loughlin’s “Ironclad”.

The performance by the orchestra was electrifying to say the very least! It was a great sight for the large number of parents, friends and families who had travelled up that night to see all those young children troop out on stage in their red sweatshirts. The children appeared not to be the least bit nervous and played with great confidence. The first standing ovation was for their powerful performance of “Bolero”, closely followed by a second ovation for their performance of “Ironclad”, a cacophony of percussion and rhythm. How proud we were, of our school, our music teachers and most especially our children! Special thanks are also due Ruth O’Leary who worked so hard in preparing the children for the festival in the months leading up to the show, and to all the music programme tutors who diligently prepared the students over the past 6 months. Very special thanks are also due to the travelling group of parents and teachers who looked after the children during the day. Many past pupils from St Canice’s music programme also performed with other orchestras on the night with a number of Loreto students playing in the specially formed IAYO Festival Orchestra, Concorda String Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra.

Well done to all on a wonderful night of music that we will never forget!

Regina O Leary

Artistic Director

St Canice’s is very proud of our past pupils who performed  with the Concorda String Orchestra at the IAYO Festival of Orchestras – Marie Therese Boland, Leah Raggett,  Jenna Raggett, Elizabeth Boland and Anna Walsh.

Well Done to St Canice’s  past pupils Marie Therese Boland and Jenna Raggett who performed with NYOI at the IAYO 20th Festival of Orchestras

After months of rehearsals and practice, we are all set for the IAYO Concert in the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Saturday 7th February 2015. The final details of the trip and running order of the day are as follows:-

Format of the Day:

Departure: The buses are arriving at the school at 8.00am on 7th Feb. We plan to leave at 8.30am sharp. Please ensure that your child has his/her instrument! Music folders will be given out on the day. If your child suffers from travel sickness, please ensure that they have taken any required medication.

Rehearsal: We aim to arrive in Dublin between 10.00 and 10.30am. The orchestra are scheduled to rehearse on stage at the National Concert Hall from 11.00-11.45am.

Lunch: Following the rehearsal, the children will have some lunch. Please ensure that they bring a substantial healthy packed lunch and plenty of water with them on the day.

Afternoon Concert: After lunch, the children will attend the afternoon concert in the NCH from 2.30-5.00pm.

Dinner: The children will be brought to the nearby Russell Court Hotel following the afternoon concert to have a hot meal at approx. 5.30pm. This has already been paid for by you. Following this, they will return to the NCH to prepare for their performance.

Evening Performance: The orchestra are the second act on stage in the evening concert and are due on at approx. 8.30pm. After their performance, they will remain in the concert hall to watch the remainder of the concert which is due to finish around 10.15pm.

Return to Kilkenny: The buses will leave Dublin immediately after the concert at around 11pm. The approx time of arrival in Kilkenny is 12.30am. Parents can contact the music mobile on 087 7917960 if they wish to confirm the exact time of arrival. As a number of parents will be attending the concert themselves, you may wish for your child to travel home with you on the night and not return home on the bus.  If you intend to bring your child home with you after the concert can you please complete the attached slip and return at the final orchestra practice next Monday.  It is vitally important that the committee are informed in advance as to the return travel arrangements!

Concert Attire: The usual concert attire should be worn and orchestra sweatshirts will be given out prior to the performance on the night. Your child should wear a hoody or sweatshirt over their uniform while travelling.  Grey skirt/pinafore for girls, grey trousers for boys, white knee length socks for girls, white polo shirts for boys and girls, black shoes and no runners please!

Please note no electronic devices or mobile phones should be brought on the day!

Supervision: The children will be supervised for the entire day by twelve adults travelling with them on the buses who are involved in the music programme. If your child has any medical condition, which requires medication or supervision, please ensure that you highlight this to either myself or one of the twelve travelling members on the bus prior to the departure on the day.

Finally, I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has made this day possible.  An enormous amount of work has been put in by the music teachers, parents and most of all the children.  To Ruth, who has put in a serious amount of extra time and effort in ensuring that the children reach their full musical potential. I would like to wish her the very best of luck for the day. The pieces sound amazing and I am sure that you will really enjoy this special performance!
Regina O’Leary
Artistic Director

IAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras Concert – Saturday 7th February 2015

Permission Slip –Children not travelling home by bus from the concert

My child __________________will be travelling home with me and will NOT be travelling home on the bus following the concert in the NCH on Saturday 7th February 2015.

Signed: ________________________ Parent/Guardian

Contact No: ____________________