‘Recomposing the Sounds of Early Irish and Old Norse’ proposes a novel programme of practice-based research and a methodology to analyse and explore the sounds of early medieval languages. Combining linguistic expertise with sophisticated voice processing technologies, the project aims to give new life to early languages and help reclaim the oral quality at the heart of medieval literature. Break no more my heart today, a newly commissioned work from composer Edmund Hunt, explores this territory using the Hard Rain forces with voice and electronics as a powerful tool to develop new insights and to reanimate texts from early languages well beyond the field of literary studies. His work focuses on two linguistic corpora, Old and Middle Irish and Old Norse - both chosen for their particular sonic qualities and the richness of the surviving texts.

As a prelude to this new work we present a variety of works by Irish and Scottish composers that in some way also connect with the Gaelic world or that explore a sound-world somehow in sympathy with it.

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PROGRAMME

BENEATH THE DARK BLUE WAVES* (2019) Jane O’Leary (1946) flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello & piano

CÁLLAN(2021) Aíne Mallon (1994) violoncello & piano

CAOIN LETH-CHALLTACH Pàdruig Morrison (1996) (1st Prize 4th Peter Rosser Composition Award 2019) flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello & piano

FIORITURE (2021) Peter O’Doherty (1973) solo flute

I AM LEDA (2021) World Premiere Amelia Clarkson (1995) flute, clarinet, violin & violoncello

GORTNAGARN II* Ryan Molloy (1983) alto flute, bass clarinet, violin, violoncello & piano

BREAK NO MORE MY HEART TODAY** (2021 – 22) World Premiere Edmund Hunt (1983) flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano, sop voice, bass voice and electronics

*Commissioned by HRSE with funding from ACNI

**Commissioned with AHRC Funding