This concert celebrates our ongoing connections with local and international composers and begins as we mean to continue, with several premieres. We performed Unrest by Greg Caffrey in our first season and so it feels fitting to revisit this at the beginning of our new decade, especially as we close the concert with a new work by Raymond Deane, widely considered one of Ireland’s most prominent composers. Skew Weft is a recent Arts Council of Ireland commission and is dedicated to Greg.

We showcase two upcoming composers: Sarah Colgan whose Demonic Dances was selected from our QUB residence last year, and the beautifully atmospheric Elatha’s Ascension by Samuel Kane. Sam was a PRSf composer of 22/23 and now as one of our Featured Young Artists of 23/24, we’re delighted to welcome Sam to join us on stage for this performance.

We also build upon our existing connections with works by composers who are becoming well known to Hard Rain audiences: Sungji Hong who joined us last season from USA and her most recent piece Eplisthisan, Anita Mawhinney with a world premiere of Macalla Mhacha, her third work for Hard Rain, and Ryan Molloy who composed a solo bass clarinet piece, Amhrán Fheilimidh, for our own Sarah Watts.