IAYO Youth Collaboration Grant Updates
Donegal Youth Orchestra and Donegal Music Education Partnership, Coole Music Youth Orchestra and Mayo Youth Orchestra collaborated over the past year, as part of the IAYO Youth Collaboration Grant. This project culminated in a ‘Tri‑Orchestra’ concert in Errigal College, Letterkenny. Below Anne Moriarty‑Martin, Musical Director of Mayo Youth Orchestra gives us some information on the project and their rehearsal in March.
“After five years of trying to set up a musical collaboration between Donegal and Mayo Youth Orchestras (the pandemic really hampered our plans plus our initial plan to meet in January was scuppered by Storm Éowyn ‑ the gods really seemed to conspire against us), the two orchestras finally met at Music West in Castlebar in March for our first rehearsal together as part of the Tri‑Orchestra project.
This project was facilitated by the IAYO Youth Orchestra Collaboration Grant. We were delighted to welcome the musicians along with Vincent Kennedy and his wife Gráinne, John McIvor and other staff. It was wonderful to have the variety of instruments in each orchestra to create a full orchestral sound. The musicians blended together beautifully, complementing each other’s sounds. Mayo Youth Orchestra currently have no cello or double bass and Donegal Youth Orchestra have no bassoon or oboe so the collaborative balance was ideal.
After lunch, the sounds of Enchanting Skies, from Kathy Fahey’s Sacred Opus, Illuminations and The First Steam Train in Ireland (Vincent Kennedy) lit up Music West and its surrounds. The collaborative team spirit continued after the two hours of music wrapped, when the musicians forged new (and somewhat competitive) friendships at the local bowling alley in Castlebar, before returning to Donegal. Our wonderful Atlantic Tri‑Orchestra concert two weeks later, where we were joined by Coole Music Youth Music, was a wonderful celebration of the talented musicians across the three
youth orchestras. Hopefully, it is only the first of many performances to come”.
