Online Chamber Ensemble | Online Rehearsal Equipment Available to Borrow

While we wrapped up our Online Chamber Ensemble project with a thrilling and emotional, real-life performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat, we want to take one final look back at the journey and let you know that we have the equipment available in IAYO for anyone who is interested in taking on a similar project!

Funded by the Arts Council under the Capacity Building Support Scheme 2020, IAYO, supported by the Irish Chamber Orchestra, worked to develop an online chamber ensemble with 8 young musicians (aged 15 – 19) from across the country who used real-time audio-rehearsal software (mainly Jamulus) to enable the musicians to rehearse and perform together in real-time, almost like they were in the same room!

Led by Katherine Hunka, Leader of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, and working with Caitlin Kelly for technological assistance, the musicians worked together on a weekly basis, from their own homes over a number of months. It was not without its difficulties, mainly technological, but the result has been fantastic and the group finally got to meet for a real-life performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat in MTU Cork School of Music in June 2021.

We want to let our members and friends know that yes, the project and the technology worked! It wasn’t always easy, and it was a steep learning curve for all of us involved but, it was worth it!

We would love to offer the opportunity to anyone who is interested in learning and establishing their own online chamber ensemble as we have 20 sets of the equipment (microphone, stand, lead and audio interface) that you would need in order to do this.

If you wish to learn more about Jamulus and the equipment, we hosted an online workshop with Caitlin Kelly in April 2021 and have created a webpage with the workshop and extra resources and literature. You can find the video and resources here.

If you wish to enquire about the equipment, please contact us at info@iayo.ie.