The Project

Éire Guitar Duo presents Musings, a programme of six new works by members of the Irish Composers’ Collective.

This concert forms part of an ongoing collaboration between the duo and the Irish Composers’ Collective. Building on the release of ICC Guitar Works, an EP featuring newly recorded works by ICC composers, this project focuses on the creation and premiere of six new pieces that will form the basis of ICC Guitar Works Vol. 2.

Developed in close collaboration with the composers, these works explore the timbral range and expressive possibilities of the guitar duo, contributing to the continued growth of the repertoire and supporting the work of contemporary composers in Ireland. This performance reflects the duo’s broader commitment to creating platforms for new music, fostering long-term collaborations, and bringing contemporary repertoire to audiences in Ireland and beyond.

The Composers

As part of the Musings project, each composer was invited to accompany their work with a short piece of text that reflects the ideas, atmosphere, or inspiration behind the music. These could take the form of a phrase, aphorism, haiku, or brief poetic excerpt.

Each reflection is limited to a maximum of 30 words, offering a concise insight into the conceptual world of the piece and creating a point of connection between composer, performer, and audience.

These texts form an integral part of the project, framing each work as a moment of reflection and contributing to the broader theme of Musings.

• Contemplation #1 (Donnchadh Mac Aodha)
  “Ag tuile ‘is ag trá a chaitheann an fharraige an lá” – Mac Aodha
  Work: Urú

• Contemplation #2 (David Gerard Geraghty)
  “On the far side of the river, I catch my breath — a transformative crossing.” – Marc O’Sullivan Vallig
  Work: Through the Silver river

• Contemplation #3 (Dylan Murphy)
  “Another world is not only possible; she is on her way. Maybe many of us won’t be here to greet her, but on a quiet day, if I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing.” – Arundhati Roy
  Work: Dúchas I

• Contemplation #4 (Avril Kneafsey)
  “The guitar is a miniature orchestra in itself” – Ludwig van Beethoven
  Work: Cithara

• Contemplation #5 (Laura Heneghan)
  “There is no street with mute stones and no house without echoes.” – Unknown
  Work: Echoes Under Stone

• Contemplation #6 (Oisín Quigley)
  “The waken’d lav’rock warbling springs, and climbs the early sky, Winnowing blythe her dewy wings in morning’s rosy eye” – Rabbie Burns
  Work: As the Frost Thaws