Réalta Chamber Choir will present its latest concert, What the World Needs Now, on Sunday, June 14 at 4pm in St Peter’s Church of Ireland, Drogheda.
The concert will feature the world premiere of A Drogheda Lullaby by acclaimed Irish composer Michael Holohan, alongside performances by Drogheda soprano Hannah O’Brien and pianists Aoife Moran and Cormuin O’Raghallaigh. The choir will perform under the direction of conductor Claire Grogan.
The new composition has deep historical links to Drogheda and St Peter’s Church. In the 1790s, renowned Irish folk music collector Edward Bunting gathered the traditional lullaby Umbó agus Imbó from blind harper Patrick Ward on the streets of Drogheda.
Bunting’s brother Anthony was organist at St Peter’s Church and a respected music teacher in the town. He taught Edward music theory, notation, and how to play both the organ and piano.
The melody was first published in 1797 in Bunting’s groundbreaking collection The Ancient Music of Ireland. In the 1940s, the tune found a wider audience when celebrated Irish tenor Count John McCormack recorded it at Abbey Road Studios in London during the Second World War. Retitled Little Boats, it was arranged by Herbert Hughes with lyrics by Sir Harold Boulton.
For this concert, Holohan has created an entirely new arrangement of the lullaby, combining the traditional melody with a modern piano accompaniment and original text written by the composer himself.
Drawing on Drogheda’s maritime heritage, the piece references Mornington, the River Boyne, local fishermen, birdlife and the sea, creating a strong sense of place and belonging.
A Drogheda Lullaby was supported through funding from the Louth Meath Education and Training Board and was commissioned at the request of Tommy Murphy and Tom O’Reilly of Drogheda Male Voice Choir.
The concert will also include a performance of Holohan’s song A Soldier’s Grave from his song cycle The Hills are Crying, written for voice, oboe and piano.
The work was commissioned by Meath County Council and the Ledwidge Committee in 2017 to mark the centenary of the death of renowned Irish poet Francis Ledwidge. The cycle was premiered in Slane by Hannah O’Brien, Rebecca Draisey-Collishaw and Michael Holohan.
Tickets are available through Eventbrite, with a limited number also available at the door.
