The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, The Royal Dramatic Theatre and Konserthuset Stockholm in a unique collaboration. Irish a cappella music is combined with readings of the poetry of Nobel Prize Winner Seamus Heaney.

The Irish theme is everywhere when music leads on to readings, and readings are followed by music or even overlayed by music. Irish Tune by Australian born Percy Grainger (1882–1961) frames a programme that also includes works by the Irish composers Arnold Bax (1883–1953), Gerald Berry (born in 1952) and Frank Corcoran (born in 1944).

100 years have passed since the Anglo/Irish Treaty of 1921 that concluded the Irish War of Independence and led to a separation of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland/Great Britain. Irish culture is of course still and historically linked to British culture, something that is embodied in a composer like Elizabeth Maconchy (1907–1994): she was born and active in England, but her parents were Irish and Maconchy always saw herself as Irish, in spite of the passport.

From the Royal Dramatic Theatre the participating actors are Lena Endre, Hannes Meidal and Siham Shurafa. The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir is led by its chief conductor Fredrik Malmberg. Publisher Stephen Farran-Lee introduces the programme, in which Tommy Olofsson’s new Swedish translations of Seamus Heaney’s poetry are presented for the first time.

Participants:
Eric Ericson Chamber Choir
Fredrik Malmberg, conductor
Hannes Meidal, reciter
Lena Endre, reciter
Siham Shurafa, reciter
Stephen Farran-Lee, host
Jacob Hirdwall, dramaturge

Music & lyrics:

Percy Grainger: Irish Tune
Seamus Heaney: Grävande
Seamus Heaney: Regnpinnen
Seamus Heaney: En klunk vatten
Charles Villiers Stanford: The Blue Bird
David Fennessy: chOirland
Seamus Heaney: Grauballemannen
Seamus Heaney: Järnvägsbarnen
Seamus Heaney: Efterföljare
Elizabeth Maconchy: The Snail
Elizabeth Maconchy: The Dove and the Wren
Frank Corcoran: Caoine for chorus a cappella
Seamus Heaney: Kedja av människor
Seamus Heaney: Mossbawn
Seamus Heaney: Uttern
Gerald Barry: The coming of winter
Gerald Barry: Long Time
Seamus Heaney: I takt med tiden
Seamus Heaney: Trojas återhämtning
Arnold Bax: This worldes joie
Seamus Heaney: Sångarens hus
Percy Grainger: Irish Tune

Lyrics in Swedish translation by Tommy Olofsson. Follow the live broadcasting on:

Konserthuset Play
Dramaten Play
www.eekk.se