Cruitirí Chill Mhantáin at Coolattin House
with Aisling Ennis (harp), Anna Cashell (violin) and Claire O'Donnell (harp)
Join Cruit Éireann | Harp Ireland at Coolattin House on Saturday May 10th for an eclectic programme that celebrates the beauty and expressive capabilities of the harp and violin. Claire O’Donnell will introduce you to the many colours of this beautiful instrument while Aisling Ennis (harp) and Anna Cashell (violin) present a new piece by the Irish composer Sam Perkin, alongside the Fantasie for harp and violin by French composer Saint-Saens. Chosen for its cathartic nature, this programme is designed to bring peace and solace in these troubled times.
Programme:
Elegia op. 22 – Luigio Maurizio Tedeschi (1867-1944)
Fantaisie on a Theme by Haydn Op. 31 for solo harp – Marcel Grandjany (1891-1975)
Largo and Allegro assai from solo violin sonata in C major BWV 1005 – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Equinox Postludium 22 in E minor – Henning Kraggerud (b.1973)
A Little Piece for Peace – Henning Kraggerud
Jardin Magique (2025) for violin and harp – Sam Perkin (funded by The Arts Council)
Fantaisie for violin and harp Op. 124 – Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Sam Perkins: "It is the first time that I have composed a work inspired principally by a place.
Wandering through the voluptuous natural beauty of Pau, we encounter many shifting fragrances.
This unfolding, subtle transformation of fragrances is reflected in the structure of the music.
More than a geographical location, a place is a complete chronicle of so much more.
Hinting at these deeper wilds beneath, the music takes us deeper and deeper within.
As we go deeper within, with the music, we gradually begin to float, together."
Aisling Ennis is a highly regarded harper both at home and internationally and works to support and enrich the arts in Wicklow. Aisling’s performance will reflect her evocative playing across a broad spectrum of genres, ongoing experimental collaborations and innovative approaches to programming. Recent highlights include solo performances with Irish Chamber Orchestra (November 2023); her 'Fairy Harp, Ceol Sí' tour (October 2023) with Trio Táin – a flute, viola and harp trio (November 2023); her adaptation of Mozart's Magic Flute for narrator, flute, viola, harp and soprano for West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival (Summer and Autumn 2022); collaborating with Peter Power of Sparsile Collective on 'After Light: These Dark Citizens' (Cork's Midsummer Festival 2022) solo appearances with Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and Irish Chamber Orchestra for (Kilkenny Arts Festival 2022) and the release of her debut solo album of compositions (Spring 2023).
Anna Cashell trained at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music in London. She studied with Itzhak Rashkovsky and was awarded many prizes including the prestigious Mills Williams Junior Fellowship and the Tagore Gold Medal which was presented to her by Prince Charles. She also won the Raymond Fox Bursary from the UK’s ‘Making Music Society’ and the Serena Neville prize from the Concordia Foundation. Anna has been a member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra since 2010 and has performed in The Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, the Kölner Philharmonie, Teatro Colon, Berlin Konzerthaus and Esplanade in Singapore.
Claire O’Donnell is one of Ireland's foremost harpists. She performs regularly as principle harpist with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and the BBC Ulster Orchestra and is the only harpist of her generation in Ireland to be invited to perform as principal harpist with the European Union Youth Orchestra under the baton of Vladamir Ashkanazy, a position she held for 4 consecutive years. Claire has performed in some of Ireland’s biggest and most exclusive venues including Áras an Uachtarain, The 3 Arena Belfast and Dublin, The National Concert Hall, The Mansion House, Cork and Wexford Opera House, Shelbourne Hotel, Adare Manor Limerick, The Powerscourt Hotel, Castle Leslie Monaghan and Ballyfin Castle Co. Laois.