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Dinny McGinley TD launches Choirland - An Anthology of Irish Choral Music CD, in the Arts Council HQ

Dinny McGinley T.D, Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, will today (Thursday 18 October 2012) launch Choirland - An Anthology of Irish Choral Music as one of the events this year that marks the Arts Council's 60th anniversary.

Last year the Arts Council invested €50,000 on a once-off basis to support an initiative to publish and record choral music by Irish composers. Three key Arts Council funded music organisations formed a partnership and worked together across the year to deliver this initiative: the National Chamber Choir (NCC), Contemporary Music Centre (CMC) and the Association of Irish Choirs (AOIC).

Speaking in advance of the launch, Minister of State McGinley said " Choral music is enjoyed by many people, of all ages and abilities, in every corner of Ireland. The spectrum of choral singers ranges from that of amateur to professional, a huge number of individuals – many on a voluntary basis – work together to make choral music a part of the cultural life of this country. They work together because that’s how it’s done. Choral singing is about partnership, and participation. It’s accessible, and encourages engagement with music"

The finished CD and publication entitled Choirland – An Anthology of Irish Choral Music will give the choral sector in Ireland access to choral works by Irish composers. The works vary with regard to degree of difficulty thereby offering community choirs, accessible contemporary Irish works, while also including more challenging pieces for choirs with more developed technical and musical abilities.

"The work of the Association of Irish Choirs, the Contemporary Music Centre and the National Chamber Choir in transforming this project into reality must be acknowledged. I hope that the Anthology will find a home with both amateur and professional choirs alike, and become a regular resource as they choose repertoire for forthcoming concert programmes" Minister McGinley concluded