The Ghost Song by Sean Doherty, commissioned by the Bealtaine Festival 2017. Performed by Laetare with Conductor Roisin Blunnie.
Words by Paula Meehan

Hear more from Sean Doherty by visiting his soundcloud, https://soundcloud.com/se-n-doherty

The Ghost Song by Sean Doherty | Bealtaine Festival 2017

The Dawn Chorus is a nationwide choral event in which older people
come together with a choir in their locality and sing at dawn in a scenic area, ideally beside water and usually outdoors. As part of Bealtaine 2018, we are encouraging choirs and active retirement groups throughout Ireland to participate in the Dawn Chorus, by putting on their own local event on any date that works for them.

To support and celebrate the many Dawn Chorus events nationwide
which take place every year, Age & Opportunity is delighted to join with the Association of Irish Choirs to commission a new work for 2018. Tom Lane, composer, is the recipient of this first Dawn Chorus commission and the premiere of his new work will take place in an outdoor Dawn Chorus event as part of Bealtaine @ Temple Bar with The Line-Up Choir and conductor Roísín Savage. 

This new work will be made available for download from www.aoic.ie

The Dawn Chorus - The Little Waves Of Breffny Premiere by Tom Lane | Bealtaine Festival 2018

Celebrating a remarkably distinguished artistic career, this conversation, which was presented as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin with the support of the Irish Writers Centre, features writer Jennifer Johnston in conversation with journalist and writer Arminta Wallace. The Bealtaine Writer’s Group started the event by reading new works specially written for the occasion, and inspired by Jennifer and her work.

JenniferJohnston In Conversation | Bealtaine Festival 2018

Age & Opportunity is Ireland’s leading organisation in developing arts programmes with and for older people. Through our arts and culture programme, we create meaningful participation in and representation for all older people in cultural and creative life in Ireland. We aim to demonstrate and celebrate the fact that our creative potential can improve with age, to underline the importance of the arts to positive ageing and to influence policy and practice in the area. We do this through the Bealtaine Festival, The Bealtaine Festival established in 1995, is the world’s first national celebration of creativity in older age and Ireland’s largest co-operative festival. The festival takes place each May and derives from the ancient festival of Bealtaine or Beltane heralding the start of Summer. Through Bealtaine, we bring together older people and artists from all over Ireland and across generations to participate in arts and creative activities.  

Age & Opportunity Arts and Culture is developing a year-round programme of public arts workshops, audience development initiatives, artists’ residencies, artists’ training, conferences, advocacy, advice and publications.

Bealtaine Festival

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