News

The National Chamber Choir of Ireland honoured to sing at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day

16 March 2011

On behalf of President and Mrs Obama, the White House has extended an invitation to the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, to perform at the St Patrick’s Day reception at the White House in Washington DC this year. The programme will include the world premiere performance of Gné na Gaeltachta by Irish composer Bill Whelan which was written specially for the occasion.

The National Chamber Choir of Ireland is the country’s premier vocal ensemble and has received plaudits from audiences and critics alike from around the world. The conductor for this very special performance will be young Irish choral director Orla Flanagan.

The Choir is currently on the crest of a wave with an exciting diary of national events for the year, a recent CD release (One Day Fine) with lyric fm , another to follow in the autumn on the Harmonia Mundi label and international work involving 2 visits to the US – the first being this one to Washington.

On March 17, the Choir will perform at the St. Patrick’s Day Reception at the White House in the presence of President and Mrs Obama. The St Patrick’s Day Celebrations at the White House will also involve the Taoiseach presenting the U.S. President with a Waterford crystal bowl filled with shamrock, in a longstanding tradition celebrating the friendship between Ireland and America.

This Washington trip precedes an extensive US tour by the National Chamber Choir in October 2011 which will open at the De Bartolo Performing Arts Centre, Notre Dame before continuing to Cleveland; Philadelphia; Montclair, New Jersey; Lewisburg, Pennsylvania; Kansas City; Iowa City and Chicago.  

Both the Washington trip and the tour have been supported by Culture Ireland as part of Imagine Ireland, a year-long celebration of Irish arts in America.

Weblinks:
www.nationalchamberchoir.com
www.imagineireland.ie