The Donegal Chamber Music Society are hosting the first ever Donegal Chamber Music Festival this weekend, Fri 30 May to Sun 1 June. You can purchase tickets in advance through our box office now on 0749120777 or online here (booking fees apply).
The festival is taking place in the beautiful setting of Glenveagh National Park. The Castle and estate, open to the public since 1986, lies midway between Letterkenny and Gweedore. The combination of fine music and Glenveagh, with its idyllic lake, garden and mountain setting, is always a memorable experience. FOUR CONCERTS WILL BE PRESENTED BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, see below. As always, the Donegal Chamber Music Society promotes contemporary music-making in Ireland; the music of established Irish composer Vincent Kennedy (familiar to many from his outstanding work with the Donegal Youth Orchestra) will feature in each of the concerts, and some of them will be given their premiere in this Festival.
Two evening concerts will be presented in the Castle drawing-room: the Friday concert features local and international instrumentalists with guest flautist Sarah Murphy. The Sunday concert will be given by the Donegal Camerata String Quintet. Glenveagh’s intimate drawing-room has limited seating accommodation, and concert guests have to be conveyed to the Castle by minibus from the Visitors Centre; patrons are advised to book in advance.
There will be two concerts on the Saturday: a free lunchtime concert in the nearby Glebe Gallery (beside Lough Gartan), given by the Junior String Orchestra of the Donegal Music Education Partnership, and an afternoon “Coffee Concert” in the Glenveagh Visitors Centre, featuring the Donegal Chamber Orchestra, with guest singer Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde. The “Coffee Concert” will include music by Bartók, Britten, Hindemith and Tchaikovsky, as well as traditional Irish songs accompanied by the orchestra.
The concerts:
FRIDAY 30TH MAY 8pm
Drawing Room, Glenveagh Castle.
Admission: €20
Sarah Murphy, flute; Orsolya Szabó-Yélamo, violin; Lucia Spacirova, viola; Víctor Yélamo, cello
Music by W. A. Mozart, C. P. E. Bach, Charles Hubert Parry& Vincent Kennedy
SATURDAY 31ST MAY 12:30pm
Lunchtime Concert in the Glebe Gallery.
Admission is FREE. (No booking required)
Donegal Music Education Partnership’s Junior String Orchestra and Friends
Music by Bach, Gluck, Grieg and others
SATURDAY 31ST MAY 5pm
Coffee Concert in the Auditorium of Visitors Centre, Glenveagh National Park.
Admission: €10
Donegal Chamber Orchestra with Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhride
Music by Bártok, Britten, Hindemith, Tchaikovsky plus sean-nós singer songs in special arrangement with String Orchestra
SUNDAY 1ST JUNE 8pm
Drawing Room, Glenveagh Castle.
Admission: €20
Donegal Camerata String Quintet
Music by Vivaldi, Mozart, Barber and Vincent Kennedy
