First Mourne Chamber Orchestra Festival due at end of summer

First Mourne Chamber Orchestra Festival due at end of summer

10 July 2024

NEWCASTLE is hosting the first ever Mourne Chamber Orchestra Festival at the end of the summer.

The three-day long event takes place from August 30 to September 1, with three evening concerts at Newcastle Community Cinema and one shorter morning performance suitable for young children at Newcastle Library.

It is the brainchild of local musician Orla McGarrity and her friend, Sam Kane, from Loughgall, who are both classically trained violinists.

“We have been friends since meeting at the start of our undergraduate degrees,” Orla explained.

“We have studied together at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester for six years and have always dreamed of starting a festival like this at home because chamber music is a shared passion of ours.”

Orla and Sam will be joined by 14 other young professional musicians from Northern Ireland and further afield.

“Chamber music is an intimate form of classical music involving small groups of musicians playing without conductor,” Orla said.

“We feel it's a really great way into classical music for people who haven't had much experience with it yet because you can feel a lot more connected with each individual player and the repertoire is so varied.

“As well as being a brilliant violinist, Sam is an accomplished composer and will be writing and arranging the music for the family concert which will be set to two books by acclaimed local author Martin Waddell..

“The evening concerts include music by a variety of composers from Mozart to Brahms, as well as a Suite for Strings by Fermanagh-born composer Joan Trimble.”

Tickets are now on sale now via the Mourne Chamber Orchestra Festival website.