Laura ready for Titanic concert

Laura ready for Titanic concert

18 July 2012

A BALLYGOWAN violinist is looking forward to playing her part in a major contemporary music project in the Titanic Quarter.

Laura Barclay, a member of the Ulster Youth Orchestra (UYO), will be taking part in the NEST production on Saturday — with the 90-strong orchestra at the core of this audio and visual performance.

NEST is a poignant celebration of the people of Northern Ireland — a gigantic installation of thousands of individual possessions and the personal stories behind them, and incorporating a dynamic new composition from award winning composer, Brian Irvine.

Through the artist-led company Dumbworld, thousands of donated objects have been assembled and will soon be built into NEST in the T13 building at the Titanic Quarter.

With thousands of objects and labels, hundreds of singing voices and musicians, NEST will be an all embracing, sonic and sculptural landscape that examines and questions relationships between people and everyday things.

In preparation for NEST Laura is currently attending the UYO’s annual residential course in Greenmount College, Antrim.

“My first summer playing with Ulster Youth Orchestra was a very special experience,” said Laura. “Having played violin from the age of seven, I auditioned for a place at the age of 15 and, five years later, I am as delighted to be a part of it now as I was then.

“The highlight of that summer was a concert tour to Germany, including a performance at Berlin Konzerthaus as part of the Young Euro Classic Festival. This was a tremendous occasion for the orchestra and one that I will never forget.

“We have been tutored by so many professional musicians and have had the privilege of being conducted by many internationally renowned conductors, such as Takuo Yuasa and Nicholas Braithwaite, amongst others.”

Summer 2012 will also see the orchestra perform works including Stravinsky’s The Firebird and a new commission by Elaine Agnew. The highlight will be joining Sir James Galway and the Ulster Orchestra at London’s Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms season.

“On a personal level, I have had the most amazing journey through UYO,” said Laura of her time with the orchestra. “I have been challenged musically, I have travelled and performed on the international stage and have built friendships that will last a lifetime. UYO is quite simply a musical extravaganza and one that I would not have missed for the world.”

UYO General Manager, Stanley Foreman, said the UYO had a long history of commissioning and performing new works by Northern Irish composers. “The members of the orchestra are delighted to have been chosen to be part of this exciting project with the opportunity of performing Brian’s new composition for NEST,” he said. “Playing in a huge welding shed linked to ship building in Belfast — this will be something unique and memorable.”

Gavin O’Connor, Youth Arts Officer at the Arts Council, said: “This is an arts project unlike any other in both ambition and scale. It will give some of Northern Ireland’s most talented young musicians the chance to be a part of a production of truly epic proportions.

“Under the creative direction of Brian Irvine, Nest will inspire and challenge all those involved to develop their talent and take their skills to the next level.”

Tickets for performances are FREE but must be booked online at http://nest.ticketleap.com/nest/ in advance.