A Century of Irish Song
St Brendan's Church of Ireland, Oxmantown Mall, Birr
Sunday 5 October, 3.00pm
Sophie Ward piano
Clare Dixon mezzo-soprano
Join mezzo-soprano Clare Dixon and pianist Sophie Ward for a lyrical journey through a hundred years of Irish song.
This evocative programme weaves together traditional melodies, art song and piano solos tracing the evolution of Ireland’s rich musical heritage from the early 19th to the mid-20th century.
Featuring works by John Field, Thomas Moore, Herbert Hughes, Ina Boyle, and Benjamin Britten, alongside timeless traditional airs, this performance celebrates the beauty, sorrow, and spirit of Irish music across generations.
This concert is kindly supported by The JVM Trench Will Trust.
€10 (Children Free)
No booking required, tickets on the door on the day.
Please note: cash only
Sophie Ward piano
Clare Dixon mezzo-soprano
Sophie Ward is a pianist, accompanist, and music teacher recently returned to her native Birr after several years based in Lyon, France. She studied piano with Thérèse Fahy at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and holds a BA in Music from Trinity College Dublin. She also completed two postgraduate diplomas at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy in Hungary, specialising in piano accompaniment and piano pedagogy.
As a student, she won two solo piano competitions at the Dublin Feis Ceoil and has since performed as both soloist and collaborative pianist in recitals across Ireland, the UK, France, and Hungary.
Sophie is the co-founder of Sing It!, a community choir based in Birr, and also works with the Birr Young Voices children's choir. She is passionate about music education and musical collaborations.
Sunday 5 October
3.00pm
Newry born mezzo-soprano, Clare Dixon is a graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast, where she completed her BMus and MA Degrees. In 2010 Clare was awarded the IKS Scholarship, which enabled her to study Voice and Pedagogy at the Kodály Institute, Hungary. A post-graduate scholarship from the Balassi Institute, Hungary enabled her to continue studies in Vocal Pedagogy from
2011-2012.
In 2016 Clare completed a further Masters of Performance Degree (Voice) at TU Dublin, and is currently a PhD Candidate at the School of Music, UCD.
Following completion of her MMus Performance Degree, Clare performed regularly as a recitalist and concert soloist throughout Ireland. Performances include the Alto Solo in Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Saint-Sëans Oratorio de Noël, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, Vaughan William’s Mass in G Minor and Patrick Cassidy’s oratorio, The Children of Lir. Clare also sang as a chorus member with NI Opera and performed in various opera productions with North Dublin Opera such as Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Gluck’s Orfeo and the Irish premiere of Viardot’s Cendrillon.
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Clare currently works as a Music Examiner with the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and is Musical Director of Dunshaughlin Choral Society and the Dublin
Male Voice Choir. Both groups enjoy giving regular concerts and competing in national choral competitions. In May 2024, Dunshaughlin Choral won second place in the Open Competition at New Ross Aims Choral Festival.
In addition to conducting, Clare sings with the award-winning chamber choir, Cuore, who compete and perform internationally.
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Kindly supported by
