Sligo Baroque Orchestra & The O’Carolan Trio

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DOORS OPEN 6.30PM. EVENT STARTS 7PM.
Finish time is estimated. This is a seated event.

Step into the world of the “pop music” of the late 1600s and early 1700s, when Italian composers like Francesco Geminiani and Arcangelo Corelli were all the rage. Their music travelled across Europe, with people eager to get their hands on sheet music and play these fashionable new tunes at home.

When this vibrant Baroque style reached Ireland, it sparked the imagination of local musicians. Among them was one of Ireland’s most celebrated composers, Turlough O’Carolan, whose work beautifully blends traditional Irish melodies with European influences. Though rooted in the northwest of Ireland, his music continues to be played, reimagined, and enjoyed worldwide today.

Sligo Baroque Orchestra and The O’Carolan Trio are delighted to join forces once again, bringing the spirit of this rich musical era to one of Ireland’s long-established arts festivals.

Local musicians Fiachra Guihen (harp) and Mossie Martin (fiddle), both well known to Boyle audiences, are joined by Ellen Godley (cello) to perform their distinctive arrangements of O’Carolan’s music. Alongside them, the orchestra will present works by Geminiani and other Baroque composers.

When the Trio and Orchestra come together, the result is a rich and lively sound that bridges traditions — and one that, we like to think, O’Carolan himself would have enjoyed.