Musical composition created by inclusive ensemble of Irish musicians to be added to the National Collections

Led by composer Karen Power, the ensemble is made up of a group of ten musicians - five living with intellectual disabilities and five students of the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM). The composition incorporates sounds that capture the distinctive atmosphere of the National Library.

An inclusive ensemble is built on a shared process-based approach to music-making. The process is open, unbiased and offers equal opportunities for genuine exchange between all the musicians. ‘Sounding the hidden at the NLI’ pairs acoustic instruments, iPads as digital instruments, and field recordings.

Welcoming this first-in-its-kind collaboration, Deborah Kelleher, Director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music said:

“Until recently, music ensembles such as the orchestra were the preserve of the musical elite - but our work with our shared ensemble for the ‘Sounding the Hidden at the NLI’ project has challenged how we approach what we do across institutions and disciplines when it comes to making music together. The Royal Irish Academy of Music is proud to be leading this work. At its heart, this work is about co-creation, deep listening and the unfailing creativity of the human – the musicians themselves are the composers and collaborators, and they work on every aspect of the piece together.

“We understand that this composed piece, co-created by a diverse group of talented musicians, is the first of its kind to be added to a National Library Collection possibly anywhere in the world.

“One of the most exciting parts of this initiative is our new collaboration with the National Library of Ireland – and the NLI itself provides the sounds and inspiration for the musical work. We are thrilled that the finished piece will be included in Ireland’s National Collections.”

Dr Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland said:

“People think of a library as a silent place, and yet this group of composers have weaved together a soundscape from the hum of constant activity inside and outside our historic walls. The fabric of the music is built on the echoes of books being shelved, pages rustling, trollies on the move, vigorous typing and note taking – all very real sounds of learning and discovery.

“There is something very meaningful and beautiful about the work produced by this group of musicians, and we could not be prouder to accept it as part of our National Collections so it can be accessed for years to come.

“The National Library of Ireland, working with the Royal Irish Academy of Music, is celebrating practical initiatives to make music accessible to everyone, and the showcasing of the indelible talent of Irish musicians from a broad spectrum of experiences.

“Projects of this kind are an example of proactive collecting by the National Library of the works of under-represented voices in our communities.”

Karen Power, Composer said:

“I am thrilled to be leading this co-creative process with RIAM, which both establishes a working framework for inclusive and co-creative music-making activities and produces our first composition.

“The composition is based on the audible and inaudible sounds of the magnificent NLI space.

“Our aim was to offer time and space for people of differing abilities to create on equal footing, to try to break with assumptions about what we all think music is and can be. What better way to achieve this then by beginning with listening and specifically placing focus on a living and culturally significant place – the NLI.

“My goal in leading this process was to ensure that active listening was at the core of every step of our composition. By carefully considering the artistry and training of each musician, I wanted to develop a challenging environment for all involved.

“I believe that together we have created a new, original and qualitative, professional composition that is unique to this group of extraordinary people.”

ENDS