Spalpann an Ghrian - Michael Holohan

www.kamerkoorjip.nl Project: Samhain Choir: Kamerkoor JIP Conductor: Jonathan Ploeg Michael Holohan (*1956) is an Irish composer. "Spalpann an Ghrian", the title of the composition translates to “the sun is beaming” or “the sun bursts forth”. The text of the piece works on a number of levels. Firstly, the invocations of the ancient gods and goddesses of Ireland; secondly, the love story of Oengus and Caer; thirdly, the beam of sunlight that penetrates the passage tomb of Newgrange during the Winter Solstice on the 21st of December. All the personal and placenames derive from the medieval metrical Dindshencas poems and from the ancient Irish myths, especially “The Dream of Oengus Óg”. The text is not a strict narrative but makes a strange sense if one knows the story of Oengus. Spalpann an Ghrian was originally composed as a wedding present for Gráinne Gormley and Curtis Adler. The composer made a revision and a new version of the piece in 2015 at the request of Aoife Hiney and VozNua, Portugal. Audio and video: Elbert Besaris