The Harmony North choir
By Evan Short
A choir made up of young people from schools in a troubled part of Belfast performed in Washington D.C. last week to celebrate a centenary of Irish music.
Harmony North joined the all-Ireland Camerata Ireland orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday last where a number of musicians, including world renowned poet Michael Longley, also appeared.
A total of 48 young people from nine post primary schools in North Belfast travelled to for the concert.
As well as performing the U.S. premiere of “Duty Bluebells,” the choir performed “She Moved Through the Fair,” “Cantique de Jean Racine,” and “Danny Boy.”
Camerata Ireland and Barry Douglas rounded off the evening with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5, the “Emperor.”
The choir project, which will ultimately encompass over 10,000 young people, was first proposed by Belfast’s Hazelwood College as a legacy project in its 30th anniversary year.
It is the first project of its kind aiming to increase cultural understanding and mutual respect through music.
Hazelwood educates children of all religions in a city where most educational establishments are aligned to either the Catholic or the state sector.
It is hoped that through a new dimension of learning the project can raise the aspirations, self-esteem, and cultural awareness of young people in North Belfast, this while projecting a positive image of the area that has in the past been the scene of some of the most bitter sectarian fighting during the conflict.
Speaking about the performance, Barry Douglas said travelling to the United States was a big deal for the young people.
“It is a real honor for Camerata Ireland to be asked to take part in this festival with musical talent from both North and South. I am doubly thrilled that we were able to accommodate my suggestion of being joined by the young people of the Harmony North choir.
“In an incredibly short space of time these singers, under the guidance of Dónal Doherty, and with the support of their teachers and parents, have come such a long way musically.
“Some of them have never sung in a choir before and to be making your debut in the Eisenhower Theater in Washington is a dream come true for us all and I hope an inspiration for the other choir members back home. I’m sure we will all go on to even greater and better things.”
“Camerata Ireland is grateful to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Bureau, and Tourism Ireland for their generous financial assistance and help enabling us to attend this event.
“Camerata Ireland is also grateful to our Global Sponsor, Randox for their continued support.”
The choir members stayed for five days in the U.S. capital where they visited Capitol Hill and the Smithsonian.
Schools represented in the project included Belfast Boys Model School, Belfast Model School for Girls, Belfast Royal Academy, Edmund Rice College, Hazelwood Integrated College, Little Flower Girls School, Mercy College, St. Malachy’s College and St. Patrick’s College.
Harmony North has been supported in their first year by the Integrated Education fund, Mr. Tony Carson, the Belfast Trust for Integrated Education and the support of the schools, staff and parents of all the participating schools.
As part of their fundraising efforts they have produced a limited edition framed print of “Dusty Bluebells,” signed by Barry Douglas and Michael Longley.
Contact Bronagh McLaughlin for details at bmclaughlin257@c2kni.net.
