Ciarán Farrell
Encyclopedia
Ciarán Farrell is an Irish
composer
who has been active in his field since graduating from Trinity College Dublin in 1997. He has composed works for orchestra, ensemble, choir, and solo instruments, as well as for TV and film productions.
, Rainbow
, Black Sabbath
, and Van Halen
. Like many teenagers his age he wanted a guitar, an electric guitar. His first came from earnings made from washing dishes in a nearby hotel at the age of 15. The following years were spent learning riffs and solos from records, working to buy new equipment and to pay for rehearsal spaces for the many different bands he played with in the years that followed.
It was his love of the late Randy Rhoads
’ guitar playing and his then growing love of jazz (and re-kindled interest in classical music) that prompted him at the age of 22 to take things to the next level, a formal study of music. He took up classical guitar with Irish guitarist John Feeley
and partook in the IMRO
composition summer school before completing his degree at Trinity College where he majored in composition. He also studied with film composer Ennio Morricone
at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana
in Siena, Italy.
He has received commissions from the BBC
, RTÉ Performing Groups
, RTÉ lyric fm
(RTÉ Concert Orchestra with actor Barry McGovern
), saxophonist Gerard McChrystal, the Smith Quartet
, Katie McMahon
, Concorde Contemporary Music Ensemble
, and John Feeley
, amongst others. He has also worked with Irish dance theatre companies, Cois Ceim and Irish Modern Dance Theatre.
Farrell has also worked on numerous TV/Film productions including the internationally-broadcast series Divine Magic and Eyes on the World. Other production companies he worked with include C4
, Discovery Channel
, RTÉ
, TG4
, Littlebird Pictures, Decent Suit and Non Fiction Films. He has been commissioned to compose music for numerous commercials/inserts including the Heineken
and Shell
campaigns.
The first solo collection of Farrell's music, Perfect State, was released on the RTÉ lyric fm
label. Less than three weeks after its official launch at the U2
-owned Clarence Hotel in Dublin on September 24, 2007, Perfect State entered the HMV
classical charts in Ireland at #13 and subsequently made its way to #1. This album features performances by some of the foremost musicians between Britain and Ireland including the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Craig Ogden, Gerard McChrystal and the Smith Quartet
.
His music has been released on numerous other CDs including Gerard McChrystal and Craig Ogden’s Pluckblow, Music for Saxophone and Guitar, released on the Meridian Records
label; Katie McMahon
's album Shine, of which he wrote the title track; and John Feeley
's album E-Motion, of which the original solo guitar version of "The Shannon Suite" can be heard.
Perfect State (2007), RTÉ lyric fm
2. "The Shannon Suite" – 13:53
3. "Around and About" – 9:54
4. "The Pilgrim's Return" – 14:21
5. "Hopkins on Skellig Michael" (Poem by Paddy Bushel) – 34:58
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
who has been active in his field since graduating from Trinity College Dublin in 1997. He has composed works for orchestra, ensemble, choir, and solo instruments, as well as for TV and film productions.
History
Farrell was raised in a music-loving household, though years spent first at the piano and then later the clarinet never really inspired Farrell as he grew up. The onset of his teen years changed his view on what music was all about when he first heard the pulsating sounds of rock bands like AC/DCAC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, and Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
. Like many teenagers his age he wanted a guitar, an electric guitar. His first came from earnings made from washing dishes in a nearby hotel at the age of 15. The following years were spent learning riffs and solos from records, working to buy new equipment and to pay for rehearsal spaces for the many different bands he played with in the years that followed.
It was his love of the late Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads
Randall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out...
’ guitar playing and his then growing love of jazz (and re-kindled interest in classical music) that prompted him at the age of 22 to take things to the next level, a formal study of music. He took up classical guitar with Irish guitarist John Feeley
John Feeley
John Feeley is a classical guitarist and teacher from Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. He has been described by the Washington Post as 'Ireland's leading classical guitarist' and by Michael Dervan in the Irish Times as 'a trailblazer...when it comes to the guitar and guitar-playing in...
and partook in the IMRO
Irish Music Rights Organisation
Irish Music Rights Organisation is the collecting society for songwriters, composers and music publishers of Ireland. Its role is to act as an agent for its members in order to collect license fees whenever their musical works are performed in public, broadcast or transmitted, and to pay out...
composition summer school before completing his degree at Trinity College where he majored in composition. He also studied with film composer Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
The Accademia Musicale Chigiana is a music institute in Siena, Italy. It was founded by Count Guido Chigi Saracini in 1932 as an international centre for advanced musical studies. It organises Master Classes in the major musical instruments as well as singing, conducting and composition...
in Siena, Italy.
He has received commissions from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, RTÉ Performing Groups
RTÉ Performing Groups
RTÉ Performing Groups is a group of five classical ensembles, part of the Irish broadcaster RTÉ. All but the Vanbrugh Quartet are based in Dublin .- RTÉ Performing Groups :...
, RTÉ lyric fm
RTÉ lyric fm
RTÉ lyric fm is an Irish classical music radio station, owned by the public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. The station, which is based in Limerick, was launched in 1999 and is available on FM in Ireland, on satellite, on Sky Digital in Ireland and United Kingdom and via the...
(RTÉ Concert Orchestra with actor Barry McGovern
Barry McGovern
Barry McGovern is an Irish stage, film and television actor. He was educated at Castleknock College, Dublin.-Background:McGovern is a former member of the RTÉ Players and the Abbey Theatre Company. He has worked in theatre, film, radio and television, as well as written music for many shows, and...
), saxophonist Gerard McChrystal, the Smith Quartet
Smith Quartet
The Smith Quartet is a UK based string quartet founded in 1988 that specializes in the performance of contemporary classical music, and is actively performing worldwide and recording . They have premiered over 100 works by composers such as Kevin Volans, Graham Fitkin, Michael Nyman, Karl Jenkins,...
, Katie McMahon
Katie McMahon
Katie McMahon is an Irish singer. She was a soloist with the original Riverdance troupe. Her recordings have largely featured traditional Irish songs, occasionally in the Irish language....
, Concorde Contemporary Music Ensemble
Concorde Contemporary Music Ensemble
The Concorde Contemporary Music Ensemble, founded in 1976, is an Irish contemporary music ensemble. The group's purpose is stated as "[promoting] new music on a regular basis." It has released three full length albums and has gone on several international tours through Europe and North America. The...
, and John Feeley
John Feeley
John Feeley is a classical guitarist and teacher from Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. He has been described by the Washington Post as 'Ireland's leading classical guitarist' and by Michael Dervan in the Irish Times as 'a trailblazer...when it comes to the guitar and guitar-playing in...
, amongst others. He has also worked with Irish dance theatre companies, Cois Ceim and Irish Modern Dance Theatre.
Farrell has also worked on numerous TV/Film productions including the internationally-broadcast series Divine Magic and Eyes on the World. Other production companies he worked with include C4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
, TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
, Littlebird Pictures, Decent Suit and Non Fiction Films. He has been commissioned to compose music for numerous commercials/inserts including the Heineken
Heineken
Heineken is a Dutch beer which has been brewed by Heineken International since 1873. It is available in a 4.6% alcohol variety in countries such as Ireland. It is the flagship product of the Heineken company and is made of purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H...
and Shell
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
campaigns.
The first solo collection of Farrell's music, Perfect State, was released on the RTÉ lyric fm
RTÉ lyric fm
RTÉ lyric fm is an Irish classical music radio station, owned by the public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. The station, which is based in Limerick, was launched in 1999 and is available on FM in Ireland, on satellite, on Sky Digital in Ireland and United Kingdom and via the...
label. Less than three weeks after its official launch at the U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
-owned Clarence Hotel in Dublin on September 24, 2007, Perfect State entered the HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
classical charts in Ireland at #13 and subsequently made its way to #1. This album features performances by some of the foremost musicians between Britain and Ireland including the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Craig Ogden, Gerard McChrystal and the Smith Quartet
Smith Quartet
The Smith Quartet is a UK based string quartet founded in 1988 that specializes in the performance of contemporary classical music, and is actively performing worldwide and recording . They have premiered over 100 works by composers such as Kevin Volans, Graham Fitkin, Michael Nyman, Karl Jenkins,...
.
His music has been released on numerous other CDs including Gerard McChrystal and Craig Ogden’s Pluckblow, Music for Saxophone and Guitar, released on the Meridian Records
Meridian Records
Meridian Records is a British independent record label based in London. It is a long established company having been founded in 1977 and has celebrated 34 years of recording in its reveered classical music 'natural sound'....
label; Katie McMahon
Katie McMahon
Katie McMahon is an Irish singer. She was a soloist with the original Riverdance troupe. Her recordings have largely featured traditional Irish songs, occasionally in the Irish language....
's album Shine, of which he wrote the title track; and John Feeley
John Feeley
John Feeley is a classical guitarist and teacher from Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. He has been described by the Washington Post as 'Ireland's leading classical guitarist' and by Michael Dervan in the Irish Times as 'a trailblazer...when it comes to the guitar and guitar-playing in...
's album E-Motion, of which the original solo guitar version of "The Shannon Suite" can be heard.
Discography
Perfect State (2007), RTÉ lyric fm
RTÉ lyric fm
RTÉ lyric fm is an Irish classical music radio station, owned by the public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. The station, which is based in Limerick, was launched in 1999 and is available on FM in Ireland, on satellite, on Sky Digital in Ireland and United Kingdom and via the...
Track listing
1. "Perfect State" – 6:35- RTÉ Concert OrchestraRTÉ Concert OrchestraThe RTÉ Concert Orchestra is one of the two full time professional orchestras in Ireland that are part of RTÉ, the national broadcasting station. Since its formation as the Radio Éireann Light Orchestra in 1948, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, has grown from a small studio-based recording group to...
conducted by David BrophyDavid BrophyDavid Brophy is an Irish conductor. He is the Principal Conductor of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.- Biography :David Brophy was born in Dublin. He studied in Ireland, England and Holland. He previously conducted the National Chamber Choir of Ireland and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, before...
2. "The Shannon Suite" – 13:53
- Craig Ogden, guitar; Gerard McChrystal, soprano saxophone
3. "Around and About" – 9:54
- Sinead Farrell, flute; Roger Moffat, vibraphone
4. "The Pilgrim's Return" – 14:21
- Smith QuartetSmith QuartetThe Smith Quartet is a UK based string quartet founded in 1988 that specializes in the performance of contemporary classical music, and is actively performing worldwide and recording . They have premiered over 100 works by composers such as Kevin Volans, Graham Fitkin, Michael Nyman, Karl Jenkins,...
; and Gerard McChrystal, soprano saxophone
5. "Hopkins on Skellig Michael" (Poem by Paddy Bushel) – 34:58
- RTÉ Concert OrchestraRTÉ Concert OrchestraThe RTÉ Concert Orchestra is one of the two full time professional orchestras in Ireland that are part of RTÉ, the national broadcasting station. Since its formation as the Radio Éireann Light Orchestra in 1948, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, has grown from a small studio-based recording group to...
, conducted by David BrophyDavid BrophyDavid Brophy is an Irish conductor. He is the Principal Conductor of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.- Biography :David Brophy was born in Dublin. He studied in Ireland, England and Holland. He previously conducted the National Chamber Choir of Ireland and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, before...
; speaker Barry McGovernBarry McGovernBarry McGovern is an Irish stage, film and television actor. He was educated at Castleknock College, Dublin.-Background:McGovern is a former member of the RTÉ Players and the Abbey Theatre Company. He has worked in theatre, film, radio and television, as well as written music for many shows, and...
Press
- It's rare to come across contemporary music that’s as melodic and appealing as Ciarán Farrell’s. - The Daily Mail.
- Perfect State is a remarkable body of work. - TV Now.
- This first full recording of Ciarán Farrell’s offers ample evidence of a productive first decade a jobbing composer, showcasing as it does a vital, fast-maturing voice distinguished by melodic and harmonic fluency and an appreciable facility for writing music that communicates with a clear directness of intent. ...an accomplished, magnificent and mature work. - JMI - Journal of Music Ireland.
- Perfect State, is a collection of compositions created over the last few years, and there's ample evidence that Farrell's talent is as large as his ambition. The variation of styles embodied within the five pieces on Perfect State is staggering, simultaneously playful and challenging. It only takes one listen to "Hopkins on Skellig Michael" to know that this young composer will be in high demand in years to come. Get it while it's hot. - The Silent Ballet.
- This album is a joy to listen to and is a pleasant surprise coming from the Nuevo Classical scene. - The Silent Ballet.
- The music on this album is a testament to the vitality of Irish musicians not alone in the rock or traditional sphere but in something totally new. - The Word.
- Ciaran Farrell's Shannon Suite sets the standard. - BBC The Complete Guide to Classical Music.
- The music of Ciaran Farrell excelled. - Tribune Magazine.