Omagh Community youth choir
Encyclopedia
The Omagh Community Youth Choir was formed in October 1998 in the wake of the Omagh Bomb atrocity
of August 15, 1998. This devastating act left a town of shattered dreams and a community in need of comfort, healing and solace. Local music student Daryl Simpson
, together with other local musician
s and youth leaders set up the choir. His vision was to bring together young people from various backgrounds and traditions, to raise a positive awareness of a community working together for peace
and reconciliation, and to provide some comfort in those dark days.
The choir has since gone on to receive international acclaim and have had their music reach out to people all over the world. They continue a busy schedule of rehearsal
s, performances, and recordings in attempt to open hearts and minds across the globe.
Within weeks of its inception the choir was involved with some of the biggest names in the music industry. The choir was asked to record the title track from the Omagh Fund CD, ‘Across the Bridge of Hope,’ along with numerous other stars. TV appearances on UTV
’s Kelly Show, GMTV
and a special Omagh
tribute ‘Late Late Show’ on RTÉ alongside the likes of U2
and Bob Geldof
provided a suitable platform for the choir to send its message of reconciliation.
It wasn’t long before Omagh Community Youth Choir were given the opportunity to take their message further afield. In August 1999 the choir travelled for their first stateside trip to Chicago
performing at St Patrick’s Cathedral and sports ground ‘Soldier Field
’. During this time they met with other like minded groups, most notably The Milwaukee Irishfest Choir
.
By 2000 The Omagh Community Youth Choir was firmly established as a top class musical act. They were personally chosen by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber
to record the song, ‘To Love in Peace,’ from his West End Show
, ‘The Beautiful Game
’. This led to performances in London’s Millennium Dome
, Westminster Cathedral
, The BBC
’s National Lottery
show and finally The Royal Variety Performance
with The Prince of Wales
in attendance. All proceeds from the CD go to the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund.
The choir links to Milwaukee led to another trip to perform at the Milwaukee IrishFest in 2001 receiving great critical acclaim at their packed shows. An ongoing relationship MIFC has seen both groups host each other on several occasions and included a joint recording also released in 2001.
In this year OCYC also received the prestigious International Award for Peace from St Angela’s Urseline Convent in Waterford
, being honoured alongside international Human Rights Journalist John Pilger
.
Over the next few years several more high profile tours followed. In 2003 the choir undertook a tour of the US, singing at Ground Zero and St Patrick's Cathedral, New York. From there they travelled to Washington D.C. performing at the National Cathedral. Then a whistle stop visit to Philadelphia before another performance again at the Milwaukee Irishfest.
Two years later the Omagh Community Youth Choir returned to the USA, this time undertaking nine performances across Texas
and Louisiana
, organised with the help of longtime choir friend Matthew Robaskiewicz. The Texas and Louisiana tour finished in the home of Jazz
, New Orleans where the choir recorded a live CD in the National Jazz Museum. Whilst there, they also performed with the interracial Gospel choir “Shades of Praise” who themselves have been guests of OCYC in Omagh.
Only weeks after the choir left New Orleans, hurricane Katrina
struck, devastating the Jazz capital. After receiving so much generosity in Louisiana the Youth choir organised several local concerts to raise some much needed funds for their friends in NOLA.
As well as so much touring in America the choir has performed across the length and breadth of Ireland
to critical acclaim. Over the years OCYC has performed with the Waterford Peace Choir, raising money for housing
initiatives in Boaco
, Nicaragua
. One particular concert in Waterford which was jointly headlined by the choirs, and The Celtic Tenors raised nearly 100,000 Euro in aid of new homes for families in Boaco.
Their most recent work has included working with producer Mark Johnson
and Playing for Change
. A CD/DVD compilation Playing for Change: Songs Around The World was released in 2009 on the Concord Music Group
label. The CD has 10 songs and reached No.10 on the US Billboard Charts. They performed solo on 'Love Rescue Me', and added vocals to 'War/no more Trouble'and 'Biko'. In Dec 09 they participated in the PFC recording of 'All you need is Love' for the Starbucks (RED) joint campaign to highlight Aids in Africa. Also as part of their work together they performed at Glastonbury 09 as Saturday headliners on the Jazz World stage performing with the likes of Baaba Maal
, Grandpa Elliot, Vusi Mahlasela
, Tinariwen
and of course the Playing for Change Band. The choir also feature on the Live CD/DVD which captures a live performance of Tinariwen's track Imidiwan Afrik Tendam with Tinariwen and the Playing for Change Band at Glastonbury Festival.
Omagh bombing
The Omagh bombing was a car bomb attack carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army , a splinter group of former Provisional Irish Republican Army members opposed to the Good Friday Agreement, on Saturday 15 August 1998, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Twenty-nine people died as a...
of August 15, 1998. This devastating act left a town of shattered dreams and a community in need of comfort, healing and solace. Local music student Daryl Simpson
Daryl Simpson
Daryl Simpson is a Tenor and musician from Omagh in Northern Ireland. He is a graduate in music from Queen’s University Belfast, majoring in Piano and Voice. Upon graduating he became the founder and Musical Director of the Omagh Community Youth Choir, in an attempt to promote peace and...
, together with other local musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s and youth leaders set up the choir. His vision was to bring together young people from various backgrounds and traditions, to raise a positive awareness of a community working together for peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and reconciliation, and to provide some comfort in those dark days.
The choir has since gone on to receive international acclaim and have had their music reach out to people all over the world. They continue a busy schedule of rehearsal
Rehearsal
For other uses, see Rehearsal or Dress rehearsal A rehearsal is a preparatory event in music and theatre that is performed before the official public performance, as a form of practice, and to ensure that all details of the performance are adequately prepared and coordinated for professional...
s, performances, and recordings in attempt to open hearts and minds across the globe.
Within weeks of its inception the choir was involved with some of the biggest names in the music industry. The choir was asked to record the title track from the Omagh Fund CD, ‘Across the Bridge of Hope,’ along with numerous other stars. TV appearances on UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
’s Kelly Show, GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
and a special Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
tribute ‘Late Late Show’ on RTÉ alongside the likes of 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...
and Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
provided a suitable platform for the choir to send its message of reconciliation.
It wasn’t long before Omagh Community Youth Choir were given the opportunity to take their message further afield. In August 1999 the choir travelled for their first stateside trip to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
performing at St Patrick’s Cathedral and sports ground ‘Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
’. During this time they met with other like minded groups, most notably The Milwaukee Irishfest Choir
Milwaukee Irish Fest
Milwaukee Irish Fest is a yearly ethnic festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park, on the Lake Michigan, USA, every third weekend in August. More than 130,000 people attend the Fest each year to take in nearly 250 acts on 17 stages. The four-day festival in downtown Milwaukee started in 1981...
.
By 2000 The Omagh Community Youth Choir was firmly established as a top class musical act. They were personally chosen by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
to record the song, ‘To Love in Peace,’ from his West End Show
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, ‘The Beautiful Game
The Beautiful Game (musical)
The Beautiful Game is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton about a group of teenagers growing up amid religious intolerance in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1969....
’. This led to performances in London’s Millennium Dome
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
, Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
, 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...
’s National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
show and finally The Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
with The Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
in attendance. All proceeds from the CD go to the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund.
The choir links to Milwaukee led to another trip to perform at the Milwaukee IrishFest in 2001 receiving great critical acclaim at their packed shows. An ongoing relationship MIFC has seen both groups host each other on several occasions and included a joint recording also released in 2001.
In this year OCYC also received the prestigious International Award for Peace from St Angela’s Urseline Convent in Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, being honoured alongside international Human Rights Journalist John Pilger
John Pilger
John Richard Pilger is an Australian journalist and documentary maker, based in London. He has twice won Britain's Journalist of the Year Award, and his documentaries have received academy awards in Britain and the US....
.
Over the next few years several more high profile tours followed. In 2003 the choir undertook a tour of the US, singing at Ground Zero and St Patrick's Cathedral, New York. From there they travelled to Washington D.C. performing at the National Cathedral. Then a whistle stop visit to Philadelphia before another performance again at the Milwaukee Irishfest.
Two years later the Omagh Community Youth Choir returned to the USA, this time undertaking nine performances across Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, organised with the help of longtime choir friend Matthew Robaskiewicz. The Texas and Louisiana tour finished in the home of Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, New Orleans where the choir recorded a live CD in the National Jazz Museum. Whilst there, they also performed with the interracial Gospel choir “Shades of Praise” who themselves have been guests of OCYC in Omagh.
Only weeks after the choir left New Orleans, hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
struck, devastating the Jazz capital. After receiving so much generosity in Louisiana the Youth choir organised several local concerts to raise some much needed funds for their friends in NOLA.
As well as so much touring in America the choir has performed across the length and breadth of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to critical acclaim. Over the years OCYC has performed with the Waterford Peace Choir, raising money for housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
initiatives in Boaco
Boaco
Boaco is the capital city and municipality of the Boaco department of Nicaragua. The municipality of Boaco has a population of 56,900 and an area of 1,086.81 km² while the department is 4,177 km2....
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. One particular concert in Waterford which was jointly headlined by the choirs, and The Celtic Tenors raised nearly 100,000 Euro in aid of new homes for families in Boaco.
Their most recent work has included working with producer Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson (producer)
Mark Johnson is an American film producer. Johnson won the Best Picture Academy Award for producing the 1988 drama movie Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise...
and Playing for Change
Playing for Change
Playing for Change is a multimedia music project created by the American producer and sound engineer Mark Johnson with his Timeless Media Group, that seeks to bring together musicians from around the world...
. A CD/DVD compilation Playing for Change: Songs Around The World was released in 2009 on the Concord Music Group
Concord Music Group
Concord Music Group is a record company owned by Village Roadshow formed in 2004 by the merger of Concord Records and Fantasy Records. In 2005, the company acquired the classics and jazz label Telarc International. On December 18, 2006, Concord announced the re-launch of the soul label Stax;...
label. The CD has 10 songs and reached No.10 on the US Billboard Charts. They performed solo on 'Love Rescue Me', and added vocals to 'War/no more Trouble'and 'Biko'. In Dec 09 they participated in the PFC recording of 'All you need is Love' for the Starbucks (RED) joint campaign to highlight Aids in Africa. Also as part of their work together they performed at Glastonbury 09 as Saturday headliners on the Jazz World stage performing with the likes of Baaba Maal
Baaba Maal
Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.-Biography:Born 12 November 1953...
, Grandpa Elliot, Vusi Mahlasela
Vusi Mahlasela
Vusi Sidney Mahlasela Ka Zwane is a Sotho South African singer-songwriter.His music is generally described as "African folk". His work was an inspiration to many in the anti-apartheid movement. His themes include the struggle for freedom, and forgiveness and reconciliation with enemies...
, Tinariwen
Tinariwen
Tinariwen is a band of Tuareg-Berber musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band was formed around 1979 in refugee camps in Libya but returned to Mali after a cease-fire in the 1990s...
and of course the Playing for Change Band. The choir also feature on the Live CD/DVD which captures a live performance of Tinariwen's track Imidiwan Afrik Tendam with Tinariwen and the Playing for Change Band at Glastonbury Festival.
External links
- http://www.ocyc.co.uk Official Website
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ohx398P7I
- http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=playing+for+change+war+no+more+trouble&search_type=&aq=3&oq=playing+for War/No More Trouble Video