The Internationalists
by Peter Goulding

With the very merry month of May fast approaching, lovers of classical music will be aware that the internationally renowned Fingal County Youth Orchestra is due to play their annual end of season performance concert at Draíocht.
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The seventy strong orchestra has certainly had a year to remember with two prestigious Scottish concerts in Edinburgh and Stirling under their belts and the forthcoming gig promises to round off a spectacular year in style.

The Caledonian adventure last October saw 49 musicians, three staff and 25 parents and leaders board the Larne ferry at the start of a whirlwind four day tour of Lothian and the Trossachs. Using the “RentaHostel” facility at Melrose as their base/rehearsal site, the young musicians treated 250 guests in the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle to a scintillating programme that included “Flower of Scotland,” “The Prince of Denmark’s March” and Bach’s “Presto” from Sonata No. 1 for violin, featuring orchestra leader Grainne Murray. The visit to this most ancient and historic landmark was rounded off with a guided tour and some judicious retail therapy.

The orchestra reprised the programme in the Chapel Royal of Stirling Castle, famed the world over for its association with Mary Queen of Scots. Again, the concert – featuring everything from Verdi to Ennio Morricone – went down a storm and The Historic Scotland group, who had invited the orchestra over, were fulsome in their praise of the performance.

Formerly known as the West Dublin Youth Orchestra and based in Lucan, the group was formed in 1990 as an outlet for the natural musical talent in this part of Dublin. Ambiguity over the area covered by “West Dublin” – and the move to Castleknock - led to a name change three years ago, and the orchestra currently has around sixty members between juniors and seniors. Although the majority of these hail from the immediate Blanchardstown / Castleknock area, there are people who travel every fortnight from as far away as Meath, Celbridge, Glasnevin and even Louth to attend the fortnightly rehearsals in Castleknock Educate Together School.

The orchestra caters for youths between the ages of nine and nineteen and is split into juniors and seniors. “Due to pressure of exams, we tend to lose a few around the Leaving Cert time,” says secretary Brian Murray, “but we have been very fortunate in retaining a few right up to college. Of course, we are always looking for new members. Generally speaking, wind and percussion instruments are harder to come by and we always struggle to find a good drummer but naturally we are always on the lookout for promising musicians across the board.”

All musicians are expected to be attending their own music classes and should have achieved, or be actively working on, Grade 2 RIAM standard. But aside from the hard work and dedication required to make the orchestra, there is a very definite social element there also. “It gives youngsters the chance to play their instruments as part of a team, rather than solo,” says Brian. “This is important because there are so few orchestras around. We also like to collaborate with different groups when they are holding events and have played at venues from Lutrellstown Castle to the National Concert Hall.”

Most recent of these was an Easter concert at Newgrange Hostel in the Brú na Boinne interpretive centre and the Draíocht concert marks a fond farewell to a highly successful year, in which the group also scooped the Organisational Achievement Award run by the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras.
For the Blanchardstown concert, the orchestra will be performing some of their Scottish repertoire as well as the regular offerings from the separate junior and senior orchestras. There will be special guests appearing too, such as Leixlip Youth Strings, and it all promises to be a concert to savour.

However, close season does not mean inactivity and there will be auditions in June for those who would like to pre-qualify for September and also some detailed planning for a prospective grand tour this Autumn.

The Fingal County Youth Orchestra plays Draíocht’s main auditorium on Sunday 4th May at 8 p.m.

Tickets are €12 (€10 concessions). Anybody interesting in joining the orchestra is invited to come along on the night to see what the fun is all about or alternatively they are welcome to contact Brian on 087 648 4990 .

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