Via The Journal Of Music: The Irish Baroque Orchestra (IBO) has announced that it will perform at the BBC Proms this summer, only the second orchestra from the Republic of Ireland to perform at the festival in the event's history.
The IBO, conducted by Peter Whelan, will perform the Dublin version of Handel’s Alexander’s Feast at the prestigious festival. Composed in 1736, the oratorio was performed in Dublin in 1742 on Handel’s visit to Ireland, when he also premiered Messiah on Fishamble Street. The IBO has reconstructed the 1742 version for the purposes of the Proms performance, which will take place on 30th August at the Royal Albert Hall.
The performance marks another high point for the orchestra following their Olivier Award for Irish National Opera’s Bajazet in 2022, followed by the nomination for Irish National Opera’s L’Olimpiade, which also featured the IBO, this year.
The orchestra has also been recently releasing a number of recordings on Linn Records exploring the history of Irish classical music, including The Hibernian Muse, Rachel Baptist: Ireland’s Black Syren, The Trials of Tenducci, and Welcome Home Mr Dubourg.
Watch: IBO play the Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G, movement 1
Speaking to the Irish Times regarding bringing the Irish version of the Handel work to the Proms, Whelan said:
"We’re incredibly proud to bring this music back to life with parts made specially for this occasion – and to do it on such an acclaimed stage is a dream come true.
"We made some discoveries in Pearse Street Library. It was a bit like Indiana Jones, dusting off these old manuscripts. People know Alexander’s Feast, but this Irish version will be something new for a lot of people. We’re really excited."
He added that in this version "the words are subtly different. And the big difference is that the version most people know is in two parts, and this Irish version is in three parts. There’s extra material, and it’s distributed in a different way. It’s quite an exciting thing for everybody. Even Handel scholars are finding it very exciting. And just to know that we have something that’s Irish, that the rest of the world doesn’t know about."
The invitation to perform at the Proms followed a performance by the IBO with Irish National Opera at the Royal Opera House in London last year that was attended by Proms Director David Pickard Aliye Cornish Moore, CEO of the IBO, told the Irish Times:
"We had been trying to get him to a performance for a while, so we were delighted when he accepted the invitation. He was blown away, and confirmed almost straight away that he wanted the Irish Baroque Orchestra to appear in the 2025 season. It was just a question of what we would perform."
version of Handel's Alexander’s Feast at the BBC Proms
Commenting on the Proms debut, Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, said:
"I am so thrilled for Peter and the Irish Baroque Orchestra team with their debut at the 2025 Proms, one of the most prestigious music festivals in the world. Through the support of the Culture Ireland unit of my Department, the IBO has been developing a substantial reputation on the international concert scene. This opportunity is the culmination of that hard work. It also marks an important milestone in the history of classical music in Ireland and I send my heartiest congratulations to all involved."
The last Republic of Ireland orchestra to perform at the Proms was the New Irish Chamber Orchestra in 1979. The Ulster Orchestra has performed at the Proms on a number of occasions and this year is performing a programme titled 100 Years of the Shipping Forecast on 8th August. The concert at the Ulster Hall in Belfast will be conducted by Chloé van Soeterstède and feature music inspired by the oceans and the elements, including a new work by poet Simon Armitage and his group LYR.
Debut by Karen Ní BhroinIrish conductor Karen Ní Bhroin will also perform at the Proms this year – the first Irish female conductor to do so. On 26th July, she will conduct the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Singers in a programme titled The Traitors, based on the BBC television show. Ní Bhroin will conduct afternoon and evening performances, which will be presented by Claudia Winkleman.
Ní Bhroin graduated from Trinity College Dublin and studied conducting at Kent State University with Jungho Kim. She recently received a Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship, which provides support for female conductors. This year she performs with Welsh National Opera, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Ní Bhroin is also Music Director for an upcoming production of Éna Brennan’s Breathwork with Irish National Opera and this summer will make her debut at Bregenzer Festspiele with a new commission by Brennan.
Read more from The Journal Of Music here.
