Composer Amanda Feery will premiere her newly commissioned work, Little Visitor, as part of To Star the Dark, a special concert marking International Women's Day. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
To Star the Dark by Chamber Choir Ireland will take place on Saturday 7 March at 6:30pm at Pepper Canister Church, Dublin and on 8 March at 4:00pm at Old St Mary’s Church, Clonmel as part of Finding a Voice festival.
Amanda’s piece will be performed in Dublin and then in Clonmel as part of the Finding a Voice festival.
The concert takes its title, To Star the Dark, from the work of Irish poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa, whose poetry will be set to music by Amanda.
"The piece is a setting of the English translation of the poem Sólás by Doireann Ní Ghríofa," Amanda says.
"The poem depicts a character waiting for the sedge warbler, which in Irish folklore is believed to be the soul of a child who has passed on, returning to comfort their mother with song.
"What I love about Doireann’s poem is how she calls on folklore to help process and navigate this loss. I can’t wait for audiences to hear the piece."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I’m a composer, a lecturer, and I live in Cork with my partner, Declan.
How would you describe your music?
My music 'orbits’ classical and folk styles without being at the centre of them. I always like to experiment with some aspects of these styles.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Kate Bush is a huge inspiration. My PhD examined her song suite, The Ninth Wave, from her 1985 album, Hounds of Love. I am making a radio show that draws from my PhD as a way to commemorate Hounds of Love reaching its 40th anniversary last year.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Blur at the RDS, June 1996!
What was the first record you ever bought?
It was probably a Blur tape, perhaps Modern Life is Rubbish.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Not a song, but a set by French-Canadian duo Angine de Poitrine performed at Trans Musicales Festival. They wear very fun polka dot costumes, and I love their microtonal tunings and percussion.
Favourite lyric of all time?
I think the lyrics of The Waterboys’ The Whole of the Moon are brilliant and can be interpreted in many ways. There’s also a line that I love from Kate Bush’s song, And Dream of Sheep: "Let me be weak, let me sleep and dream of sheep".
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sorry to mention Kate Bush again, but it has to be Wuthering Heights! Lyrically, vocally, melodically, harmonically, it is a very complex song, and there is always something new to discover in each listen.
Where can people find your music/more information?
You’ll find music and info on my website and my Bandcamp page. A recent release of mine from 2025, NEST, released on Krim Kram, can be found here.
Alan Corr
