Music station "Where Life Sounds Better" celebrates birthday with a gala concert
RTÉ lyric fm celebrates 25 years on Wednesday May 1st. The debut broadcast on the dedicated classical and arts music station started at 12 noon on May 1st 1999 and RTÉ lyric fm has continued to grow in popularity over those 25 years.
The 25th birthday celebrations will be marked by a gala concert in Limerick, home of RTÉ lyric fm, tonight (May 1st). The concert features the RTÉ Concert Orchestra conducted by David Brophy and a host of performers and lyric presenters. It will broadcast live on lyric fm from 7.30pm and listeners can join the party.
Presenters from some of the station's best-loved shows gathered to mark the birthday at rehearsals for the RTÉ Concert Orchestra’s performance. Marty Whelan, Aedín Gormley, Paul Herriott, Niall Carroll, Liz Nolan and Lorcan Murray were on hand to raise a cheer to RTÉ lyric fm marking this special anniversary.
The concert will feature the music of Puccini, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Bizet, Morricone, Bernstein, John Williams, Strauss, Copland, Mascagni, Mancini and many more. Celebrating the joy of music and its power to connect, performers on the night include soprano Celine Byrne, tenor Emmet Cahill and the Our Lady Queen of Peace choir from Limerick who won the RTÉ lyric fm Choirs for Christmas competition in 2023.
As well as a host of much-loved favourites the concert will debut three new pieces of music that were commissioned by RTÉ lyric fm in their birthday year written by Irish artists. The new works for orchestra focus on themes of nostalgia, hope and rebirth and will premiere at the concert.
Limerick composer and Cranberries drummer Fergal Lawler wrote The Curragower Falls which reflects on memories of childhood by the River Shannon. Cork composer Paul Frost's A New Day Rising captures the feeling of waking up to a new day, to the sounds of nature and the irrepressible sense of optimism. Dundalk composer and fiddle player Zoë Conway’s Bualadh an cheoil, bualadh an chroí (Music playing, heart beating) is about the powerful connection of Irish music to the body and dance.
Head of RTÉ lyric fm Sinéad Wylde said: "RTÉ lyric fm emerged from a chorus of birdsong on May 1st, 1999 and the celebration of our 25th birthday is a very nostalgic time for me, having been part of the original RTÉ lyric fm team who brought the station to life on that day. On this special anniversary, I would like to take the time to remember former and current colleagues past and present who helped shape the identity of the station as it has developed from those early days.
"RTÉ lyric fm is core public service broadcasting at its very best and an alternative listening experience for all. We have grown to become an integral part of our listeners' - birthdays, marriages, new beginnings, first days at school, the morning and evening commute, candlelit dinners, times of despair and times of happiness - RTÉ lyric fm provides the musical backdrop," Sinéad continued.
She said: "Central to our service is the experience of live music and we are delighted to bring the wonderful music making that takes place throughout the country in Cork, Wexford, Dublin, Limerick, Galway and elsewhere directly into our listeners' homes. We continue to reach out and welcome new audiences with our diverse range of programmes and inspirational presenters - good music is for everyone. Our growing audience numbers reinforce the fact that RTÉ lyric fm has a valued place in the lives of Irish audiences. In a world full of chaos and despair RTÉ lyric fm is a haven for all where hope and beauty abound, a place to unwind from busy lives and experience the unifying power of music on RTÉ lyric ....Where Life Sounds Better"
President Michael D. Higgins sent a message of congratulations ahead of the birthday: "Over the past quarter-century, lyric fm has truly enhanced the cultural landscape of Ireland, showcasing the beauty and diversity of not just classical music but also such a wide range of music that includes traditional, jazz, world music, musicals and film scores. It has drawn on such an incredibly diverse range which is one of the station's greatest strengths. In embracing contemporary compositions, also and bringing innovative, insightful programming to audiences nationwide, the station has become an integral part of our artistic tapestry. It represents public service broadcasting at its best."
