Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Orla Flanagan, 'Gallus International Choral Competition, Maribor', Gallus International Choral Competition, Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia, 2023, -
Orla Flanagan, 'To the Northeast', Dublin, Divine Arts Records, 2019, -
Bill Whelan, 'Riverdance 25th Anniversary Album', Dublin, Decca Gold, 2019, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Invited concert', Incontro Internazionale Polifonico , Fano, Italy, Incontro Internazionale Polifonico , 2017, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Under-Song', CD recording of choral music by Irish composers Mark Armstrong, Éna Brennan, Rhona Clarke, Frank Corcoran, Eoghan Desmond, Sean Doherty, Colin Mawby, Eoin Mulvany, Caitríona Ní Dhubhghaill and Charles Villiers Stanford; Mornington Singers, 2017, -
REA: Religion, Education and the Arts, 10, (2016), 1 - 107p, Róisín Blunnie and Orla Flanagan, [eds.], 2016
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Orla Flanagan, 'O Schone Nacht', Dublin, 2023, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Love endureth', Dublin, 2023, -
Orla Flanagan, 'In Paradisum', 2023, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Autumn Landscapes', Dublin, 2022, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Night on Earth', Waterford International Organ and Choral Festival, Waterford and Dublin, 2022, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Pipeworks Autumn Festival', Pipeworks Festival, St Michael's Church, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, 2021, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Constellations', Trinity College Chapel, 2019, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Requiem: Fauré and Duruflé', Christ Church Cathedral, 2019, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Libera Me', Concert performance of music by Pizzetti, Tavener, Howells and Parry, Trinity College Chapel, 2018, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Tenebrae', Concert performance of Lenten music by Victoria, Lotti, Mendelssohn, Lobo and Byrd, St Ann's Church, Dawson St, 2018, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Of Night and Light', Collaborative choral performance, Trinity College Chapel, 2018, -
Orla Flanagan, 'To the Northeast', A concert performance featuring the launch of new CD, Under-Song, and featuring the world premieres of two substantial new choral works: John Buckley's 'To the Northeast' and Ben Hanlon's 'World War Letters', and also including music by Irish composers Mark Armstrong, Ena Brennan, Rhona Clarke, Eoghan Desmond, Sean Doherty, Colin Mawby, Eoin Mulvany, Caitriona Ni Dhubhghaill and Charles Villiers Stanford; Mornington Singers, St Ann's Church, Dawson St, 2017, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Echoes of Eternity', Concert performance of Frank Martin's Mass for Double Choir and Herbert Howells's Requiem, Trinity College Chapel, 2017, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Music for a While', Concert performance of music by Eriksson, Barber, Vaughan Williams, Kocsár, Rautavaara, David Lang and James MacMillan; Mornington Singers, Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin; St Bartholomew's Church, Dublin, 2016, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Miserere', Concert performance of Lenten music including Allegri Miserere, Victoria Lamentations of Jeremiah and music by Lotti, Lobo and Lukaszewski; Mornington Singers, Adam & Eve's Church, Merchant's Quay, Dublin, 2015, -
Orla Flanagan, 'One Equal Eternity', Concert performance of Pizzetti Requiem and music by Barber, Harris, Vaughan Williams, Mendelssohn and Brahms; Mornington Singers, Adam & Eve's Church, Dublin 8, 2015, -
Blunnie, R. and Flanagan, O., Responses to Irishness: Contemporary Choral Composers and Irish Musical Identity (Practice-based presentation), The Singing Network Symposium on Singing and Song, Memorial University, Newfoundland, October 2015, 2015
Orla Flanagan, 'Composing Mortals', Concert performance celebrating Mornington Singers' composition competition and featuring first performances of works by Mark Armstrong, Sean Doherty and Eoin Mulvany alongside Britten's Hymn to St Cecilia and polychoral pieces by Mahler and Julian Anderson; Mornington Singers, Adam & Eve's Church, Merchant's Quay, Dublin, 2014, -
Orla Flanagan, 'The Pregnant Box', Performance in Evangelia Rigaki's installation piece for solo singer, solo flute player and wandering choir at Discover Research Night 2014, Front Square, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, 2014, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Requiem Aeternam', Concert performance of Fauré Requiem and Howells Requiem; Mornington Singers, Adam & Eve's Church, Merchant's Quay, 2014, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Cantemus', Concert performance of music by Byrd, Lotti, Machuel, Armstrong, Doherty, Holst and Mantyjarvi; Mornington Singers, St Ann's Church, Dawson St, Dublin; St Nicholas' Church, Galway, 2014, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Songs of Farewell', Concert performance of Howells' Requiem and Parry's Songs of Farewell; Mornington Singers, Adam & Eve's Church, Merchant's Quay, Dublin, 2013, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Noel: Live from Christ Church', Concert performance of Christmas music; Mornington Singers, Christ Church Cathedral, 2013, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Dreams of Springtime', Concert performance featuring Britten's Five Flower Songs, Hindemith's Six Chansons, Brahms's Funf Gesange and Poulenc's Huit Chansons Francaises; Mornington Singers, City Hall, Dublin, 2013, -
Orla Flanagan, 'the air fills us & we fill the air', Concert performance of new choral music including works by Christopher Fox, Sean Doherty, Tom Johnson with first performances of newly-commissioned music for vocal ensemble by Ailis Ni Riain and David Bremner performed by ensemBéal and Iarla O'Lionard conducted by Orla Flanagan as part of Béal Festival, Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 2012, -
Orla Flanagan, Music, Text and Context in Felix Mendelssohn's Choral Works for Berlin Cathedral, Dublin City University, 2012
Orla Flanagan, 'Pillars of Heaven', Concert performance of Frank Martin's monumental Mass for Double Choir with Latin church music by Thomas Tallis; Mornington Singers, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, 2012, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Legacy', Concert performance tracing lineage from Bach to Mendelssohn and Brahms and including first performances of new works by Ian Wilson, Paul Flynn and Sam Kavanagh; Mornington Singers, Pro Cathedral Dublin, 2012, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Illuminare', Concert performance of Advent-themed English choral music featuring selections from Byrd's Cantiones Sacrae (1589) with contemporary settings by Judith Bingham, John Rutter, Benjamin Britten and Herbert Howells; Mornington Singers, Trinity College Chapel, Dublin, 2011, -
Orla Flanagan, 'cusps of light cut dazzle', Concert performance of newly-commissioned music for vocal ensemble by David Bremner, Laura Kilty, Grainne Mulvey, Jonathan Nangle and Dónal Sarsfield performed as part of the Béal Festival of Music and Poetry; Milltown Chamber Choir, Trinity College Chapel, 2010, -
Orla Flanagan, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', A concert performance of all-contemporary choral works featuring Veljo Tormis's Jaanilaulud, Peteris Vasks's Mate Saule, and works by David Lang, James MacMillan, Eric Whitacre and Arvo Part; Mornington Singers, 2010, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Water Night', CD Recording of music by Berio, Tormis, MacMillan, Whitacre and Stanford; Mornington Singers, Windmill Lane, Dublin, 2010, -
Kodály Society of Ireland, Kodály Society of Ireland: Active Music Making, 2009, 2009, St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
Orla Flanagan, 'Reincarnations', A concert performance of Barber's Reincarnations and Adagio, Vaughan Williams's Shakespeare Songs, and works by Julian Anderson, Thomas Tomkins and Eric Whitacre; Mornington Singers, Pro Cathedral, Dublin, The Mornington Singers, 2009, -
Orla Flanagan, 'The Eclipse', Arrangement and recording of choral soundtrack recording for Conor McPherson's full-length feature film with Mornington Singers, 2009, -
Orla Flanagan, 'A Ceremony of Carols', Pro Cathedral, Dublin, The Mornington Singers, 2009, -
Orla Flanagan, 'Solas', CD recording of contemporary and early-20th century a cappella choral music by Arvo Part, John Tavener, Cyrillus Kreek, Einojuihani Rautavaara, Eric Whitacre, Albert Alcaraz, Charles Villiers Stanford, William Harris and Frank Martin; Mornington Singers, 2008, -
Research Expertise
Description
My research is largely practice-led through choral conducting and vocal technique, interpretation of repertoire and historical style, and engagement with the creation of new works through commissioning and national and international performances of music by contemporary composers. As the conductor of one of Ireland's leading choral ensembles, Mornington Singers, I consistently engage with innovative artistic programming and interpretative experimentation based on historically informed performance styles, as well as evolving international trends. I am particularly committed to the performance of new music, with projects including Under-Song, a CD recording of unaccompanied choral music by Ireland's leading composers (2017, part-funded by Dublin City Council), and To the Northeast, a CD devoted to the choral works of Aosdána member John Buckley (forthcoming, 2018, part-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland). In 2014 the Mornington Singers held a composition competition which led to the emergence of more than thirty specially-composed pieces by Irish composers, a selection of which formed the basis of a public workshop on choral interpretation. The prizewinning pieces have since been premiered and recorded by the choir, and constitute valuable additions to the Irish choral repertoire. I have also performed, recorded and toured with professional vocal ensembles such as the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, Milltown Chamber Choir and EnsemBéal, with creative outputs including a CD recording of Christmas music, multiple broadcasts on national radio and television, creative collaborations with leading poets and composers, and a performance for President Barack Obama at the White House in 2011. Much of my research in both practice-led and more traditional scholarship focuses on music and the expression and interpretation of sacred text. This has led to my studies in music, text, and context in the compositions of Felix Mendelssohn (the subject of my doctoral thesis, 2012) and more recently to a special issue of the peer-reviewed online journal, Religion, Education, and the Arts, entitled 'Sacred Music: Perspectives on Performance (2016, co-edited with Dr Róisín Blunnie, DCU), featuring articles and compositions by Irish and international scholars and performers. I have a particular interest in the principles of music learning espoused by the Hungarian composer and educator Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967). My teaching in areas such as aural training, keyboard skills and choral conducting is largely informed by my ongoing research in this area. My approaches to choral interpretation, rehearsal and performance are constantly informed by my ongoing research in historical and contemporary performance styles, and this has been recognised with special awards for conducting at Cork International Choral Festival (2006, 2011 and 2014) and at Maribor International Choral Competition (Slovenia, 2009), in addition to the Morningon Singers' performance awards, including 1st Prize and Ireland's Choir of the Year (Cork, 2014), 2nd Prize in the Mixed Choirs Category at the Concorso Polifonico Guido d'Arezzo (Italy, 2017) and 1st Prize in Lyric FM's Choirs for Christmas competition (2009). My research in historical performance practice relating to music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and contemporary eras has led to frequent invitations to give workshops and seminars on choral interpretation.Recognition
Representations
Assistant Secretary, Kodaly Society of Ireland
Kodaly Institute International Liaison officer
Reviewer, British Journal of Music Education
Member of advisory panel, Association of Irish Choirs and Contemporary Music Centre's anthology of Irish choral music, Choirland
Awards and Honours
1st Prize, International Baltic Sea Choir Competition, Latvia
1st Prize, Ireland's Choir of the Year, Cork International Choral Festival
Heinrich Schutz Perpetual Trophy, Cork International Choral Festival
Perpetual Trophy for the Performance of Irish Contemporary Music, Cork International Choral Festival
2nd Prize, Mixed Voice Category, Concorso Polifonico Guido d'Arezzo, Italy (as conductor of Mornington Singers)
3rd Prize, Secular Category, Concorso Polifonico Guido d'Arezzo, Italy (as conductor of Mornington Singers)
3rd Prize, Sacred Category, Concorso Polifonico Guido d'Arezzo, Italy (as conductor of Mornington Singers)
3rd Prize, City of Derry International Choral Festival (as conductor of Mornington Singers)
Contemporary Music Centre Prize, Derry International Choral Festival, for the performance of Rhona Clarke's 'Regina Caeli'
MacCurtain and McSwiney Award to a conductor for the performance of an artistic and imaginative programme, Cork International Choral Festival
Schuman/Europe Trophy for the performance of music by a living European composer, for the performance of John Buckley's 'Jabberwocky'
1st Prize and Victor Leeson Perpetual Trophy, Ireland's Choir of the Year, Cork International Choral Festival (as conductor of Mornington Singers)
3rd Prize, Fleischmann International Trophy Competition (as conductor of the Mornington Singers)
Perpetual Trophy for the Performance of Irish Contemporary Choral Music, Cork International Choral Festival (as conductor of the Mornington Singers)
MacCurtain and McSwiney Award to a conductor for the performance of an artistic and imaginative programme, Cork International Choral Festival
Special prize to a conductor at the Maribor International Choral Competition, Slovenia, for the interpretation of the compulsory choral work, 'Vem, da je zopet pomlad' by Lojze Lebic.
International Jury Award, Cork International Choral Festival, for the performance of an artistic and imaginative programme
1st Prize, International Grand Prix, Sligo International Choral Festival (as conductor of the Mornington Singers)
3rd Prize, Fleischmann International Trophy Competition (as conductor of the Mornington Singers)
Memberships
Kodály Society of Ireland
International Kodály Society
International Federation for Choral Music
Society for Musicology in Ireland