New Dublin Voices Explained

New Dublin Voices
Landscape:	Yes
Origin:	Dublin, Ireland
Genre:	Choral
Years Active:	2005–present
Current Members:	Conductor Bernie Sherlock

New Dublin Voices, an award-winning chamber choir based in Dublin, Ireland, was founded by conductor Bernie Sherlock in October 2005. New Dublin Voices, whose concerts range in style and period from the medieval to the contemporary, takes special pleasure in exploring the music of living composers and has given many Irish premières, as well as numerous world premières of works by Irish composers. As well as giving concerts, New Dublin Voices is a regular participant in competitions, both internationally and at home in Ireland. The singers who make up New Dublin Voices come from many backgrounds, sharing in common high levels of experience and musicianship, a commitment to attracting new audiences, and above all a love of performing excellent choral music.

Festivals

New Dublin Voices is regularly engaged to present concerts at prestigious international festivals at home and abroad. This has seen them tour extensively across Provence, Normandy, Burgundy and Catalonia in recent years. Highlights include:

• Germany: 7th Internationale Chorbiennale Aachen, 2023
• England: 33rd Association of British Choral Directors Annual Convention, Leeds, 2018^[1]
• Spain: 11th World Symposium on Choral Music, Barcelona, 2017^[2]
• Spain: 8th Setmana Cantant (Singing Week), Tarragona, 2017^[3]
• Ireland: 63rd Cork International Choral Festival, 2017^[4]
• USA: 2nd World Choral Festival, Kansas City, 2016^[5]
• France: 23rd Festival des Chœurs Lauréats, Provence, 2015^[6]
• France: 6th Polyfollia – The World Showcase and Marketplace for Choral Singing, Normandy, 2014
• Switzerland: 9th European Festival of Youth Choirs, Basel, 2014
• France: Musique en Morvan, Burgundy, 2012

Awards

• Poland: Grand Prix for the best choir, 1st prize and Golden Diploma in the Sacred Music category, 1st prize and Golden Diploma in the Mixed Choirs category, and the Special Prize for distinction for conductor (Bernie Sherlock), at the 13th International Krakow Choir Festival "Cracovia Cantans", 2024
• Italy: 1st prize in the Secular Music Programme category, 2nd prize in the Sacred Music Programme category, and the Special Prize for best contemporary programmes and performances, at the 71st Concorso Polifonico Internazionale "Guido d'Arezzo", 2023
• Wales: 2nd prize in the Mixed Choirs category, Gwobr Jayne Davies Prize for most outstanding conductor (Bernie Sherlock), at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, 2022
• Northern Ireland: 1st prize in the International Competition, at the 7th City of Derry International Choir Festival, 2019
• Germany: 3rd prize overall and the Pro Musica Viva - Maria Strecker-Daelen Prize to a conductor (Bernie Sherlock) for the best interpretation of a contemporary choral work (Ave Regina by Rudi Tas), at the 16th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf, 2019
• Hungary: 1st prize in the Mixed Choirs category, Special Prize for best conductor (Bernie Sherlock), and the Special Prize for the best interpretation of a contemporary piece (Under-Song by Seán Doherty (composer)), at the 28th Béla Bartók International Choir Competition in Debrecen, 2018
• Latvia: Grand Prix at the 2nd International Baltic Sea Choir Competition in Jūrmala, 2017^[7]
• Finland: 2nd prize overall and the Special Prize for best interpretation of the set work (Mais je suis mort by Riikka Talvitie), at the 5th International Harald Andersén Chamber Choir Competition in Helsinki, 2016
• France: Prix pour une œuvre de création (In te, Christe by Seán Doherty (composer)), at the 45th Florilège Vocal de Tours, 2016
• Ireland: 1st prize in the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition, 2nd prize in Ireland’s Choir of the Year, the Perpetual Trophy for the Performance of Irish Contemporary Choral Music, and the International Jury Award, at the 61st Cork International Choral Festival, 2015
• Slovenia: 3rd prize overall and the Special Prize for best interpretation of the set work, at the 13th International Choral Competition Gallus in Maribor, 2015
• England: Audience Prize at the 1st London International A Cappella Choir Competition, 2014
• Hungary: finalist in the 26th European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Debrecen, 2014
• Northern Ireland: 2nd prize in the International Competition at the 1st City of Derry International Choir Festival, 2013
• Italy: Gran Premio Città di Arezzo and 1st prize in the Vocal Ensembles category, at the 61st Concorso Polifonico Internazionale "Guido d'Arezzo", 2013
• Ireland: 2nd prize in the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition, 1st prize in Ireland’s Choir of the Year, and the Perpetual Trophy for the Performance of Irish Contemporary Choral Music, at the 59th Cork International Choral Festival, 2013
• Spain: 3rd prize in the Polyphony category at the 44th Tolosako Abesbatza Lehiaketa, 2012
• Belgium: Six prizes, including Choir of the Festival, at the 11th International Choir Contest of Flanders-Maasmechelen, 2011
• Italy: Three prizes, including 1st prize in the Renaissance category, at the 58th Concorso Polifonico Internazionale "Guido d'Arezzo", 2010
• Ireland: 2nd prize in the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition, the Schuman/Europe Award, and the International Jury Award, at the 56th Cork International Choral Festival, 2010
• Finland: 3rd prize overall and the Special Prize for best interpretation of the set work (Laudatio Domini by Joonas Kokkonen), at the 3rd International Harald Andersén Chamber Choir Competition in Helsinki, 2009
• Germany: 3rd prize overall at the 11th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf, 2009
• Hungary: Grand Prix and the Interkultur Special Prize for best conductor (Bernie Sherlock) at the 12th Budapest International Choir Competition, 2009
• France: Prix pour une œuvre de création (Sea Swell by Enda Bates), at the 37th Florilège Vocal de Tours, 2008

Discography

• Make We Merry, released 1 December 2017^[8]
• Music from Ireland, released 13 December 2014^[9]
• Christmas with New Dublin Voices, released 20 November 2010^[10]
• Something Beginning with B, released 24 September 2010^[11]

Other work

As well as concerts and competitions, New Dublin Voices maintains a busy calendar of other activities including fund-raising – most recently charity concerts for Pakistan flood relief with Concern Worldwide, and for the PREDA Foundation which cares for neglected children in the Philippines

The choir makes occasional television appearances – notably appearing with The Priests in their debut Armagh concert broadcast nationwide in the US and Canada, and on RTÉ's Off the Rails, The Den, and others.

The choir works regularly with both the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and performs at various special public events, including the official launch in October 2008 of the Irish Arts Council's first ever policy document for choral music, Raising Your Voice.

In 2016, Sony Classical released the original motion picture soundtrack for The Letters, a Hollywood feature film about the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.^[12] The album features New Dublin Voices and the Macedonian Radio Symphony Orchestra performing the film's original music composed by Ciarán Hope as well as Leona Lewis performing the song "Run" by Snow Patrol.^[13]

Press Quotes

• "...a soft-textured beauty...New Dublin Voices has this in abundance." - Michael Dervan, The Irish Times^[14]
• "My first impulse after playing Make We Merry...was to play it all again. It has 18 tracks...and bubbles with energy and wit." - Richard Morrison, The Times (UK)^[15]
• "...the choral effect being simply breathtaking throughout in its refined beauty." - Dick O'Riordan, The Sunday Business Post^[16]

See also

• Bernie Sherlock

External links

• • YouTube Page
• iTunes Store
• New Dublin Voices – About

Notes and References

1. Web site: ABCD 33rd Convention. August 2018. Abcd.org. 22 August 2019.
2. Web site: World Symposium on Choral Music. Wscm11.cat.
3. Web site: Singing Week | Setmana Cantant 2017. Setmanacantant2017.com.
4. Web site: Cork International Choral Festival 1st - 5th May 2019. Cork International Choral Festival, Cork, Ireland.
5. Web site: World Choral Festival. World Choral Festival.
6. Web site: Bienvenue au Festival des Choeurs Lauréats. Festivaldeschoeurslaureats.com.
7. Web site: NEWS. Balticchoir.com. 1 October 2017.
8. Web site: Make We Merry. Newdublinvoices.com. 1 December 2017.
9. Web site: New Dublin Voices: Music from Ireland | Contemporary Music Centre . 5 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160423175629/https://www.cmc.ie/shop/new-dublin-voices-music-ireland . 23 April 2016 . dead .
10. Web site: Christmas with New Dublin Voices. Newdublinvoices.com. 11 August 2014.
11. Web site: Something Beginning with B. Newdublinvoices.com. 11 August 2014.
12. News: The Letters The Soundtrack to the Epic Life Story of Mother Teresa – Sony Masterworks. 25 March 2016. Sony Masterworks. 10 September 2017.
13. News: Major film score release by DkIT Music Lecturer. 11 February 2016. Dundalk Institute of Technology. 10 September 2017.
14. News: I prefer Mendelssohn's early stuff (to Mozart's). Michael. Dervan. The Irish Times.
15. Web site: The Times & The Sunday Times. Thetimes.co.uk.
16. News: Classical notes: New Dublin Voices Reach for the Sky. Dick. O'Riordan. The Sunday Business Post.