An ambitious coming together of both Trad and Gospel linking the musical and human connections across both sides of the Atlantic

More than 100 musicians and singers will gather at Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, on Saturday 28 November for the launch of Heart’s Content: A Transatlantic Musical Exchange, an ambitious new music, storytelling and film project inspired by the historic connection between Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, and Heart’s Content, Newfoundland.

The project explores the enduring human connections that link communities on opposite sides of the Atlantic, drawing inspiration from the nineteenth-century transatlantic telegraph cable that transformed communication between Europe and North America.

The launch concert will bring together two distinctive musical traditions, Ceolfhoireann Thraidisiúnta Mhúscraí, directed by Brian Ó Broin and Caroline Uí Chathasaigh, and the White Horse Gospel Choir, under the direction of Aoibheann Carey-Philpott. As the evening progresses, the two ensembles will unite on stage for the first major public performance of Heart’s Content, an original song written by Joe Philpott specifically for the show.

The second half of the evening will also feature a special guest performance by Áine Whelan.

Music will be interwoven with a series of narrative pieces written by Joe Philpott, exploring themes of migration, departure, separation, homecoming and the search for belonging. Narrator Dick Beamish will guide the audience through these stories, joined by young performers from Ballincollig Comhaltas, linking the experiences of those who once left Ireland’s shores with the generations growing up today.

While the historic cable provides the project’s inspiration, Heart’s Content focuses on a more universal story: humanity’s enduring need to stay connected across distance, time and place.

Produced by Joe Philpott, Aoibheann Carey Philpott, Brian Ó Broin and Caroline Uí Chathasaigh, the Ballincollig event marks the first stage of a wider international collaboration.

Following the November showcase, the project will move into recording and film production, including filming on Valentia Island. The journey will then continue across the Atlantic to Newfoundland, where Irish work will be met by responses from Canadian collaborators, including the Soundbone Folksong Choir, directed by Jean Hewson, and the Lomond Sound folk arts collective.

The resulting exchange will see music, stories and film travel in both directions, building new cultural connections along a route first established by the transatlantic cable more than 150 years ago.

Speaking about the project, Joe Philpott said: “There’s something beautiful in the question people must have asked before leaving these shores: ‘What will I bring you back?’ Hidden inside it is a promise: I will come back. Heart’s Content is really about that human instinct to stay connected. We begin in Ballincollig, send this musical postcard out into the world, and wait to see what comes back.”

This launch on 28 November marks the beginning of that journey, bringing together musicians, storytellers, children and families in a celebration of connection, community and shared heritage across the Atlantic.

About Ceolfhoireann Thraidisiúnta Mhúscraí:

Ceolfhoireann Thraidisiúnta Mhúscraí (CTM) is a vibrant young traditional orchestra comprising of students and members of the Ballincollig branch of Comhaltas, Craobh Niall Ó Cathasaigh. Founded by directors Caroline Uí Chathasaigh and Brian Ó Broin to celebrate the branch’s 50th anniversary, the orchestra brings together 48 talented musicians aged 10–20 performing a wide range of traditional instruments. Since its formation in September 2024, CTM has performed at various venues locally and nationally including Cork City Hall, National Concert Hall Dublin, and Dúchas Centre in Tralee.

About the White Horse Gospel Choir:

The White Horse Gospel Choir was set up in Autumn 2019 by Gospel choral director Aoibheann Carey-Philpott and is based in the famous White Horse pub in Ballincollig’s west village. With a whopping 80+ members, this community choir with a big heart has become a regular feature on some of the most beloved stages across the county and beyond, with many memorable performances over the past seven years in Cork’s City Hall, Cork Opera House, St. Finbarres Cathedral, the Everyman Theatre and St. Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, to name but a few.

Description supplied by the event organiser.