NEST explores themes of home, land, and belonging, most particularly the dual meanings of sanctuary and seizure.

This is the Louth debut of NEST, the critically acclaimed work from Amanda Feery, one of Ireland’s most exciting young composers.

Staged in the intimate setting of Gerrard's church, this will be a rare opportunity to be fully immersed in the powerful yet delicate swell of this piece.

Critically responding to Éamon de Valera’s 1943 speech; On Language and the Irish Nation; and composed for organ and electronics, NEST explore themes of home, land, and belonging, examining dual meanings of sanctuary and seizure.

With text by Eimear Walshe, the haunting refrain “they come to make a ruin” echoes like a congregational call, spanning centuries of displacement and destruction.

Amanda Feery is a composer working with acoustic, electronic, and improvised music, with previous works for orchestra, opera, film, chamber ensemble, and electronics. Amanda was the Mark Nelson Fellow in Music at Princeton University, completing her PhD in Music Composition in 2019, researching the music of Kate Bush.

Whilst in the U.S., she formed collaborative relationships with many

ensembles and musicians including Alarm Will Sound, Third Coast Percussion, Ensemble Mise-en, Bearthoven, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, and cellist Amanda Gookin.

Closer to home, past collaborators include Crash Ensemble, the National Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir Ireland, and Lina Andonovska.

Her work has been featured at the Venice Art Biennale, New Music Dublin, Music Current, Dublin Fringe Festival, Open Ear, Galway International Arts Festival and Cork Midsummer Festival.

Declan Synnott

Declan Synnott makes music based around electronics and noise; focused on textures of sound and slow moving structures.

Description supplied by the event organiser.