The European premiere of Mayo-born composer Patrick Cassidy’s ‘Famine Remembrance’ will take place at a special celebration to commemorate the centenary of St Colman’s Church in Claremorris on April 13. Now living in North America, Cassidy is widely known for his musical scores for many Hollywood movies, including Hannibal, Veronica Guerin, Kingdom of Heaven, Che Guevara, King Arthur, Layer Cake and most recently The Tree of Life starring Brad Pitt.
The aria Cassidy wrote for Hannibal, ‘Vide Cor Meum’, is the only piece by a living composer on Warner Classics 2006 compilation 40 Most Beautiful Arias. In 2011 Cassidy recorded a new setting of the Latin Mass with the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices.
This is the first occasion that his musical masterpiece ‘Famine Remembrance’ has been performed outside the United States. It was staged at a number of big venues across the US and was attended by former President Mary McAleese at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and narrated by actress Anjelica Huston.
Patrick Cassidy will be coming back home to Claremorris on Friday April 13 for the performance and will be accompanied by the RTE Concert Orchestra and the Galway-based Tribal Chamber Choir.
