'Come Away to the Skies: A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass' in Dublin, 27-9 Dec. 2013

A reminder that Dr Tim Sharp, a highly regarded executive director of the American Choral Directors Association who is also a banjo-picker, is bringing his choral composition 'Come Away to the Skies: A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass' to Dublin at the end of Christmas week.

Dr Sharp, who is also artistic director of the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus of Oklahoma, is known for generating performances of 'stunning power' and 'great passion and precision'. In 'Come Away to the Skies' the movements of the Ordinary of the Mass are set to bluegrass music with Southern Harmony tunes. This work has, in the past, been recorded and performed with some of Nashville's finest pickers.

'Come Away to the Skies' will be rehearsed in Christ Church cathedral on Friday 27 December from 3.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., with the cathedral open to the public. Two sets (1.00-1.30 p.m. and 2.00-2.30 p.m.) will be performed in the Guinness Storehouse on Saturday 28 December; and there will be a performance in Taney Church of Ireland church, Dundrum, at 11.00 a.m. on Sunday 29 December. The instrumental work (apart from banjo) will be provided by musicians from the Dublin bluegrass scene: Hugh Taggart (guitar), John Denby (mandolin), Niall Hughes (bass), Luke Coffey (brush drums), and Paul Kelly (fiddle).

A foretaste of the music in this unique and historic event is in the YouTube links given on the BIB for 5 December. The following comments were added to this post by Dr Sharp and his team, and are greatly appreciated.

Tim Sharp: Looking forward to singing and playing in Dublin. Hope to meet new friends to start the New Year!
Anastasia Howard: So excited to sing the Mass in Dublin!!
James Finley: Great fun to perform. Don't miss it.
Mark Woeppel: Love this piece!
Kendall Carpenter: What could be better than singing 'Come Away to the Skies' in Dublin, Ireland? Hope to see you at one of the performances!