A I L Í S N Í R Í A I N

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S I T E - S P E C I F I C M U S I CI N S T A L L A T I O N S

Ailís Ní Ríain is a contemporary classical composerand writer for performance who composes workfor stage, video-art and cross-over installationpieces.

In addition, she creates site-specific music-installations for historic and culturally relevantsites. Her aim is to challenge, provoke and engage.

She has received particular attention for her site-specific music and sound installations includingnational press attention on BBC Radio 4 The TodayProgramme, Channel 4' Big Art Mob, BBC Radio 4Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 3 The Verb and RTELyric FM.

She is represented by the Contemporary MusicCentre of Ireland and presently lives in a smallPennine town in Northern England.

INTONE Commissioned by The International Durham BrassFestival in 2013. INTONE was a collaboration withvisual artist Nicola Dale. INTONE was an installationwork combining visual art, digital music and poetrymade specifically for an empty shop unit in Durham'sPrince Bishop's Retail Centre in Central Durham.

The co-principal trumpet of the Liverpool PhilharmonicOrchestra, Brendan Ball, performed the newlycomposed score which formed the basis of the digitalsound-work played throughout the showings in thespace.

INTONE was re-mounted in Todmorden, WestYorkshire at Platform One Gallery in 2015.

“Loved this installation, powerful and evocative.”

“Peaceful, gave great context to the Bishops'portraits...music is atmospheric-spooky at times.”

“A fascinating reflection on man's self-importance. Mademe think about the truth in this.”

“Theme for this site is appropriate and reflects ourcultural heritage very well.”

TAKENA 2012 outdoor sound installation for 12 local hummingvoices and classical harp at Clitheroe Museum Castle 'keep'depicting through music the last weeks of the PendleWitches as they were held captive awaiting trial. Producedin honour of the 400th anniversary of the Pendle WitchTrials.

Commissioned for Contemporary Heritage Programme byMid Pennine Arts, East Lancashire, UK. TAKEN was featuredon BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour and ran for one year, June2011-June 2012. Supported by Arts Council England, EnglishHeritage, Pendle Borough Council and Lancashire Museums.

“It is a haunting piece…what an interesting way ofinterpreting the place, the landscape and historic episode, atragic one in Lancashire’s past.”

“Wonderful, thoughtful.”

“A spectacular piece, very evocative and moving.

“Atmospheric, spectacular views-evoking bygone ages.”

“Eerie, like ghosts singing.”

Boy You Turn MeCommissioned by the 2011 Birmingham Book Festival.Boy You Turn Me was a site-specific work by writer DavidGaffney & composer Ailís Ní Ríain which explored theinner and outer narrative of two co-workers in thesetting of an old shop 'The Natural World' in thePavilions Shopping Centre, Birmingham.

Visitor's experience a dual space which comprised twoversions of the narrative, the inner and outer thoughts ofthe shop workers through music and words.

6-16th October 2011, Birmingham Book Festival. Supported by Birmingham Book Festival and the PRSFoundation for Music.

“Introverted and intense- a sympathetic and subtlesoundtrack. Outside the ‘tower’, and sometimes bleeding inover the top of it, the second layer of story and score ismuch more challenging and confrontational, withdiscordant, slightly uncomfortable, overtones.”

– Review, The Creative Times

A new music and paper sculpture installationcommissioned specifically for the old accumulatortower at METAL, Edge Hill Rail Station, Liverpool aspart of the Liverpool Biennial, 2010.

DOWN comprises 12,000 hand-cut feathers madefrom Ordnance Survey maps of Britain from the1970s combined with a new composition for Aeolianharps, birds and guitar.

A collaboration with Manchester visual artist NicolaDale. Supported by METAL, Arts Council England,Liverpool Biennial and Merseyrail. DOWN was re-mounted for The Open West in 2011.

“A mature piece which truly deserves the title ‘Best ofBritish’.”

“One of the most thought provoking pieces I’ve seen ina while”.

“Very intricate, poetic and beautiful.”

“Exquisite interpretation of journeys, paths and loss”

DOWN

Lighthouse LullabyA 2010 sound-installation for Maryport Lighthouse, WestCoast, Cumbria comprising soprano, guitar, vibraphone,Aeolian harp and electronics commissioned by FOLDGallery and supported by the PRS Foundation for Musicand Arts Council England.

Lighthouse Lullaby attracted wide publicity includingThe Today Programme Radio 4, Channel 4 Big Art Moband BBC Radio Cumbria bringing hundreds of visitors tothis isolated seaside town.

Supported by the PRS Foundation for Music, Arts CouncilEngland and Allerdale Council.

“An elegiac electroacoustic composition featuring mezzo-soprano, guitar and vibraphone to create a song of longingfor a beautiful old lighthouse.

The lighthouse was opened to the public for the first timein 75 years. Maryport Lighthouse is the oldest cast-ironlighthouse in the UK.”

StonesCommissioned by Horse and Bamboo and EnglishHeritage in 2009 to remember and acknowledgethe quarrying history of Rossendale in EastLancashire, northern England.

Horse + Bamboo Theatre was founded in 1978. TheCompany is based in Rossendale, Lancashire, UKand tours nationally and internationally.

Stones was a choral piece specially composed andperformed by the Rossendale Male Voice Choir toaccompany an additional visual arts exhibitionValley of Stone: An Artists' Celebration of theRossendale Quarrying Heritage.

Commissioned by Horse and Bamboo TheatreCompany.

Supported by Arts Council England, Horse andBamboo Theatre Company, Pennine Groundworkand English Heritage.

StreetSongCommissioned by the Contemporary Music Centre ofIreland to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Streetsong won1st Prize at the 2007 ISCM* World New Music Days ShortCuts Competition in Stuttgart. It was presented as anoutdoor sound installation for Temple Bar in 'OldDublin'.

It has since been broadcast on RTE Lyric FM Irishnational radio, in festivals in Germany, UK, Switzerlandand Serbia and on German national radio.

StreetSong was selected to represent Ireland at MIDEM2009 and was released on CD in 2011.

“Captivating with its icon-like sounds and musical form…Simplicity and intensity are married in a congenial way.”

-Jury citation on StreetSong from ICSM World Music Days‘Short Cuts’,Winner 1st Prize, 2006

Missing PersonsA 2008 physical, photographic and sound installationwork specially commissioned for Wellington Mill in theAncoats area of Manchester. Texts, music andphotographs by Ailís Ní Ríain.

The work combined poetry, music and photographs toreflect on the lives of the textile workers who onceworked in the mill.

Accompanied within a parallel exhibition, it combinescello, mice sounds, piano and electronics with the spokenwords of three people dying of cancer contemplating thatthey will soon become 'missing persons'.

With photographs by Ailís Ní Ríain of derelict, boarded-up terraced houses in Langworthy, Salford, prior todemolition.

Supported by Arts Council England.

© All content Ailís Ní Ríain 2015

www.ailis.infoEmail: mail@ailis.info

Skype: ailisniriainTel: 0044 (0) 7968 033137