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“Christmas by Candlelight Concert” now live for you to enjoy

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“Christmas by Candlelight Concert” now live for you to enjoy

14 December 2020

An introduction to the concert by Patrick Lennon, Chairman of Irish Heritage.
“Like so many in the performing arts Irish Heritage has been unable to present any live events for months, so when we were faced with the prospect of losing our popular Christmas concert, it was time to say ‘enough is enough’, we can’t let that happen so we decided to go virtual.

“Thanks to the enthusiastic support of His Excellency, the Ambassador of Ireland, Mr Adrian O’Neill and his colleagues, we were able to record the concert in the elegant surroundings of the Embassy in London on 7th December.

“The concert features a talented cast five of whom are Irish Heritage bursary recipients – Carolyn Holt, Amy Gillen, Mollie Wrafter, Justine Gormley and Aran O’Grady, the other two performers are Ava Dodd, the 2020 music bursary recipient from our friends at the Royal Dublin Society and Conall O’Neill, who starred in this year’s Wexford Opera Festival Factory.

“This year’s readers are H.E. Ambassador O’Neill and Katie Jemmett, Director of the Ireland Funds Great Britain.

“The concert which was coordinated by Irish Heritage’s Artistic Adviser, Audrey McKenna, presents a programme of popular Irish and classical music that is all about celebrating the spirit of Christmas. We hope that you will enjoy it.

“On behalf of all concerned at Irish Heritage and the Embassy may I wish you a very Happy Christmas. Let us hope that the New Year will see us return to safer times when Irish Heritge and other performing arts organisations can bring you the joy of live music again.”

The 35 minute concert is available on Irish Heritage’s YouTube channel.

Mollie Wrafter, recipient of Irish Heritages 2019/20 Music Bursary for Performance, records her solo contribution for the concert.
Mollie Wrafter, recipient of Irish Heritages 2019/20 Music Bursary for Performance, records her solo contribution for the concert.