Be All Merry The Choral Scholars of University College Dublin, Irish Chamber Orchestra & Desmond Earley

• Matthew Culloton (b. 1976):
• 1 In Dulci Jubilo 03:34
• Eoghan Desmond (b. 1989):
• 2 Be All Merry 03:20
• 3 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen 01:54
• Elaine Agnew (b. 1967):
• 4 Curoo Curoo 03:15
• Tim Stephens:
• 5 The Adoration of the Magi 05:53
• Fionntán Ó Cearbhaill:
• 6 Suantraí 02:34
• 7 The Wexford Carol 04:52
• Andrej Makor (b. 1987):
• 8 O Magnum Mysterium 04:33
• Ivo Antognini (b. 1963):
• 9 Christe, Redemptor Omnium 05:24
• Adhamhnán Mac Domhnaill':
• 10 Cró na Nollag 02:37
• Mykola Leontovych (1887 - 1921):
• 11 Carol of the Bells 02:09
• Hugh Martin (1914 - 2011):
• 12 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 02:57
• Linda Kachelmeier (b. 1965):
• 13 We Toast the Days 02:53
• 14 Auld Lang Syne 03:52
• Total Runtime 49:47

Info for Be All Merry

The Choral Scholars is an internationally acclaimed chamber choir of gifted student singers led by founding Artistic Director, Dr. Desmond Earley, based at University College Dublin College of Arts & Humanities. Scholars come from various academic disciplines and commit to an intensive programme of choral study.

Be all Merry is one of three new pieces especially composed for the Choral Scholars. This lively carol for choir, orchestra and violin by Irish composer Eoghan Desmond evokes the joyful play of Christmas in the lines ‘Be all merry in this house/Exultet celum laudibus!’. The recording contains a remarkable setting of the Advent plainsong hymn Christe Redemptor Omnium for tenor solo, chorus, violin and violoncello by Ivo Antognini, crafted for Choral Scholars with the kind support of the Swiss Embassy in Dublin. The Adoration of the Magi by American composer Timothy Stephens is a breathtaking setting of W. B. Yeats’ poetry. A beautiful Irish-language lullaby – Cró na Nollag – set by father and son, Adhamhnán and Uinseann Mac Domhnaill, and the much-loved Scottish tune simply titled Suantraí, are also included. The Irish Chamber Orchestra are also featured on a number of tracks including The Wexford Carol and Carol of the Bells. The choir closes the album with the song most associated with friendship, hope and the promise of a new year, Auld Lang Syne.

The post-production phase of this recording project took place as the world grappled with the outbreak of COVID-19. American composer Linda Kachelmeier’s piece – We Toast the Days – serves as a reminder of the strength, love and hope that resonates throughout the world not simply at Christmastide but also during periods of hardship.

UCD Choral Scholars
The Irish Chamber Orchestra
Desmond Earley, conductor

Desmond Earley
Hailed by The Irish Times as ‘enterprising and wide-ranging’, Desmond Earley, Artistic Director of the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin, has established a reputation as one of Ireland's foremost choral directors and early-keyboard specialists.

Desmond is a lecturer in Performance Studies at University College Dublin (UCD) and serves as rotating Artistic Director of the UCD Ad Astra Academy. In 2017-2018 he was Visiting Scholar at Lewis & Clark College, Oregon (USA) and Guest Conductor/Scholar at Bowdoin College, Maine (USA).

As a concert instrumentalist and director, Desmond works with many of the world's finest orchestras including the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Irish Baroque Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra and English Chamber Orchestra. Desmond has also collaborated with some of the world's great musicians including Sir James Galway, Roy Goodman, Christopher Hogwood, Monica Huggett, and Konrad Junghaenel.

​ As a celebrated composer and arranger, Desmond has published works with Music Sales (UK), Hal Leonard Corporation (USA), Alliance Music (USA) and with Seolta Music (IRL) where he serves as editor of the international ‘College Choral Series’.

His acclaimed work Body of the Moon (2017) based on a setting of texts by Galileo Galilei, was commissioned by All Classical Portland Radio (USA) for the total solar eclipse across the United States of America. He has created special arrangements for renowned ensembles including the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Portland Symphony Orchestra (Maine, USA), Tenebrae (UK), and the Irish Baroque Orchestra.

Booklet for Be All Merry