Seán Doherty [b. 1987]
String Quartet No.3 ‘The Devil's Dream’ [2015]
Commissioned by the Vanbrugh Quartet with funds provided by the Arts Council. Performed here by the Vanbrugh Quartet (June 2017). Toured by the Sonoro Quartet November 2023.
I was introduced to music through the fiddle tradition of my native Donegal. The tradition is distinctive in Ireland: not like the languid lilt of the Clare style nor the light patter of the Galway style, the Donegal style looks outwards, across the sea, for its closest kin — to Scotland and to Nova Scotia. Aggressive, driving, and un-ornamented, the tunes are as stark as the bogland, the bowing as jagged as the cliffs. A leading of exponent of this tradition was my teacher, the fiddle player James Byrne and this string quartet is loosely based on two tunes that I learned from his playing: An Londubh and The Devil’s Dream.
James died on his walk home from a seisiún in the early hours of 8 November 2008 near his home in Mín na Croise. This piece imagines this walk. Half-remembered fragments of the slow air, An Londubh, slowly coalesce until its full form is reached, into which the reel, The Devil’s Dream, intrudes as a danse macabre that demolishes the air. The air comes, screaming, back, only to be subsumed by the reel once more. After a quotation of the plainchant Dies irae, the reel itself disintegrates. From the ashes of the Devil’s Dream, the air emerges in its final, transfigured, form.
This piece is written in memory of James Byrne [1946–2008] and for his partner Connie, and their daughters, Séana, Aisling, and Merle. Seán Doherty
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Seán Doherty is an award-winning composer from Ireland whose captivating compositions are fast becoming a favourite of choirs worldwide. His music has a deep connection to the text, often with strong moral and social themes. Seán’s work has been described as ‘unfailingly gripping’ (Irish Times) and music of ‘power, subtlety and richness’ (Josep Vila i Casañas: World Youth Choir).
When young he was first introduced to music through the Irish fiddle tradition of his hometown of Derry. As a teenager, singing in a performance of Duruflé’s Requiem inspired him to begin composing. He went on to read music at St John’s College, Cambridge, after which he completed a PhD in musicology at Trinity College, Dublin. Seán compositions draw inspiration from a wide variety of musical influences, from arcane medieval techniques to electronic dance music.
Seán’s choral works have been performed by choirs including the Stellenbosch University Choir, the National Youth Choir of Scotland, Ex Cathedra, the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge; New Dublin Voices and the World Youth Choir. His music has also garnered numerous awards including the Choir and Organ Magazine composition competition and Béla Bartok Competition, Hungary.
Seán’s chamber and orchestral works have been performed by the Vanbrugh String Quartet, Barry Douglas and Camerata Ireland, the Kensington Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra, Ireland.
Seán is an assistant professor of music in Dublin City University, where he leads a Masters in Choral Studies with his colleague Dr Róisín Blunnie. He is active as a choral singer, singing with the internationally acclaimed chamber choir New Dublin Voices, conducted by Dr Bernie Sherlock, who have premiered many of his works. His choral works are published by Cailíno Music Publishers.