At ECCA2023: World première of the choral work We Catch Our Breath by Norah Constance Walsh

Closing ceremony, Wednesday 21st June, 2023.
Location: Dublin Castle Printworks

We Catch Our Breath is an original choral work specially commissioned for the occasion of ECCA 2023. In this piece the composer, Norah Constance Walsh, captures some of the principal themes of the event and communicates them through song in what is a celebration of our world, its beauty and its fragility and a call to action for its protection.

The two texts used are the very evocative poem At Three Castles Head We Catch Our Breath by Moya Cannon and inspiring lines from Mary Robinson’s 2022 Keynote Speech ‘The Challenge of the Climate Crisis’. Lyrical lines reflect on elements as diverse as the ancient formation of our planet, the beauty of single individual flowers and humanity’s recent presence here, whilst punctuating declamatory exclamations inspire us all to take action in the face of climate change challenges.

The work will be performed by Mellow Tonics, a Dublin-based choir with a strong reputation in collaborations across the arts and sciences. The choir will  acknowledge the seriousness of the issues facing us, whilst also setting a tone of hope in the celebration of our natural world. This performance will inspire and lift the audience through the musical expression of our shared aspirations – don’t miss it!

Read more about ECCA2023 conference programme here

Read more about Mellow Tonics choir here

Photo credit: Laurence Gill