Amanda Coogan, Dublin Theatre of the Deaf and Cork Deaf Community Choir

24 + 25 June, 11.30am & 1pm 
Lecture Theatre, Crawford Art Gallery
Free. Spaces Limited - book here 

A stunning live performance exploring one of the most famous works of classical music through the unique perspective of Deaf culture, this participatory project is presented by Cork Midsummer Festival with support from Crawford Gallery. 

The Cork Deaf Community Choir and artist Amanda Coogan will perform Beethoven’s Ode to Joy in Irish Sign Language alongside Lianne Quigley and Alvean Jones of the Dublin Theatre of the Deaf. Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the European Union’s anthem, has renewed contemporary context as a powerful artistic example of conflict between darkness and light, this performance will be an aural and visual feast.

Beethoven himself was completely deaf when writing this masterpiece - in embodying his music from an Irish Deaf community perspective, the Cork Deaf Choir and the Dublin Theatre of the Deaf bring with them not just a beauty in performance but also an embodiment of the struggle for acceptance and equality. This will be a visually stunning new work of performance art, re-framing the experiences of the oppressed and asking the audience to recognise the resilience in the human spirit.

Accompanying musical performance of Ode to Joy, finale of Symphony No. 9 in D minor by Ludwig van Beethoven, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and the EU50 Choir conducted by David Brophy, with soloists Amy Ní Fhearraigh (soprano), Deniz Uzun (mezzo-soprano), Saimir Pirgu (tenor) and Leon Kosavic (baritone), at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, on 9 May 2023.  Performance commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs for Europe Day 2023 as part of the Ár nAmhrán / Our Anthem EU50 initiative celebrating 50 Years of Ireland's Membership of the European Union.

Supported by the Arts Council and Crawford Art Gallery. Presented as part of Creative Europe funded BEyond PARTicipation project.

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