N5 By-Pass Public Art Commission
Deadline: May 4, 2012, 5:00 pm
N5 By-Pass Public Art Commission
Longford County Council wishes to commission a public art sculptural feature as part of the N5 By-pass capital project.
The theme of the piece will be a celebration of Longford’s rich musical heritage. County Longford has, for centuries enjoyed a vibrant, though low-key traditional music sector producing some of the best musicians through successive generations.
Longford’s abiding contribution to Irish folk music was made by the internationally renowned writer Padraig Colum who wrote the ever popular ballad: She Moves Through The Fair.
In the 1960s-70s, Longford music achieved national prominence with the emergence of the Show Band era. For a small county, Longford produced a disproportionately large number of professional Show Bands and Show Band musicians touring Ireland and indeed around the world. Granard born, Larry Cunningham became the first Irish singer since Count John McCormack to sing to an audience of thousands of fans in Carnegie Hall.
Longford has always enjoyed a rich choral tradition and apart from dozens of local parish choirs the county supports four large choirs the Longford County Choir, the Longford County Children’s Choir, the Longford Cathedral Choir and The Innyside Singers in Ballymahon.
The future of music in Longford would seem to be very promising indeed if the number of local children taking music and singing lessons are any indication. At the moment there are several hundred young people throughout the county learning to play every kind of instrument from jazz guitar to traditional Uillean pipes.
Deadline: Completed submissions should be delivered to the Reception at Longford County Council, Great Water Street, Longford no later than 5.00pm Friday May 4th 2012.
