Composer Bill Whelan's name may be synonymous with Riverdance, the seven-minute composition that went on, as a full-length production, to take over the world of musical theatre, but his wide ranging career has seen him play as a member of famed Irish group Planxty, produce artists ranging from U2 and Kate Bush to Patrick Street, and compose award-winning theatrical, film, and television scores, as well as many highly acclaimed orchestral works. The Connemara Suite, performed by the Irish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by David Jones, features Zoe Conway (solo fiddle), Morgan Crowley (vocal and lilting), Colin Dunne (dance percussion), Fionnuala Hunt (solo violin), and Michelle Mulcahy (harp) met Whelan's personal challenge to "write for traditional musicians within the framework of a chamber orchestra." The result is neither strictly traditional nor strictly classical, yet uniquely blends the best of both.
