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Symphony No​.​1

by Dermot McIlroy

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1.
1st movement in Am 11:10
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2.
2nd movement in G 07:57
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3.
3rd movement in G 05:40
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4.
4th movement in Em 13:19
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about

Symphony No.1, Opus 2, "Requiem to summer's passing".

Symphony No.1 is a requiem to the end of the warm days and nights of summer, the blooming of summer flowers, the fresh green leaves on the trees before they turn, and also of school life and the friends we may never see again. I was inspired by the journey that took over 25 years to complete by my four children. A school life that they were absorbed in and loved. Friends that they met and said goodbye to and a life they wouldn't ever return to.

I've always find the passing of summer to be a melancholic time anyway, and more so when my youngest and last child left school in the summer of 2022. I thought I would mark this with a serenade, which turned out to be a requiem to summer's passing and the end of an era of school life, and perhaps of our own lives as we approach our autumn years.

It was also written as a tribute to the music department of Belfast Royal Academy where my four children were taught and inspired to play music, something they have continued to be immersed in and have now pursued as careers.

Work started on the symphony after I attended the final school concert that my daughter took part in, at the Ulster Hall in Belfast in 2022. Twenty-five years of school concerts with four children, came to an end. As part of the school year, the music dept. hold a "Summer Serenade" and this was the inspiration behind the title.

If I were to describe this symphony in two words, they would be melancholy romantic. This mood is encapsulated with a minimalist feel. Simple melodies interlaced with counter-melodies. It has been described as Finzi meets Satie, a hint of Vaughan Williams, a splash of Rodrigo and perhaps a nod to Hans Zimmer and Philip Glass, with a peppering of other influences within.


Symphony No.1 is a four movement symphony for orchestra (school orchestra perhaps), with solos for flute, clarinet, French horn, glockenspiel, piano and instruments.

All parts of the symphony are played by myself. It was recorded at Stubborn Arts Studio in Glengormley in the early part of 2022 (with a few amendments since).

I have rewritten or updated all of the movements since 2022, in line with that of many other composers lol, never satisfied. But this version made me cry, so it must be the final version surely.

credits

released September 8, 2022

All instruments played by Dermot McIlroy using keys and plugins.

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Dermot (Dee) McIlroy image

Dermot (Dee) McIlroy Newtownabbey, UK

Dee McIlroy is a multi-genre artist. A member of Clanú, Folkus and others. He has recorded 18 albums and several singles in genres such as Classical, Rock, Electronic, Country and Irish folk/trad. He performs regularly at trad sessions in and around Belfast as well as regular gigs at many of the city's iconic venues.

"I'm not a composer, I'm a music maker. I don't compose music, I create it". ... more

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