Just a note to let you know that my song ‘You Broke The Magic’ from ‘13 songs’ (in an abridged version) is featured in the RTE TV drama ‘Little White Lie’. The drama is viewable on the RTE website http://www.rte.ie/tv/littlewhitelie/score.html The other song from ‘13 songs’ that was featured on TV was ‘You Bring Me Down’ which was featured on ‘Match of the Day’ on BBC 1 last year.
x Julie
1 comment August 5th, 2008
Hello there!
Just a brief update on how I’m getting on.
I finally finished all of the orchestrations and got to the recording day in one piece. I conducted the orchestra over two sessions at the Irish Chamber Orchestra Studio in Limerick, and we got everything recorded. The players were just fantastic, not only in their excellent playing but in their lovely warmth and enthusiasm. I don’t think it could have been a nicer session. I am so very grateful for their fantastic talent.
It was a very small recording team just like I had on the first album and it felt so intimate. I was honoured and delighted to have Ger McDonnell again as engineer (who was engineer on my first album) and also Edel Griffith who Assistant-engineered (as she also did on my first album). The wonderful Graeme Stuart was my score reader on the day and Gerry Keenan booked all of the players and generally made everyone feel fabulous (as usual! .. x).
So now I’m at the mixing stage and the album will be completed by the end of August. I’ll keep you posted on progress then!
x Julie
Add comment August 1st, 2008
Hey there,
I hope you are all very well. I’m working away on the new album and a million miles further on than when I last wrote here. I’m really excited about the new material and hope to have it fully recorded Summertime.
In the meantime you might like to check this out
http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2008/03/18/musical-rooms-part-18-julie-feeney/
Have a great weekend!
x Julie
Add comment March 29th, 2008
Hello there
Just to let you know that there is an hour long podcast feature on my music on RTE Radio 1 on http://www.rte.ie/radio1/mytunes/1172890.html
Apart from that I’m working away on Album 2 which will be out next year.
Have a great Christmas!
x Julie
2 comments December 21st, 2007
I’m still spending all of my time these days in my own world composing music and I’m still loving it! Sorry I haven’t been able to write in a while. I was delighted with the premiere of my composition for the Crash Ensemble which was called ‘Sleeping’. I scored it for viola, cello, alto flute, clarinet, trombone, percussion and vibraphone and it was conducted by Alan Pierson. I performed live video visuals to accompany the piece. It was just my face being asleep. It felt so strange not to be singing but I didn’t want to on this one. I had recently become fascinated by the sounds, the grimaces, the expressions and the facial tremors that sleeping people make. At the same time, while collaborating with a Japanese Botuh dancer on a recent production ‘Slat’ at the Galway Arts Festival, I became addicted to very slow body movements. I wanted my piece of music to be accompanied by a live video projection of my face ‘being asleep’. I wanted the ‘face’ to be live also, rather than prerecording it, and I’m really glad I bit the bullet and did it. I actually nearly decided not to do it the day before. But you’ve got to try things out or you’ll never know!
The Crash Ensemble were brilliant and I’m very honoured to have worked with them again. Last November they premiered my piece ‘The Tail Is Wagging the Dog’ in Dublin. Their festival, ‘Shindig’, this time lasted the whole weekend and I was blown away by the high standard of pieces on the programme. It was truly an aural stimulation ‘fest’. What a weekend!
It was a real blast to conduct the string section from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in Liverpool. Moya and the band were fantastic too, very tight. After spending so much time orchestrating her songs, it felt strange to be conducting the notes that I had written over so many weeks. I couldn’t believe they were finally being played. I was extremely impressed also with the standard of playing from the string players. Seriously excellent.
That’s all for now, I really must get back to composing. I’ve made mucho progress since I last blogged and I really hope to continue that way. Till soon!
Add comment November 20th, 2007
Hello there!
I’m spending all of my time these days in my own world composing music and I’m loving it. It’s a wonderful to be able to spend all of my time doing that. On the 12th my composition for the Crash Ensemble will be premiered and it’s called ‘Sleeping’. It’s scored for viola, cello, alto flute, clarinet, trombone, percussion and vibraphone. They’re a brilliant ensemble and I’m very honoured to be working with them again. Last November they premiered my piece ‘The Tail Is Wagging the Dog’ in Dublin. I won’t be singing this time but I will be performing some performance art which will be on a live video projection as part of the performance.
I have now got most of the material for my next album together and I’m looking forward very much to recording it over the next few months.Since I composed the song cycle version of ‘13 songs’ for the Ulster Orchestra last May, my ears have really opened up to many new combinations of sounds. I’ve been exploring lots also with my voice.
Recently I finished orchestrating 9 songs for Moya Brennan and the strings of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra which I’ll be conducting in concert at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on the 21st in Liverpool.
That’s all for now!
2 comments October 4th, 2007
It was brilliant to perform at this festival, not to mention that Italy is definitely one of my favourite countries in the world! The crowd were just lovely and actually danced ad sang along to my music. I was very taken aback given that my album isn’t even released there. The festival was so different to Irish or English festivals. I don’t think I saw one drunk person!
Add comment July 28th, 2007
It was such a blast to work on ‘Slat’ at the Galway Arts Festival. I worked with Japanese Butoh dancer Maki, choreographer Ghohei, musicians Robbie and Rebecca, artist Alice Maher, lighting designer Paul Keogan and composer/deviser Trevor Knight. I think it’s fair to say that the Irish contingent learned hugely from the Japanese! Their talent was incredible not to mention their work ethic, and it was so inspiring to work with them.
I felt something very special that I hadn’t felt before in my part of the performance. I really want to explore performance art much more after doing that. ‘Performance art’ is such a vague term so I think I’ll just discover it and see where it leads me!
Add comment July 25th, 2007
It’s been really lovely playing some Irish dates. Recently I’ve played the Spiegeltent in Cork, Wexford, Kinsale and Drogheda. I think though now I feel that I need to get immersed in writing again, very much so.Â
Add comment July 15th, 2007
I cannot say in words what an incredible experience it was to stand in front of the Ulster Orchestra and perform my own song cycle for 2000 people. It was one of the most spectacular and significant experiences of my life.
I know I nearly exhausted myself to within my last breath orchestrating my own song cycle, but the exhilaration I felt up on the Waterfront stage was worth every second. On the first song I felt very emotional. It was so surreal hearing a 65 piece orchestra behind me playing all of the notes I had written. Boy. Belfast is just brilliant. Thank you Belfast!
1 comment May 6th, 2007