UCD student wins at all-Ireland Feis Ceoil
Posted March 22nd, 2016
- Seán Hanratty wins in Tenor Solo category
- James Joyce, a UCD alumnus, won a bronze medal in the same category in 1904
Final year English and Drama student Seán Hanratty has won the Tenor Solo competition at the 120th edition of the (opens in a new window)Feis Ceoil in the Royal Dublin Society.
He sang two pieces, My Lovely Celia by George Munro and The Spanish Lady.
Hanratty is a member of the UCD Musical Society. He has completed a number of performances with the society, including as Max Bialystock in The Producers.
In 2014, he was a lead character in the Belfast School of Performing Arts’ production of Miss Saigon at the Metropolitan Arts Centre.
The Feis Ceoil Association was founded in 1896 to promote excellence in the learning and performance of music.
James Joyce won a bronze medal in the Tenor Solo category on May 16th, 1904. He was persuaded to enter the competition by celebrated Irish tenor John McCormack, who had won the previous year.
Joyce sang two pieces, No Chastening from Arthur O'Sullivan's oratorio The Prodigal Son and A Long Farewell by Scottish composer Alfred Edward Moffat.
His entrance into the competition came two years after his graduation from University College Dublin in 1902. Joyce completed his BA in English, French and Italian.
Previous performers at the Feis Ceoil include Finghin Collins, Margaret Burke Sheridan, Bernadette Greevy, Suzanne Murphy, Hugh Tinney, Philip Martin, Cara O'Sullivan and Cora Venus Lunny.
This year's Feis Ceoil took place from March 5th - 18th at the Royal Dublin Society. Over 5,000 participants competed in more than 180 competitions.
By: Jonny Baxter, digital journalist, UCD University Relations.
