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National Concert Hall Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2020
series, with artists performing live on the stage of the NCH, albeit to an empty hall. The events reflected the range of our ‘normal’ programme by including mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught (with Dearbhla Collins, piano), Bellx1’s front man Paul Noonan; a solo Concert with Lisa O’Neill and a recital by pianist Barry Douglas. In June we hosted a special concert by Chamber Choir Ireland to remember those who had lost their lives to Covid-19. Following the success of these events, with the assistance of special funding from the Department, the NCH installed the necessary video infrastructure to allow live streaming and recording for broadcast on ongoing basis. In tandem, the NCH developed an extensive programme aimed at supporting and promoting Irish musicians and music making at a time of unprecedented crisis. This enabled the Hall to act as a ‘virtual’ national music hub and to continue to provide our audiences with unique live online experiences. Through our Learning & Participation programme we also continued to engage with, and connect to, people at home, in the community and in healthcare settings, focusing on the transformative power of music at a time of personal trauma for many. A significant expansion of our online programme from September ranged from Irish traditional music (Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh and Cormac Begley; Tradition Now Marathon) to contemporary young artists such as Denise Chaila and from a commercial pay for view strand that included major Irish artists such as Christy Moore and Paul Brady to a new work by composer Jennifer Walsh. An innovative and collaborative classical music series included the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Chamber Choir Ireland and Irish National Opera and in December a special Beethoven celebration featured his late quartets and other chamber music as well as a recital by pianist John O’Conor. Our extensive Learning & Participation activity also switched to online, successfully delivering a wide-ranging and impactful programme that included Online Tea Dance Tunes (dementia-friendly concerts); online masterclasses (including the 2nd NCH International Master Course in August); specially-curated music courses and events for children and even some in -person visits to the National Rehabilitation Hospital and to a number of centres in the Music in Children’s Hospitals programme when restrictions allowed. The award-winning Female Conductor Programme sponsored by Grant Thornton also transitioned highly effectively to online As already mentioned, all full-time NCH staff who could work from home were set-up to do so and this continued to be the case for the remainder of the year. A Covid 19 support team was established to ensure full compliance with all Government guidelines, including for those who were required to work on site. This included, at various times when restrictions allowed, the members of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra who continued to perform for their radio and online audience, albeit to an empty Hall and with reduced numbers. The RTÉNSO broadcasts and livestreams from September to December were unquestionably one of the cultural highlights of the year, offering a weekly beacon of hope for the music community in very dark times. Following the decision on principle made in 2019, in October the Minister for Finance announced in Budget 2021 that an allocation of €8 million had been made to enable the transition of the National Symphony Orchestra from RTÉ to the remit of the National Concert Hall. It is hoped that this process will be completed by mid-2021, subject to all the necessary and complex financial, management, personnel and artistic arrangements being in place for both the orchestra and the NCH. During the summer, permitted by the ongoing closure to the publc, the Office of Public Works (‘OPW’) undertook considerable additional survey and investigative works relating to the NCH redevelopment plans. Following approval by the Minister of the Preliminary Business Case for this major capital project a full-scale Business Case was commissioned, to be completed early in 2021. This will include detailed architectural and design work by the OPW as well as an economic appraisal and a demand analysis, as required by the National Public Spending Code. Working in partnership with OPW and Department
