The victims of 9/11 will be remembered at a commemorative concert in Dublin marking the 10th anniversary of the US terror attacks.
Ireland will join choirs around the world in the Global Sing For Peace in memory of almost 3,000 people who were killed when hijacked planes were crashed into the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon and rural Pennsylvania.
The Enchiriadis Treis choir will perform with the National Philharmonia Orchestra in The Convention Centre on Sunday September 11 at 4pm as a tribute to the friendship between Ireland and the US.
Gerry Fitzsimons, president of the Malahide-based 120-strong classical choir, said: “The 10th anniversary is about remembering, but also about reflecting on today’s conflicts and challenges and on how expression through music can open our minds to reconciliation and tolerance on all sides, on our own island as well as internationally.”
The Global Sing For Peace was created so musicians around the world can show their support of the 10th anniversary of the co-ordinated suicide attacks by al Qaeda in America.
Conducted by Cathal Clinch, the programme for 9/11 Ireland Remembers includes The Armed Man by composer Karl Jenkins.
Originally commissioned for the millennium year in memory of the victims of the Kosovo conflict, it is extremely powerful, and carries the ultimate message of conflict resolution and hope for the future.
The choir and orchestra will also perform the Chichester Psalms, a haunting and beautiful choral work by Leonard Bernstein.
And poignant and moving spoken reflections will be delivered by invited guests from Irish public life and the arts, including Conor O’Clery, who was an eyewitness to the events in New York.
Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.ie from 20 euro. Proceeds from the event will go to fund the Harmony initiative at The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children based in Dublin’s Temple Bar.
Mr Fitzsimons said: “The choir wanted to bring this powerful music to a wider audience in Ireland by performing it as part of this important anniversary while at the same time promoting music as a medium of expression of positive values among children through The Ark’s exciting initiative, Harmony.”
The project helps children in marginalised communities engage with high-quality musical experiences, to promote social inclusion, diversity and peace-building.
Eina McHugh, director of The Ark, said: “We want to remember those who died in the deeply tragic events of 9/11, but we also want to offer hope for the future by supporting a new generation of children.”