Clare Arts

In 2018, The Vision Symphony was one of five national projects funded by the Arts Council’s Invitation to Collaborate Scheme, to research and test the potential for supporting visually impaired musicians to learn orchestral material using multimedia platforms (audio and video files).  The Arts Office partnered with Dave Flynn’s Irish Memory Orchestra and 3L in supporting seven musicians with various levels of visual impairments to participate in the research using the IMO’s memorisation technique.

On foot of this research, we secured more funding from the Arts Council that enabled us to put the findings of the research of the IMO and 3L into practice. The Arts Office commissioned Dave Flynn to compose The Vision Symphony.

This major musical composition by Dave Flynn was performed by the Irish Memory Orchestra, joined by visually impaired musicians and the Visionaries Choir, in glór, Ennis, in October 2019.

Vision Symphony guest performers: Visionaries Choir, led by Frank Kelly, Amy Campbell, piper, Chinese flautist Wu Jing. Conducted by Bjorn Bantock with orchestra members such as Jack Talty, piper Mark Redmond, harpist Anne-Marie O’Farrell and guitarist Niwel Tsumbu.

The Vision Symphony was managed by Clare Arts Office in conjunction with the Irish Memory Orchestra and 3L.

The Vision Symphony documentary by Myles O Reilly