Upon the rose

Work for SATB + divisi a cappella by Solfa Carlile, text by Joseph Mary Plunkett

Solfa Carlile is a composer of classical and theatre music, originally from Cork. Solfa was a recipient of the Bill Whelan Bursary, graduating from the Royal College of Music. In 2010 Solfa received the NCH Jerome Hynes Young Composers’ Award. From  2012-2014 Solfa was composer-in-residence for the Covent Garden Sinfonia. Solfa received the Sean O Riada Prize in 2013. Solfa’s cantata ‘The Life of St Cuthbert’ was premiered at the 2019 Durham Vocal Festival. Solfa was the featured composer for the 2019 Spotlight Chamber Music series at Triskel Arts Centre. In 2022, Solfa collaborated on The Sequenza Project with flautist Eilis O’Sullivan, composing a new work, ‘Sonanotine’, to complement Luciano Berio’s Sequenza series. Also a theatre composer, Solfa’s folk musical-in-progress, ‘Setanta the Brave’ was workshopped in London in 2021 and 2022. Solfa was awarded a doctorate (DPhil) in music from the University of Oxford, culminating in the composition of a chamber opera, ‘The Exile’ based on James Joyce. Recent commissions include ‘Storybook Land’ for Soprano, Trumpet and Piano  commissioned by Music Network in Ireland and ‘Natus Est’, commissioned by Richard Moore, Sub Organist at Christchurch Cathedral, to be premiered in December 2023. Solfa’s work is featured in the 2023 Dublin New Music Festival and Music Network’s 2023 touring programme. 
Upon the Rose was created on May 3, 2013 by The Irish Chamber Orchestra, it won the 1st prize in Cork International Choral Festival, Ireland. Listen to the performance HERE.