The 'Diversus Guitar Ensemble' is a large collaboration of guitarists from around the world. The ensemble's primary goal is to deliver quality performances of good music. It's members are hungry to play untried repertoire and they encourage composers to write for this evolving musical genre. They only perform their own arrangements, but feel that the best way forward is to perform music especially composed for this idiom.
The group began as a student venture by Brendan Walsh in 2003, and was formerly known as the Maynooth Guitar Orchestra. Its rapid development has seen the group feature on local and national radio and in Ireland's top concert venues. Additionally, the group has been invited to play at several different European music events, including the Festival for Plucked Instruments in Offenburg, Germany, in 2010. The six-string classical guitar is the primary instrument of the group, but the contra-bass guitar, the soprano guitar, and the steel string acoustic guitar are incorporated for some works.
The group is known for diversity in its choice of programme. It doesn’t aim to please by piecing together different styles; instead it attempts untried arrangements and compositions. This unique ethos has seen the group perform complete arrangements of symphonies by Haydn and Mozart; new compositions by Victor Lazzarini, David Stalling, Martin O’Leary and John Wolf Brennan (among others); and even the music of Radiohead and Thin Lizzy.
The group loves to incorporate instruments other than the guitar; this enthusiasm has seen the group perform a flute concerto by Antonio Vivaldi(soloist: Zoe Shannon) a violin concerto composed for the ensemble by Brendan Walsh (soloist: Deborah Landolt) and several arrangements of songs by Bjork, Rodgers and Hart, Neil Young (voice: Georgia Cusack). Furthermore, Brendan Walsh composed a piece entitled ‘Seanachai’ using the ensemble as two independent voices mirroring the function of the violin 1 and 2 sections in a normal orchestra. The ensemble has also played with the Basel Youth Orchestra.
Please feel free to contact the ensemble, we would be delighted to hear from you.
[email protected]..
..
..
