Dundalk will once again play host to a weekend of bold and brilliant sound this June, as the Louth Contemporary Music Society (LCMS) brings its much-anticipated annual festival back to town — this year under the evocative title Echoes.

Taking place on 13–14 June, the festival promises an adventurous programme of contemporary music from some of the most exciting names on the international stage. And if early ticket sales are anything to go by, audiences are ready for it. Two of this year’s most talked-about events — Moon on the Sea and a live reinterpretation of The Marble Index — have already sold out, but there’s still time to grab tickets for the remaining performances.

The weekend opens on Friday 13 June at An Táin Arts Centre with The Cold Trip Part 1 — a haunting reimagining of Schubert’s Winterreise by Austrian composer Bernhard Lang, performed by the Aleph Guitar Quartet and vocalist Daisy Press.

On Saturday 14 June, audiences can still experience two standout concerts, both taking place at St Nicholas’ Church of Ireland:

  • At 1pm, pianist Daan Vandewalle brings Berhard Lang’s radical take on Chopin’s Études to life, using repetition and variation to thrilling effect.
  • At 8pm, Chamber Choir Ireland, led by Nils Schweckendiek, closes the festival with Songs of the Soul, featuring a world premiere by Canadian composer Sarah Davachi alongside works by renowned Irish composer Kevin Volans.

Founded in 2006 by Eamonn Quinn and Gemma Murray, LCMS has gained international acclaim for its daring programming and has welcomed major contemporary composers such as Philip Glass, Kaija Saariaho, and Arvo Pärt to Louth. Quinn, winner of the 2018 Belmont Prize for Contemporary Music, describes this year’s theme as an exploration of how repetition “can be both hypnotic and unsettling.”

Whether you’re a contemporary music devotee or simply curious about something new, Echoes promises a weekend of unforgettable performances in the heart of Dundalk.

For tickets and full programme details, visit www.louthcms.org

Echoes is funded by the Arts Council and supported by Louth County Council, RTÉ Supporting the Arts, the Goethe-Institut, and the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.