A blue plaque is to be unveiled in honour of Derry man Redmond Friel who has been hailed as “one of the most prolific and gifted” composers in the North of Ireland of the 20th century.
Musician Nuala McAllister Hart described Friel as an outstanding church musician, choral conductor and inspired arranger of Irish traditional melodies.
Friel’s interest and love of Irish music spanned over 65 years.
He passed away in 1979 aged 72.
A commemorative Ulster History Circle plaque will be unveiled in front of a small number of invited guests at Chapel Road Primary School where he was educated as a boy and returned to teach and became principal.
Guests will include the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane Graham Warke, musician Phil Coulter, who was a pupil of Mr Friel’s, and members of the Friel family.
Chris Spurr, chairman of the Ulster History Circle, said: “Redmond Friel was an outstanding composer and arranger who shared his love of music with many pupils over the years.
“The Ulster History Circle is delighted to commemorate this distinguished musician with a blue plaque at the school where he achieved a unique triplet as pupil, teacher and principal.
“The Circle would like to thank Chapel Road Primary School for their assistance and Derry City and Strabane District Council for their financial support towards the plaque.”
Born in February 1907 in Duke Street, Waterside, to parents Michael Friel and Sarah Donaghey, he was introduced to Irish traditional music at a very early age.
By the time Redmond had reached his teens, he could play the piano, cello, organ, clarinet and was a member of Waterside Brass and Reed Youth Band.
He showed great promise as a composer and won several prizes for his compositions as a young man. To further his talents, Redmond was privately tutored in Belfast by composer, Norman Hay, a lecturer at Queen’s University.
Choosing a career in education, he left Ireland to travel to London. He gained a teacher’s diploma with credits in music and maths, but decided to return to his native town where he was appointed assistant teacher at the school where he had once been a pupil.
His 44-year association with Chapel Road Primary School saw him appointed as principal in 1960 until his final retirement in June, 1972
He also was a part-time teacher of music at St Columb’s College in Derry. Among his pupils were composer Kevin O’Connell, songwriter Paul Brady, former RTE head of music Cathal McCabe and Sean Doran, former director of the English National Opera.
His major orchestral pieces include Symphonic Movement’ (1949) and a ballet and concert suite on The Children of Lir, written for the Cork Ballet Festival in 1950.
In 1968, he composed the music for the film Two Hours from London, a travelogue about Derry produced by Terence McDonald and John Hume.
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