Prey's concerts are always dynamic and surprising. Their inspiration is their imagination. They use it to create arrangements and staging, which move between the familiar and the unexpected. They put a new perspective on repertoire and performance.

Prey Trio was formed in 2000 with a view to creating a different type of wind ensemble. Using unusual combinations of instruments, they explore the different timbres they can create.

They play a huge variety of music from medieval to baroque, classical, romantic, contemporary, folk to improvisation and more and always keep an open mind for new ideas. They write and arrange nearly all their own repertoire.

Much of what they play is from memory or improvised, allowing them to process along separate aisles of an old church playing music by candlelight, or play from hidden corners of the room adapting their performance to suit different venues. They sing, they include audience participation; they talk to their audience, telling them about the music, their instruments, themselves. While maintaining a sense of occasion, they make audiences feel welcome and at ease.

Their performances appeal to all types of audience, from the uninitiated and those with a passing interest, to the most passionate and dedicated music lover.

Prey also gives children's concerts introducing them to new music and play their favourite tunes. They include musical games, singing and allow plenty of opportunity for participation.

They are also experienced workshop leaders and give workshops using rhythm, song, percussion, composition, improvisation and exploration of all styles of music from rock to classical. They have been working as individuals with the National Concert Hall in its outreach project since its inception.

Deirdre O'Leary is a freelance clarinetist with a passion for chamber music, contemporary music and creative education work. She graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, eleven years ago with performance diplomas in Clarinet and in Chamber Music. During her college years, she travelled twice to Siena on scholarship to study at the Accademia Chigiana summer school.

In her final year of college, Deirdre began working regularly with the NSO of Ireland and the RTÉCO doubling on bass and piccolo clarinet. Between '96 and '98 she was inspired by playing with the highly motivated European Union Youth Orchestra and touring Europe under Haitink and Rostropovich.

In the winter of '97 she sold all she owned to fund an intensive sailing course in the icy Isle of Wight. Four months later grasping her Yachtmaster certificate, she set off for a remote Greek peninsula to teach sailing for Sunsail. After seven months of island hopping she received a call from the Irish Chamber Orchestra and, realizing she couldn't live without music she flew home.

Since joining the Crash Ensemble two years ago, Deirdre has developed an obsession with funky contemporary music and experimental base clarinet noises. Last year she traveled to Amsterdam and toured Estonia with the group.

Last May, she took part in a performance in Edinburgh called Life's Hard, involving an eclectic group of musicians and a Russian company of contemporary dancers.

Deirdre has been invited several times over the last six years to perform at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in Bantry, most recently in this year's performance of Das Lied von der Erde by Mahler with Laurent Wagner. With Susan Doyle and Síle Daly she founded Prey trio in 2000, with whom she tours the country giving concerts and workshops.

Deirdre spends her spare time dancing with her two little daughters to the music of John Zorn and Klezperanto and dreaming of the Cob cottage she will build in Cloughjordan.

Having completed her studies in Italy Susan Doyle returned to Dublin and embarked on life as a freelance flute player. Over the years this has brought her into contact with many talented and colourful musicians and although it is a challenging lifestyle the variety and diversity make it worthwhile.

Susan has a particular interest in contemporary music and she is a member of Vox 21 and the Crash Ensemble with whom she toured the USA, Canada, Sweden, Estonia, Denmark and England as well as performing here in Mostly Modern Festival, RTÉ Living Music Festival, Sligo Contemporary Arts Festival and Sonorities Festival.

Susan also participates in workshops with composers and has premiered a vast quantity of new works. She works regularly with the National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Opera Theatre Company, Orchestra of St Cecilia, Orchestra of the National Concert Hall, Irish Ballet Orchestra and Irish Film Orchestra.

Susan's other passion is chamber music and together with oboist Síle Daly and clarinettist Deirdre O' Leary ( Prey Trio ) she travels the country performing as part of Music Network's Musicwide Programme. Susan is also active in the community as an outreach worker with both the National Concert Hall and Music Network and teaches at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Síle Daly, musician and mountaineer, sees adventure as the keynote in her life, whether it is scaling the heights of the Matterhorn or simply scaling.

Síle's musical education began in the College of Music in Dublin, where she swept the board on scholarships and prizes. Further studies brought her to The Welsh College of Music & Drama and to the Royal Northern College of Music where she graduated with the highest grade of her year. Her professional career, while eclectic, has its roots firmly in classical music. Síle has performed with orchestras as far flung as the Orquestra Sinfonica de Galicia, de Gran Canaria and Castilla y Leon in Spain, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Norway and Opera Batignano in Italy. She has also toured with the historically renowned Halle Orchestra and played with the Welsh National Opera and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

At home she has performed with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Opera Theatre co. NSO, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Síle's passion in music is for the innovative the exciting, music that stirs the senses, she is a founder member of 'Harmonie' a wind chamber music ensemble comprising the Harmonie octet, Full Fathom Five wind quintet and Prey trio which is one of the groups currently working as part of Music Network's Musicwide series. (She writes and arranges most of the music for the trio, which includes improvisation as part of its programming). She is also a member of the contemporary music ensemble VOX21. Síle has given solo and chamber music recitals in Spain, Italy, England and in venues and at music festivals around Ireland. She has recorded for CD and has performed as soloist with the Con Tempo string quartet.

A newspaper review of her solo recital as part of the "Mostly Modern" contemporary music series at the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre, Foster Place said "This was an uplifting concert, Síle Daly's grip on each piece, her cheery spoken introductions, and her communicative playing..all full of character yet remarkably free of ego-made her personality, the music-making and the occasion inseparable" Martin Adams, The Irish Times.

Síle works regularly with the National Concert Hall Outreach Programme bringing Musical improvisation and composition to schools throughout the country and with Music Network in their 'Music in Healthcare' project. She was one of the musicians in residence for the 2005 composers workshop in Maynooth University.

She worked with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company playing Shawms (European & Middle Eastern), Bombard, Rauchfife, Crumhorns, Oboes, Keyboards & Percussion. She also was a member of the National (formerly RTÉ) Chamber choir for three years.

Sample Programmes

Vivaldi, Antonio Lucio Improvisation on the Four Seasons

Katz, Erich Dance of the Souls (Solo clarinet)

Lassus, Orlando Mon Coeur

Bach, Johann Sebastian Trio Sonata

Malcolm Arnold Divertimento

Francaix, Jean Divertimento

Reich, Steve Clapping Music

Reviews

"Music Network's value as a promotion agency is difficult to exaggerate, as was amply demonstrated at St Barrahane's Church' Castletownshend in the latest Thursday night recital of this year's Festival of Classical Music. Outside of large centres of population it is difficult to imagine an ensemble such as Prey attracting a sizable audience. Prey comprises Susan Doyle playing flutes of varying sizes, Deirdre O'Leary playing clarinets and Síle Daly playing different versions of oboe. This versatile group, however, entranced their audience with a selection of imaginative arrangements of music that ranged from folksong and madrigals to 20th century classics and, in the process, educated listeners in the wide variety of timbres available from woodwind instruments. Debussy's Syrinx for solo flute and Antal Dorati's oboe solo, "The grasshopper and the ant" were the only original works on the programme, both convincingly and imaginatively delivered. Otherwise, everything had been borrowed from the repertory of other instruments and arranged most pleasingly with skill and imagination. Prey does not just play well. The performers also have a good sense of theatre, as demonstrated in their processional entry playing "She moved through the fair" and in a French Baroque trio arranged for piccolo, E flat clarinet and oboe. Playing from three different locations in the church, they managed to make this sound as if it were Gabrielli's wonderful brass choir music, written for St Mark's in Venice. Saint Saens' Sonata for Oboe and Piano and Jean Francaise's Divertissement (originally for oboe, clarinet and bassoon) transferred effectively to the available combination but perhaps the most effective transcription of all was that of Bach's Trio Sonata for organ. While stylistic purists might object to their somewhat Romantic approach to Bach, one wondered why the Andante, in particular, had to come to an end, it was so movingly lovely."

Prey, St Barrahane's Church, Castletownshend, Co Cork, August 4, 2005 (Music Network Musicwide Concert) - Irish Examiner Review

More Info

For further information on availability or artist fees or to discuss a booking please contact the Performance Programme Manager by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or telephone: 01 6719429.