Bill Whelan

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Template:Infobox musical artist William Michael Joseph 'Bill' Whelan (born 22 May 1950) is an Irish composer and musician.<ref>Much of the biographical information here is covered in an extensive interview with Marian Finucane on 16 April 2011 on RTÉ Radio 1</ref> He is best known for composing a piece for the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. The result, "Riverdance", was a seven-minute piece of original music accompanying a new take on traditional Irish stepdance that became a full-length stage production and spawned a worldwide craze for Irish traditional music and dance. The corresponding soundtrack album earned him a Grammy. "Riverdance" was released as a single in 1994, credited to "Bill Whelan and Anúna featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra". It reached number one in Ireland for 18 weeks and number nine in the UK. The album of the same title reached number 31 in the album charts in 1995.

Whelan has also arranged a symphonic suite version of Riverdance, with its premiere performed by the Ulster Orchestra on BBC Radio 3 in August 2014.<ref name="RiverdanceSymphony">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

A studio recording was released on CD (on the RTÉ lyric fm label) in 2018.

Biography

Whelan is a native of Limerick city, and was educated at Crescent College.<ref name=UL>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He gained his Bachelor of Civil Law degree at University College Dublin in 1973 and then went to King's Inns.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Brophy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2011, Whelan was awarded the UCD Foundation Day Medal in recognition of his outstanding achievements and his contribution to Irish music worldwide.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While he is best known for his "Riverdance" composition and the theatrical show of the same name, Whelan has been involved in many ground-breaking projects in Ireland since the 1970s. In his autobiography, he especially mentions the major influence of James W. Flannery.<ref>Flannery gave me a sense that my work as a composer was valuable, and he encouraged me in every way he could. He praised the work. Even though I was slow to believe it, he convinced me to have faith in my skills as a melodist. He wanted me to believe I was equipped with the instinct for the dynamics of drama that a good theatre composer should have. This affirmation was an American thing at the time and wasn't found easily in Ireland.</ref>

As a producer he has worked with U2 (on their War album),<ref name=autob/> Van Morrison,<ref name=autob/> Kate Bush,<ref name=autob/> The Dubliners,<ref name=autob/> Planxty,<ref name=UL/> Andy Irvine & Davy Spillane,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Patrick Street,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Stockton's Wing<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and fellow Limerickman Richard Harris.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

As an arranger and composer, his credits include:

  • Original music (1989–1993) for fifteen W.B. Yeats plays (three per season), which were produced by James W. Flannery for the Yeats International Theatre Festival held at Dublin's Abbey Theatre each September during that period.<ref name=buzz/>
  • The Seville Suite (1992), which was inspired by the exploits of Aodh Rua Ó Dónaill from The Battle of Kinsale in 1601 until his arrival in Galicia to the welcome of The Spanish Earl of Caraçena.<ref name=rebel>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=rareroad/> In addition to the orchestra, The Seville Suite includes Celtic Music on Uilleann Pipes, accordion, bodhrán, fiddle as well as Galician harp, whistles and pipes.

  • The Spirit of Mayo (1993) in honour of Mayo 5000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Performed by an 85-piece orchestra in Dublin's National Concert Hall and featuring a powerful Celtic drum corps and a 200 strong choir and choral group Anúna.<ref name=rareroad/>

  • The Connemara Suite (2009), features the Irish Chamber Orchestra along with soloists Zoë Conway, Morgan Crowley, Colin Dunne (Dance Percussion) and Fionnuala Hunt.<ref name=rareroad>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In theatre, Whelan received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for his adaption of Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore.<ref name=buzz>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His film credits include, Dancing at Lughnasa (starring Meryl Streep),<ref name=buzz/> Some Mother's Son,<ref name=fund>Template:Cite news</ref> Lamb (starring Liam Neeson)<ref name=autob/> and the award-winning At The Cinema Palace.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career timeline

Template:Prose Whelan's lifetime of musical endeavours include:

  • 1970 – Composes main theme for the film Bloomfield.<ref name=IrishRock>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 1978 – Member of the jazz-rock band Stacc, who release a single on CBS.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 1983 – Whelan produces "The Refugee" on the U2 album War.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 1987 – Composes The O'Riada Suite.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 1987 – Whelan produces Hold Me Now for Johnny Logan which won the Eurovision Song Contest that year.
  • 1989 – Joins board of Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), on which he serves continuously until 1997.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 1989–1993 – In collaboration with James W. Flannery writes original music for the Yeats International Theatre Festival held at Dublin's Abbey Theatre.<ref name=buzz/>
  • 1990 – Produces and plays keyboards on Andy Irvine's album Rude Awakening, released in early 1991 on the Green Linnet Records label.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 1992 – Produces and performs on Stockton's Wing's The Crooked Rose for the Tara Music label.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 1993 – Composes the orchestral work The Spirit of Mayo.<ref name=rareroad/>
  • 1994 – Composes Riverdance for interval segment of the Eurovision Song Contest. The segment is an unprecedented success and spins off into the long-running stage show.<ref name="ESC1994">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 1995 – Invited to serve on the Government Task Force set up by Minister Michael D. Higgins.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 2000 – Riverdance opens on Broadway.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 2006 – Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at the Meteor Music Awards.<ref name="RTÉMeteor" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 2008 – Releases his Celtic orchestral album The Connemara Suite on the Tara Music label.<ref name=rareroad/>
  • 2010 – Joins the board of the National Music Education Programme.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 2011 – Inaugural inductee into IMRO Academy<ref name=IMRO/>
  • 2022 – Whelan's autobiography The Road To Riverdance is published.<ref name=autob>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Discography

As a keyboard player, or as an arranger, he has contributed to these albums:

References

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