Shaun Davey

Shaun Carrick Davey, born in Belfast on 18 January 1948, is an Irish composer whose work blends elements of Irish folk music with the language of popular music, often drawing on medieval Celtic themes or episodes from modern Irish history. His method relies on collaboration with traditional musicians, so that at its best the orchestra enhances the integrity of the oral traditions that inspire him.

Davey studied at Trinity College Dublin (1968-1972) and at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, where he gained his master's degree in 1974, although his training as a composer was largely self-taught. His first concert work, The Brendan Voyage (1980), enjoyed considerable international circulation and commercial success; in it he recreates the sixth-century voyage of St Brendan from Ireland to Newfoundland, with the Irish bagpipes integrated into the orchestra. He was followed by The Pilgrim (1983), a commission for the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, and Granuaile (1985), a song suite about Grace O'Malley. Davey also writes for theatre, television and film, and in 1985 he received the People of the Year award for his contribution to Irish culture.

His legacy lies above all in having built a lasting bridge between the Irish folk tradition and the symphony orchestra, with a catalogue that includes concertos for bagpipes and for harps, as well as commemorative commissions linked to Derry and Belfast.