Eoghan Desmond writes: "Variations for Solo Double Bass came about as a result of my membership of the Irish Composers’ Collective. A number of composers were selected to compose a piece of music for Malachy Robinson, who also plays the Bass Viol and the Violone. This inspired me to write a piece that harks back to a much earlier period of music – indeed, it is the most anachronistic piece in my output. As in a set of baroque divisions, the theme (itself very harmonically conservative) goes through a number of transformations, while always remaining essentially the same. While the penultimate variation, in particular, reaches close to what you might call a Romantic sentiment."
Variations was premiered at the National Concert Hall, Dublin 18 December, 2014.
Eoghan Desmond is a bass-baritone, composer and conductor from Cork, currently resident in Dublin, Ireland. His music has been performed all over Ireland, by Chamber Choir Ireland, ConTempo String Quartet, Ensemble Avalon, New Dublin Voices, Claire Duff, Malachy Robinson, the Gentlemen of St Patrick's Cathedral and is in demand in various countries across the globe, including the US, the UK and most recently Scandinavia. He has placed highly in numerous competitions, and in 2015 was awarded the Seán Ó Riada prize for Choral Composition for his piece. He is the recipient of the 2015 Jerome Hynes Young Composer's Award, for which he composed a setting of Rimbaud's Phrases, which was premiered by Gemma Ní Bhriain in her Bernadette Greevy Bursary recital. He has also been commissioned by the RSCM, the National Concert Hall and, via bassist David Heyes, a group of bassists from around the world, resulting in 11 performances both in Dublin and around the world.
As a choral singer, Eoghan has toured France, Russia, Switzerland, Japan and the UK, in addition to having sung all over Ireland, with such renowned choirs as St Patrick's Cathedral Choir, Chamber Choir Ireland, Resurgam, Anúna (with whom he also appears on the award-winning soundtrack of Diablo III), New Dublin Voices and others.
In addition, he is an accomplished soloist and recitalist, having sung baritone or bass solos in such classic works as the Requiems of Verdi, Mozart, Faure and Duruflé, both the St Matthew and St John passions, Haydn's Creation, Handel's Messiah, Vaughan-Williams' Hodie and Mendelssohn's Elijah, in addition to less common works such as Vaughan-Williams Willow-Wood (Irish première). His song repertoire is extensive and covers everything from 16th century lute songs to song cycles composed especially for him, though he specialises in 20th century English song. Eoghan is the founder and director of Dulciana upper voices choir, who are committed to bringing performances of music by female composers to the Irish public.
