New songs celebrating shirt factories, City Walls and Austins at free concert

Specially commissioned songs, celebrating Derry's heritage will be showcased at a free awards ceremony in the Guildhall this week.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Nov 2018, 14:26 BST
Updated 5th Nov 2018, 15:31 BST
(l-r) Eilidh Patterson, Brigid ONeill and Eoin OCallaghan aka, Best Boy Grip, who have composed the new songs.(l-r) Eilidh Patterson, Brigid ONeill and Eoin OCallaghan aka, Best Boy Grip, who have composed the new songs.
(l-r) Eilidh Patterson, Brigid ONeill and Eoin OCallaghan aka, Best Boy Grip, who have composed the new songs.

The Heritage Angel Awards will feature performances on Heritage Night, Tuesday November 6 at 7.30pm.

The awards, celebrating achievement in rescue, repair and recording of built heritage, are part of a UK initiative supported by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.

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Renowned local songwriters Eoin O’Callaghan aka, ‘Best Boy Grip’ and Eilidh Patterson, will be working alongside critically acclaimed Co. Down singer songwriter Brigid O’Neill, to debut the specially composed songs about some of the city’s most historic buildings.

Led by Brigid O’Neill, the Heritage in Song project aims to combine music and heritage to raise awareness of local historic sites.

Eilidh Patterson will perform a song about the Derry Walls, Eoin O’Callaghan focuses his piece on Derry’s shirt factory history and Brigid O’Neill will be performing a song about the Edwardian Austin’s Department Store in Derry’s Diamond and its particular story.

Labelled in 2017 as the ‘Heritage Oscars’, the Heritage in Song element makes these awards like no other.

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Ulster Architectural Heritage praised the input of such notable performers and the support of The Honourable, The Irish Society and the Acorn Fund for the Heritage in Song aspect.

Brigid said: “I am so pleased to be running this special project with the UAHS again this year after the huge success of last year, where our original bespoke songs reached out to a wider audience of music lovers to raise awareness about our heritage. We are especially delighted to have the very talented Eoin O’Callaghan and Eilidh Patterson on board this year and are really looking forward to depicting the fantastic heritage of Derry through our songs.”

The Heritage Angel Awards aim to celebrate the efforts of people who go to extraordinary lengths to protect, save and share their local heritage.

Glenn Patterson, Joe Mahon and Deirdre Heenan are among those attending.

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A limited number of tickets remain and can be booked for free at: www.ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk/eventsThe awards are administrated by Ulster Architectural Heritage and are supported by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, Derry & Strabane District Council and the Department for Communities.

Find out more about the Heritage Angel Awards Shortlist at www.heritageangelawards-ni.org.uk

Related topics:Derry