A Dublin composer found inspiration from James Joyce's Ulysses for his latest piece.
Daragh Black Hynes was the winner of this year's prestigious Seán Ó Riada Composition Competition at the Cork International Choral Festival.
His composition 'Behind This Light' blew the judges away and will be performed St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork on Friday 29 April.
Read more: First edition of Ulysses on sale for over €30,000 in magical Blackrock bookshop
The guitarist studied at DIT and then moved to Beijing to complete a master's in composition.
He then completed a PHD at TU Dublin with Gráinne Mulvey.
Daragh told Dublin Live that he had a wide range of influences growing up across all genres.
He said: "I first started playing guitar when I was about 12. It would have been rock music. Jimi Hendrix was my hero as a kid. That's how I got into music. Later, I got into classical guitar.
"I started teaching myself classical guitar in my teens."
He believes Joyce's infamous novel was just as inspiring for him as a Dublin artist in 2022 as it was when it was written.
Daragh said: "I wanted to write a piece based on Joyce from the outset. Initially, I looked at Chamber Music- the collection of poems he wrote.
"It was from earlier in his career. They were kind of these short love poems. Most of them were a bit short for a five-minute piece though.
"I was more drawn to Ulysses. It's the big one real. It is the centenary as well of Ulysses this year so it fitted together nicely.
"I had to select a text from the book. There is so much great material to use.
"I first read Ulysses when I was in my twenties.
"I just love his style. It's so abstract and so dream-like. It fits so well as an inspiration for music.
Daragh joins a list of highly esteemed composers that have won the Sean O'Riada competition.
He had to enter his work under a pseudonym with his name not being revealed until the judge's had made their final decision.
He said: "It's a great honour. I just put in for it and hoped for the best. I got a shock when I saw I won. It's a great thing to be part of.
"I’m in highly esteemed company with the winners of previous years, and it’s wonderful to have the chance to participate in the Cork International Choral Festival. I found the process of setting Joyce’s text to music incredibly inspiring, and I’m absolutely delighted that the work will be premiered by the brilliant Chamber Choir Ireland."
Daragh believes that Dublin artists are still holding their own on a global scale, a century after people 100 years of people first read about the adventures of Leopold Bloom.
He said: "Ireland has always punched above its weight artistically and culturally.
"We're known for it. Even, when you look at how many Nobel prize winners we have for such a small place.
"Ulysses itself is the ultimate work of modern literature."
Read more: Historical Sweny's chemist celebrates 100 years of James Joyce's Ulysses with special readings
Read more: Ulysses app allows Dubliners to explore the city through the eyes of Leopold Bloom
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter
