Vocare

Biography of Sue Furlong

Sue Furlong was born in Waterford where she studied music with Eric de Courcey, Fintan O' Carroll and Eric Sweeney. She received an Honours B. Mus degree from Durham University and Licentiate from Associated Board of the Royal School of Music.

Sue's early years as a composer of church music saw many pieces published by GIA, and in 2001, Sue was the winner of RTE's Church Music competition with her Mass of Thanksgiving.

Music for Wexford commissioned Sue on two occasions to write pieces for small ensembles which resulted in 'Morceau Triste' and 'Fantasia for horn and piano'. Wexford Sinfonia later commissioned 'Transitions' a 10 minute piece for symphony orchestra.

In 2005 and 2006, Boosey & Hawkes published Sue's collection of Irish songs, 'D'Aon Ghuth' volumes 1, 2 and 3 and a selection of songs from 'The Dancing Master' cantata for children, all of which were commissioned by Wexford County Council and Foras na Gaeilge.

Boosey & Hawkes also published a number of Sue's Christmas songs for children in a collaborative publication with Christopher Norton and Andrew Milburn antitled 'The Little Cradle Rocks', and B&H composers of highly successful 'Singing Sherlock' songs for children also commissioned Sue to write songs for books 3and 4 of their series.

Two choral pieces were commissioned in 2006 by AIMS choral festival and Carlow Young Artists Choir.

From 1998-2006, Sue was conductor of Wexford Festival Singers, and during this time she undertook two courses of choral conducting studies with Dr. James Jordan, Weston Noble, Dr. Bruce Chamberlain and Charles Bruffi at Westminster Choir College of Ryder University, USA.
Sue was responsible for all Wexford Festival Singers involvement in Wexford Opera Festival choral concerts from 1998-2006. Her time with WFS culminated with the highly acclaimed performance of Karl Jenkins 'The Armed Man' and Vivaldi Gloria.

In 2010, Solihull Music Service commissioned a major choral work for children called "Voice Thief" 35 mins duration, this piece is a mini musical drama scored for children's choir, 10 piece orchestra, narrator, soloists and dancers.
It received its world premiere at Birmingham Symphony Hall in June 2010.

As founder and musical director of Vocare, a 47 member mixed choral group, Sue will be guiding this highly enthusiastic and very talented group of singers into performances of vastly diverse genres and styles.