Republic of Sound

Common Ground has a long history of developing music programmes in the community. From Music for Me 2005 to 2012, Tiny Voices 2012 to 2013, and then VOICE 2012 to 2017 with children in local schools and afterschools, and adults in Bluebell CDP. One of the rationales for the VOICE programme was to maximise and expand participation in a high quality music programme and to integrate new cross generational elements.

In 2018 Common Ground began to develop the music programme Republic of Sound. Looking at ways that intergenerational work could be embedded in that programme, we worked with musicians Maeve O’Hara, Colm O’Hara and Alex Petcu Colan on the initial research for the programme.

In 2019 the musicians connected with children from Our Lady of Lourdes National School and adults from James Brass Band. The musicians worked with James Brass Band on a new composition specifically written for the programme and an excerpt was performed by James Brass Band at Culture Date for Dublin 8 that year.

The musicians continued weekly workshops with the children of Our Lady of Lourdes National School and Maeve O’Hara began singing workshops with the women from the Family Resource Centre.

In 2020 we had begun to plan an intergenerational performance for Music Town 2020. The programme had to rapidly adapt with the event of Covid 19. Maeve and Colm connected with the children online and as the world opened up again in late August the musicians began to connect in person with the groups. As Music Town 2020 also went online, we changed the in person performance to a filmed piece. ‘Republic of Sound’ was screened online by Music Town and also at Our Lady of Lourdes National School.

Common Ground continued to deliver this music programme with children from Our Lady of Lourdes National School. In 2022 and 2023 musicians Colm O’Hara and Lina Andonovska worked with two 3rd class students. In 2023 the children performed their own composition – Sound Trading – which was filmed and shared with all the children of Our Lady of Lourdes National School.

In 2025 musicians Colm O’Hara and Lina Andonovska worked with two new classes of 3rd class children from Our Lady of Lourdes National School. This was the ‘final movement’ of Republic of Sound. In June 2025 the children performed ‘Republic of Sound – Finale’ in Goldenbridge Cemetery and their performance was filmed once again by Lore Films.