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students to incorporate emotions in their singing. Síle NOTES
is usually at our recording patches and has become our
shining mother figure in the sessions. She works to get 1 James Joyce in conversation (often cited from a 1953 remark
the students to limber up and to relax into the sessions, to Claud Sykes), quoted in Richard Ellmann, James Joyce:
and it is always wonderful to watch. 7 New and Revised Edition (Oxford University Press,
1983), 505. See also: Adrian Paterson, “After Music,” in
The Poetry of James Joyce Reconsidered, ed. Marc C. Conner
(University Press of Florida, 2012), 127.
The Permissions
2 This quote is well noted to be attributed to Joyce, although
there does not appear to be a specific citation reference
Scheibe: Back to the James Joyce Chamber Music proj- for when or to whom he said this.
ect. Did you secure licensing to publish these new com- 3 Irish Daily Independent (May 17, 1904). As quoted in: James
positions in print? Joyce, James Joyce: A Brief Life, ed. Richard Ellmann (Ox-
ford University Press, 1982), 16.
Earley: The right to record was woven into the agree- 4 James Joyce, The Letters of James Joyce, ed. Stuart Gilbert
ment with each composer, so having them with us and and Richard Ellmann, Vol. 1 (Viking Press and Faber &
Signum Classics was no issue. Some of these composers Faber, 1966), 67. Letter written July 19, 1909.
have their own publishers. I am with Seolta Music as 5 James Joyce, The Letters of James Joyce, ed. Stuart Gilbert
editor of their College Choral Series, and Seolta’s exec- and Richard Ellmann, Vol. 3 (Viking Press and Faber
utive, Mark Armstrong, is working with the composers & Faber, 1966), 340. See also: Axel Klein, “The Influ-
so that we might be in a position to release a limited-edi- ence of James Joyce on Irish Composers,” paper pre-
tion commemorative book of the music. Depending on sented at the Contemporary Music Centre’s ReJoyce
how those negotiations progress, Mark is making many in Music Seminar (June 2004), https://www.cmc.ie/
of these scores available in octavo format. 8 features/distant-music-mournfully-murmereth-influ-
ence-james-joyce-irish-composers.
Scheibe: In closing, can you summarize why you took 6 This project was funded over many years from some operat-
on such a major project? ing budget taken from each year, from some special in-
ternal university funds for which the ensemble applied,
Earley: This is really a special project, a once-in-a-life- and with some help from private donors. See album lin-
time project. The poems are entertaining and musical- er notes for more specifics on the funding acknowledg-
ly thrilling, and the new settings are beautiful but also ments.
challenging in some cases. As I write in the liner notes 7 There were two composers present during the recording
of the album, the artists are proud of our unique con- sessions: Tim Stephens traveled from Oregon. Kevin
nection to Joyce’s Dublin story. Not only do we hear and Whyms played on his own composition.
create the accents and speech patterns of his literary 8 Seolta Music, https://www.seoltamusic.com/collections/
characters, but we also understand their cultural history. chamber-music-james-joyce. The website also refers any-
Hopefully, other directors will see fit to include selec- one interested in these settings to the composers or pub-
tions in their future programs. It is a pleasure and hon- lisher’s websites for this project so that all scores can be
or for us to be the first choral ensemble to wrap James found by the reader for purchase.
Joyce’s “suite of songs” in an Irish choral voice.

CHORAL JOURNAL May 2026 Volume 66 Number 8 19