A rare opportunity to hear what is believed to be a lost piece of music by Enniskillen-born composer Joan Trimble will take place in March.

‘Érin go Brágh’ has not been performed since it was first broadcast by the BBC in 1943, and will be performed as part of a brass band concert hosted by the 1st Old Boys Silver Band from Belfast. who are breaking new ground by embarking on a project entitled, ‘Another World: the best of brass music from this land’.

The project’s title reflects the island of Ireland’s position as part of, yet separate from, the worldwide brass community.

The project will see the 1st Old Boys Silver Band collaborate with top internationally-acclaimed soloists Peter Moore (trombone) and Jonathan Gawn (tuba), both with brass band roots, for an evening concert of music that celebrates music from composers and performers with ties to the island of Ireland, North and South.

Supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the varied programme gives the opportunity to hear revivals of older pieces long-considered lost, including Ms. Trimble’s Érin go Brágh.

Speaking about the privilege it is to have her mother’s work featured, Joanna McVey explained some of the background to the piece of music.

She said: “In 1943, there was still a world war going on, and the brass band tradition in Great Britain in particular was massive.

“There were something like 6,000 brass bands in Britain. The idea was that composers were asked to contribute, and would be adding to the repertoire of band music, but it was also received to be a contribution to the war effort.

‘Commissioned’ “My mother was the only female who was commissioned to write a brass band piece, and the only Northern Ireland composer involved. She was living in London at the time, and had a profile with the BBC.”

The piece features three popular tunes: ‘The Minstrel Boy’, Fare Thee Well Enniskillen’, and ‘O’Donnell Abú’.

Ms. McVey added: “She had a noted affinity with featuring Irish airs and music in her compositions.”

There will also be performances of works by composers who have faded from recent public memory, including the Belfast-born A. J. Potter (1918-1980).

More contemporary composers such as David Catherwood will be represented in premier performances, and there also will be the Irish premiere of the concerto for trombone and brass band, ‘Servant of Peace’, by Belfast’s Dorothy Gates.

1st Old Boys’ Musical Director, Dr. Jonathan Corry, said: “We are delighted that we are able to bring these important compositions to the public’s hearing.

“Our intention is that this concert will celebrate the rich contribution Irish composers have made, and are continuing to make, to brass music.

“We’re particularly delighted to have secured the services of two world-class soloists, and I’m sure many people in Northern Ireland will not want to miss the opportunity to hear them perform live in a concert setting.

“We’re also very pleased that the concert is being supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.”

Tickets for the concert, which will take place in Stranmillis Drama Theatre on March 4, are available via Eventbrite, and from secretary1ob@gmail.com.