Kaleidoscope Night
Bello Bar, Dublin 6
Weds 22nd September 2026 8pm
A live performance of new works - either solo, or with some or all of fellow Clang Sayne players - Judith Ring (vx), Carolyn Goodwin (woodwinds/vx) & Matthew Jacobson (drums/vx). Kaleidoscope Night
KONTAKT
Live performance at Kirkos space, Dublin 8
November 30th 2025
8pm
KONTAKT is an irregular experimental music series, curated by Anna Murray in Kirkos Space, Dublin 8. I'll be playing with my dear friends and long-time Clang Sayne collaborators, Judith Ring and Carolyn Goodwin. We'll perform 4 pieces I originally composed for a capella voice, presented here with improvised vocal and clarinet accompaniment from Carolyn & Jude.
Rural Connections
Participatory Arts Project for Creative Ireland
Wednesday 19th November 2025
Rural Connections is a Creative Ireland project based in Co. Wexford, whereby five different communities around the county worked with two artists each to explore art in a community setting. I've been working with nature artist, Mayumi Nakabayaki. Together we've integrated our respective practices of nature art and vocal improvisation with a group of women from Rosslare Harbour.
We'll share our findings with the other 4 community groups at a final getogether in Castlebridge in November 2025.
Blocco Gorman
Improvisation workshops
September 2025
September 2025
I'm delighted to work with Wexford-based Samba percussion group, Bloco Gorman over the coming month. Bloco have been playing together for 15 years. I'm really excited to explore improvisatory practices with them over 4 workshops throughout September. Funded by Wexford County Council/ Creative Ireland Artist in the Community grant 2025.
Seascapes,
from Dawn to Dusk,
by Ann Kenny
Saturday 2nd August, 2025 - 4pm
Seascapes, from Dawn to Dusk, is a new collection of monotypes and art books by Ann Kenny, made in response to the traditional Irish song, Báidín Fheilimí. I'm delighted to perform the song live at the opening of the exhibition.
Sonambula
Graphic Score
Monday 30th June 2025
I'm so happy to present an excerpt from my graphic score of 'Sonambula'. This piece is a development on Sleep Piece for Julia (2023) [link to sleep page on website], expanding it from its original 10-minute composition for 10-piece ensemble, using standard music notation, to an hour-long graphic score for an improvising ensemble. The graphic score will be the basis for a gallery installation, due for production in 2027. Supported by Arts council Bursary award.
Crinniu na nOg
Improvisation workshop for children
Sat 7th June 2025
I'm looking forward to leading some voice and sound workshops with kids in Bunclody and Enniscorthy libriaries on Saturday for Crinniu na nOg 2025. We'll be listening closely to our sonic environments and taking cues from what we hear to create our own soundscapes, using our voice, our bodies and our imaginations.
'OB /OP / On Aw' documentary
Wildsong Ensemble choral improvisation project
25th October
Following our live performance of OB /OP On Aw (One Breath / One Pitch On Aw) back in the Spring, I recently finished making a short video about the project. You can view it here. The video shows the graphic score I developed for this piece, along with words from participants describing their experience of singing OB/OP On Aw. Designer Aiden Grennelle helped massively in the digital realization of the score. Supported by Create, Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford County Council, and Creative Ireland.
Wildsong Ensemble 'Of Gods & Birds' Documentary
Wildsong Ensemble choral improvisation project
14th October 2024
'Of Gods & Birds' is a short documentary on the work Wildsong Ensemble have been focusing on over the past few months. One participant, John Scannell brought in some cannons ('rounds') last year, and people really enjoyed singing them and improvising around them. We ended up working on 4, all of which coincidentally were themed around either gods or birds, and hence the title of the piece. Four of us shared an improvisation around one of these rounds at Late Night Arts in Wexford Arts Centre back in May. The documentary is now up on the Wildsong youtube channel here.
Handmade Music#16, Accidental Theatre, Belfast, 8pm
Live Performance
1st August 2024
I'm really excited to play a solo set at Moving On Music's 'Handmade Music' series this August bank holiday weekend. Such a treat! And I'm honoured to share the bill with such good company:
QUBE (Paul Stapleton & Conor McAuley) and duo, Steve Davis & Jamie Thompson.
I'll perform some new a capella pieces, alongside some older songs on voice and guitar.
A Flock of Flags
Wildsong Ensemble choral improvisation project/p>
Sat 6th &
Sat 13th July 2024
'Flock of Flags' by Wexford-based eco-artist collective, The Ways of Water', celebrates 5 migratory birds of Wexford: puffin, plover, white-fronted goose, tern, and gannet.
Two public events take place this month, inviting locals to come to the beach and participate in community events and learn about these beautiful birds.
Wildsong Ensemble created vocal improvisations based on recordings of these birds' calls, and recorded them at the Wexford Wildlife reserve, for use in the video documentary of the project. Funded by Creative Ireland. VIDEO HERE:
Clang Sayne Sounding Seams EP release
Delighted to release the full Sounding Seams EP! It features the four songs I wrote for my Sounding Seams project, one of which - From a Galaxy of Dust We Were Unspun - is previously unreleased.
It also includes a little improvised intro/outro based on Henry Adams’ 1907 quote, “Chaos was the Law of Nature, Order was the Dream of Man”.
All songs were performed live with Clang Sayne at the Irish National Heritage Park in June 2022, and recorded and mastered by Alexis Nealon.
Clang Sayne From a Galaxy of Dust We Were Unspun release
Release date Weds 5th June
From a Galaxy of Dust We Were Unspun - previously unreleased.
Performed live with Clang Sayne at the Irish National Heritage Park in June 2022, and recorded and mastered by Alexis Nealon.
Restless Wanderer of the Earth
single release
Thurs 30th May
This is the second of four songs I wrote for my Sounding Seams project. It was performed live with Clang Sayne at the Irish National Heritage Park in June 2022, and recorded and mastered by Alexis Nealon.
The Music of the Spheres
single & video release
Thurs 30th May
This is the first of four songs I wrote for my Sounding Seams project. It was performed live with Clang Sayne at the Irish National Heritage Park in June 2022, and recorded and mastered by Alexis Nealon. Big shoutout to the amazing Simon Arazi for the video!
Great Sea of Unknown single release by Clang Sayne
Friday 17th May
To coincide with the documentary, the first single from my accompanying Clang Sayne Sounding Seams EP, 'The Great Sea of Unknown' goes out Friday 17th May.
You can find it on Bandcamp, and all the usual streaming platforms.
Sounding Seams Documentary release
Thursday 16th May
Delighted to be releasing this short documentary today! Crannog Media followed my Sounding Seams project from its inception in 2018 to the closing residency with Clang Sayne at the Irish National Heritage Park in June 2022.
A big shout-out to all the wonderful people who took part in Sounding Seams and helped make it happen - too many to list here; you know who you are!
I’ll be releasing the EP of four songs we recorded in the crannog over the coming weeks. Watch this space!
PAST EVENTS
Solo Gig:
Casey's of Wexford
Sunday 2nd June
Looking forward to playing in Casey's in Wexford town this Sunday afternoon, supporting M.Stevens & the Ghasts. Free entry!
I'll be playing a short set from around 4pm-4.30 or thereabouts.
Casey's of Wexford,
Wygram, Hill St., Wexford, Ireland
Wildsong Ensemble perform
OB / OP On Aw
Thursday 2nd May: 7pm
OB/OP/On Aw, “One Breath / One Pitch On Aw” is an hour-long improvisatory piece exploring the parameters of what makes an improvised choral piece sound good. Taking ques from traditional choral composition, we identified ‘rules’ for singing together to achieve a blended and smooth sound, such as maintaining the same vowel shape, balancing melodic movement with repetition, and aiming for an even spread of sound across our combined vocal registers. The result is a constantly shifting choral landscape, at times meditative and ethereal, at times strident and drone-like.
Click here for further info.
Laura Hyland with Carolyn Goodwin (woodwinds) & Asger Thompson (double bass)
20th November 2023 —
Mayhem, Copenhagen
I'll be playing a trio with fellow Clang Sayner, Carolyn Goodwin in Copenhagen next week. I'm really excited to also get to play with bassist, Asger Thompson whom I met some years ago at an improv workshop in Denmark. We'll be playing some of my songs and some more improvised pieces based around texts I've written.
Sunday at Noon Series
Sunday 2nd July 2023 — Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin
To celebrate the release of their first 'Crashworks' album, Crash Ensemble have invited the 5 composers commissioned under their Crashworks 2021 programme to present some of their other work at the beautiful Hugh Lane Gallery. I'm excited about the acoustics of the space, and to take full advantage of them I'm gonna play a very slow piece I wrote for chimes & voice called 'The Great Sea of Unknown'.
Sleep Piece (for Julia) Crash Ensemble premiere
'You Heard It First'
Friday 21st April 2023 —
National Concert Hall, Dublin
A showcase of Crash Ensemble's inaugural Crashworks program, in which 5 composers from different backgrounds were invited to write a 10min piece for the ensemble over a 18-mth period, with mentorship from the ensemble and their associates. It's been a fabulous experience! I'm so excited to finally hear my own and the other 4 pieces played live!
