Music

A Special Concert: SacrumProfanum

Closing Saint Brigid’s Week 2025

Join us at the Irish Cultural Centre for a mesmerising evening of music and art as we close Saint Brigid’s Week 2024 with SacrumProfanum. This extraordinary multimedia concert, created by renowned Irish composer Benjamin Dwyer, delves into the powerful symbolism of Ireland’s enigmatic Sheela-na-gigs – ancient stone carvings that embody themes of femininity, identity, and resilience.

SacrumProfanum was premiered in the UK, here at the Irish Cultural Centre in September 2022 and the Benjamin Dwyer Ensemble has been invited back to the venue to mark the closing of Saint Brigid’s Week 2025.

SacrumProfanum will be followed by a Q&A with the Composer and Musicologist Benjamin Dwyer. He will be interviewed by the Irish Feminist, Author and Activist – and writer-performer of the one woman show “Sheela-na-gig”, Jeanne Rathbone.

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Sat 08 February 2025

Doors: 7.30pm; Starts: 8pm

Tickets: £15/£13 (concessions)

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About the Concert

SacrumProfanum blends contemporary classical music with traditional Irish forms, featuring 11 original compositions brought to life by an ensemble of world-class musicians. Through live performances, recorded music, and spoken word, this evocative work explores Ireland’s history and its treatment of women through the watchful gaze of the Sheela. From haunting melodies to visceral rhythms, the concert captures the raw power and poignancy of these mysterious figures.

About the Musicians

Garth Knox – Viola
Emma Coulthard – Flutes
Eibhlís Ní Ríordaín – Sean Nós Singing
Tara Viscardi – Harp
Benjamin Dwyer – Bowed Guitar
Donnacha Dwyer – Uilleann Pipes (recorded)
Roisín Finn – Narrator

The performance also features a specially commissioned poem by Jona Xhepa and ancient Gaelic texts sourced by Siobhán Armstrong, further enriching the experience.

Highlights

Benjamin Dwyer spent over a decade studying and documenting Sheela-na-gigs across Ireland. His work reimagines these figures as witnesses to Ireland’s complex history, tackling themes of feminism, religion, and cultural identity. The music, at times haunting and raw, weaves an unforgettable narrative of empowerment and resilience.

Discover the History

Directly after the show, engage in a thought-provoking Q&A session with Benjamin Dwyer, led by Irish feminist and activist Jeanne Rathbone. Gain deeper insight into the artistic and historical inspiration behind SacrumProfanum.

What Are Sheela-na-Gigs?

These ancient stone carvings depict naked female figures with prominent features, such as oversized vulvas, often set against emaciated or skeletal forms. Found on medieval churches, castles, and wells across Ireland and Britain, Sheela-na-gigs are enigmatic symbols. Interpretations range from fertility icons and warnings against sin to emblems of female empowerment and nature’s dual power of creation and destruction.