Patrick Cassidy (composer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patrick Cassidy
Born	Claremorris, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland
Alma mater	University of Limerick
Occupation	Composer
Notable work	Vide Cor Meum
Honours	Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia (knight of the Order of the Star of Italy)

Patrick Cassidy is a famous Irish composer. He writes music for orchestras, choirs, and movies.

Early Life and Learning

Patrick Cassidy was born in Claremorris, a town in County Mayo, Ireland. He went to the University of Limerick and earned a science degree in applied mathematics in 1985. Before becoming a full-time composer, he worked as a statistician and technology analyst. This helped him support his early music projects.

His Amazing Music

Patrick Cassidy is well-known for his special musical pieces called cantatas. These are like big stories told with music, sung by a choir and played by an orchestra. Many of his cantatas are based on old Irish stories.

Famous Songs and Operas

One of his most famous pieces is a song called "Vide Cor Meum." He wrote this song for the movie Hannibal, which was directed by Ridley Scott. The words for "Vide Cor Meum" come from an old Italian poem by Dante.

In 2024, Patrick Cassidy's opera called Dante was performed for the first time in Germany.

Popular Irish Works

His cantata The Children of Lir was released in 1993. It was a huge hit in Ireland, staying at the top of the classical music charts for a whole year! This was also the first cantata ever written in the Irish language. The BBC even made a TV show about it.

Another important piece is Famine Remembrance. This music was created to remember the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine in Ireland. It was first performed in New York City in 1996. In 2007, it was played again in Toronto, Canada, with the President of Ireland as a special guest.

Other Albums and Collaborations

Patrick Cassidy has also released other albums. Cruit features his own arrangements of old Irish harp music, where he plays the harp himself. Deirdre of the Sorrows is another cantata in the Irish language. He recorded it with the famous London Symphony Orchestra.

In 2004, he worked with singer Lisa Gerrard on an album called Immortal Memory. They also collaborated on the album Ashes and Snow in 2006.

Today, Patrick Cassidy spends his time between Los Angeles in the USA and Ireland. Besides his concert music, he also writes music for movies and documentaries. His relative, Sibéal Ní Chasaide, is also a singer. She sang his song Mise Eire at a special event in 2016 that remembered the Easter Rising in Ireland.

In 2021, Patrick Cassidy's song Proclamation was played at the inauguration of Joe Biden in Washington D.C. This was when Joe Biden became the President of the United States.

Awards and Recognition

Patrick Cassidy has received several special awards. The President of Italy made him a knight of the Order of the Star of Italy. This is a very high honor!

In 2007, his old university, the University of Limerick, gave him an award for his amazing contributions to culture and arts. In 2022, a road in his hometown of Claremorris was even renamed Patrick Cassidy Road to honor him.

His Compositions

Here are some of the musical pieces Patrick Cassidy has composed:

• The Children of Lir
• Famine Remembrance
• Deirdre of the Sorrows
• The Mass
• The Mass for Organ and Choir
• Dante, opera
• Kylemore Magnificat

Music for Movies and TV

Patrick Cassidy has written music for many films and television shows, including:

• Hannibal (2001)
• Veronica Guerin (2003)
• Confessions of a Burning Man (2003)
• Salem's Lot (2004)
• King Arthur (2004)
• Layer Cake (2004)
• Che Guevara (2005)
• Ashes and Snow (2005)
• Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
• The Front Line (2006)
• Breaking the Ice (2007)
• Edgar Allen Poe's Ligeia (2008)
• Escape to Freedom – The Aviator [it] (2008)
• Kill the Irishman (2011)
• In 2010, his Funeral March was used in the trailer for the movie The Tree of Life.
• Calvary (2014)
• 1916: The Irish Rebellion (2016)
• Smalltown (2016)
• No Words Needed: Croke Park 2007 (2017)
• Bad Suns (2020)

His Recorded Albums

Here are some of the albums Patrick Cassidy has released:

• 1998: Cruit
• 1993: The Children of Lir (with the London Symphony Orchestra and Tallis Chamber Choir)
• 1997: Famine Remembrance
• 1998: Deirdre of the Sorrows
• 2004: Immortal Memory – with Lisa Gerrard
• 2006: Ashes and Snow – with Lisa Gerrard
• 2014: Calvary
• 2016: 1916: The Irish Rebellion
• 2019: The Mass
• 2021: The Mass – Organ and Choir
• 2024: Kylemore Magnificat