T. C. Kelly facts for kids

Thomas Christopher Kelly (born December 5, 1917, died March 31, 1985) was an important Irish musician. He was a composer, a teacher, and a conductor. He created many pieces of music during his life.

A Musician's Life

T. C. Kelly was born in Wexford, a county in Ireland. He studied music at University College Dublin. His teacher was a famous musician named John F. Larchet. Kelly earned his music degree in 1943.

After his studies, Kelly worked as an organist. He also led choirs in Newry, County Down. In 1952, he became the music master at Clongowes Wood College. This school is in County Kildare.

At Clongowes Wood College, Kelly taught music. He played the organ in the school chapel. He also led the school's choir and orchestra. His school choir won many national music competitions. Kelly was a well-known composer in Ireland in the mid-1900s. He wrote music in a traditional style. He passed away in Dublin.

Kelly's Music Style

Kelly wrote a lot of music. He was very good at arranging Irish traditional tunes. He arranged them for orchestras, choirs, and small groups of instruments. For example, he wrote pieces for violin and piano.

He was mostly known for shorter musical pieces. However, he also wrote a three-part piano concerto in 1960. A concerto is a piece for a solo instrument and orchestra. He also composed three large church masses. Many of his orchestral arrangements were created for radio. The Radio Éireann Light Orchestra played them. This orchestra is now called the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Some of his works were recorded on LPs in the 1960s and 1970s.

Kelly felt he was "bilingual" in music. This meant he grew up with both traditional Irish music and European classical music. He called himself "purely a lyric composer." This means his music focused on beautiful melodies. Kelly was part of a group of Irish composers. They preferred older, traditional music styles. They did not use newer, more modern musical ideas. His music always had a clear key or "tonal" sound. Even in his original works, you can hear hints of traditional Irish melodies.

Selected Works

Here are some examples of the types of music T. C. Kelly composed:

Orchestral Pieces

These are works for a full orchestra:

• Three Pieces for Strings (1949)
• Wexford Rhapsody (around 1954) for wind orchestra
• Piano Concerto (1960)
• Rhapsody on Children's Themes (1963) for piano and orchestra
• O'Carolan Suite in Baroque Style (1977) for violin and orchestra

Chamber Music

These are pieces for smaller groups of instruments:

• Suite for Military Band (1979) for brass band
• Irish Tunes (published 1984) for violin and keyboard
• Many arrangements of folk songs for violin and piano

Piano Music

These are pieces written just for the piano:

• Four Interludes (1949)
• Suite of Irish Airs (1953)
• Piano Sonata in D major (1958)

Choral Music

These are pieces written for choirs to sing:

• The Sally Gardens (1948)
• Everlasting Voices (1959)
• Mass in Gregorian Style (1974)
• Mass for Peace (1976)
• Many arrangements of folk songs for choirs

Songs

These are pieces for a singer, often with piano accompaniment:

• The Sally Gardens (1947)
• The Lake Isle of Innisfree (1967)

Recordings

Some of T. C. Kelly's music has been recorded:

• Three Pieces for Strings was recorded in 1956. The Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra performed it.
• Mass for Peace was recorded in 1977. T.C. Kelly himself conducted the Clonliffe College Choir.
• Three Pieces for Strings and O'Carolan Suite in Baroque Style were recorded in 1997. The Irish Chamber Orchestra performed these.
• The song The Mother was recorded in 2016. Rachel Kelly sang it, and Una Hunt played the piano.