Patrick Cassidy (composer)

{{Infobox person

| name = Patrick Cassidy

| image = Patrick Cassidy - Composer.png

| birth_place = Claremorris, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland

| alma_mater = University of Limerick

| occupation = Composer

| notable_works = Vide Cor Meum

| honours = Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia (knight of the Order of the Star of Italy)

| website = [https://www.patrickcassidy.com/ patrickcassidy.com]

}}

Patrick Cassidy is an Irish orchestral, choral, and film score composer.

Early life and education

Cassidy was born in Claremorris, County Mayo in Ireland. He received a BSc in applied mathematics from the University of Limerick in 1985 and supported his early compositional activities with a day job as a statistician and technology analyst.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=Patrick Cassidy|publisher=University of Limerick|url=https://www.ul.ie/ul-alumni/patrick-cassidy |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=www.ul.ie |language=en}}

Work

Cassidy is known for his narrative cantatas – works he has written for orchestra and choir based on Irish mythology – and for the aria "Vide Cor Meum" originally composed for the film Hannibal, directed by Ridley Scott. The libretto for Cassidy's "Vide Cor Meum" was taken from Dante's first sonnet in La Vita Nuova.{{cite web | url=https://operawire.com/opera-meets-film-how-opera-adds-narrative-depth-to-ridley-scotts-hannibal/ | title=Opera Meets Film: How Opera Adds Narrative Depth to Ridley Scott's Hannibal| date=15 August 2019|website=operawire.com}}{{cite web | url=https://classicalpost.com/read/2022/3/3/composer-from-hannibal-film-releases-the-mass-patrick-cassidy-and-glorious-pathos | title=Composer from Hannibal Film Releases The Mass: Patrick Cassidy and Glorious Pathos | date=31 May 2023|website=classicalpost.com}} Cassidy's opera Dante premiered at Theater Hof in Bavaria in 2024{{Cite web|date=2024-03-18 |title=Patrick Cassidy's New Opera Dante to Make World Premiere |url=https://operawire.com/patrick-cassidys-new-opera-dante-to-make-world-premiere/ |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=OperaWire}}{{Cite web |date=2024-02-01 |title=Composer Patrick Cassidy to unveil epic opera Dante|publisher=University of Limerick |url=https://www.ul.ie/ul-alumni/news/composer-patrick-cassidy-to-unveil-epic-opera-dante |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=www.ul.ie |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-06-15 |title=Dante – From Inferno to Paradise, Theater Hof, 15 June – July 12 2024, Hof, Germany {{!}} Watch Online |url=https://www.operabase.com/productions/dante-from-inferno-to-paradise-228162/en |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=Operabase |language=en}}

The Children of Lir, released in September 1993, remained at number one in the Irish classical charts for a full year. It was the first cantata written in the Irish language. The BBC later produced an hour-long documentary on the piece. Famine Remembrance, a commissioned piece to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine in Ireland, was premiered in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1996. In June 2007, the piece was performed at the opening of Toronto's Ireland Park with the then President of Ireland as a special guest.[http://www.patrickcassidy.com Official website], patrickcassidy.com; accessed 29 November 2014.{{nonspecific|reason=What page on this website supports this text? A link to the website homepage is overly vague|date=April 2025}}

Other albums include Cruit (arrangements of 17th- and 18th-century Irish harp music with Cassidy as the soloist) and Deirdre of the Sorrows, another cantata in the Irish language, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Tallis Choir.{{clarify|date=March 2025|reason=The Tallis Scholars?}} In 2004, Immortal Memory was released as a collaboration between Cassidy and Lisa Gerrard.{{Cite web |title=Review: Immortal Memory by Lisa Gerrard + Patrick Cassidy |url=https://www.starsend.org/ImmortalMemory.html |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=www.starsend.org}}

Cassidy now divides his time between Los Angeles and Ireland, where in addition to his concert work he has scored films and documentaries. He is a relative of the singer Sibéal Ní Chasaide{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-news/songbird-sibeal-once-silenced-by-shyness-34593883.html|title=Songbird Sibeal once silenced by shyness|work=Irish Independent|date=3 April 2016 |accessdate=10 October 2016}} who sang his composition Mise Eire at the official government commemorations of the 1916 Rising.{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/1916/news-and-events/a-stroke-of-genius-to-kick-off-1916-celebrations-34329936.html|title=A stroke of genius to kick off 1916 celebrations|work=Irish Independent|date=2 January 2016 |accessdate=10 October 2016}}{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/newrossstandard/out-about/night-of-music-in-duiske-abbey-34720078.html | title=Night of music in Duiske Abbey | date=20 May 2016 }}

Cassidy's song Proclamation was played at the inauguration of Joe Biden in Washington DC on 20 January 2021.[https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/603087/university-of-limerick-graduate-composer-to-have-song-performed-at-joe-biden-inauguration.html Song performed at Joe Biden inauguration] Limerick Leader, 20 January 2021{{cite web | url=http://iftn.ie/news/crewnews/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4293808&tpl=archnews&force=1 | title=Irish composer Patrick Cassidy's original score 'Proclamation' chosen for Biden Inauguration | the Irish Film & Television Network }}{{cite web | url=https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/biden-inauguration-irish-violinist | title=Irish violinist to perform Irish tunes at the Biden family's pre-inauguration mass | date=19 January 2021 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/louth-violinist-to-perform-two-classic-irish-pieces-during-inaugural-mass-for-joe-biden-201825 | title=Louth violinist to perform two classic Irish pieces during inaugural mass for Joe Biden }}

Honours

Cassidy is a knight of the Order of the Star of Italy, conferred by the president of Italy, and bestowed with the title of Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia.{{cite web | url=https://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/insigniti/351040 | title=Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana|website=quirinale.it|language=it}} He received the Outstanding Contribution to Culture/Arts Alumni Award 2007 the University of Limerick. After receiving public submissions, a road was renamed Patrick Cassidy Road in Claremorris, County Mayo, in 2022.{{cite news| url=https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2022/05/20/road-naming-ceremony-taking-place-in-south-mayo-town/ | title=Road naming ceremony taking place in south Mayo town|date=20 May 2022|newspaper=The Connaught Telegraph}}{{cite web | url=https://www.mayo.ie/news/patrickcassidyroad | title=Naming of Patrick Cassidy Road, Claremorris by Mr Patrick Cassidy, Friday 20th May 2022 }}

Compositions

The Children of Lir
Famine Remembrance
Deirdre of the Sorrows
The Mass
The Mass for Organ and Choir
Dante, opera{{Cite web |title=Patrick Cassidy, Composer, Librettist – Performances on Operabase |url=https://www.operabase.com/patrick-cassidy-a2234642/works/en |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=Operabase |language=en}}
Kylemore Magnificat

Film and television

Cassidy provided music for the following:{{IMDb name|0144234|Patrick Cassidy}}Fabian G. Huss: "Cassidy, Patrick", in: The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland, ed. by Harry White & Barra Boydell (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013).

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)
{{ill|Escape to Freedom – The Aviator|it|Fuga per la libertà - L'aviatore|italic=yes}} (2008){{IMDb title|title=Fuga per la libertà – L'aviatore|id=tt1153098}}
Kill the Irishman (2011)
In 2010, Cassidy's Funeral March was used in the trailer for The Tree of Life.
Calvary (2014){{IMDb title|id=tt2234003|title=Calvary|description=(2014)}}
1916: The Irish Rebellion (2016){{IMDb title|id=tt5444332|title=1916|description=(TV Mini Series 2016–)}}
Smalltown (2016){{IMDb title|id=tt6022360|title=Smalltown|description=(TV Mini Series 2016–)}}
No Words Needed: Croke Park 2007 (2017){{IMDb title|id=tt6635132|title=No Words Needed: Croke Park 2007|description=TV Movie 2017}}
Bad Suns (2020){{IMDb title|id=tt10986544|title=Bad Suns|description=(2020)}}

Recordings

1998: Cruit{{Cite web |title=Patrick Cassidy – Cruit |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/1691369-Patrick-Cassidy-Cruit |website=Discogs|date=1997 }}
1993: The Children of Lir (London Symphony Orchestra and Tallis Chamber Choir){{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-children-of-lir-mw0000125950 | title=Patrick Cassidy – the Children of Lir Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | publisher=AllMusic }}
1997: Famine Remembrance{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/famine-remembrance-mw0000091238 | title=Patrick Cassidy – Famine Remembrance Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | publisher=AllMusic }}
1998: Deirdre of the Sorrows{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/deirdre-of-the-sorrows-mw0000032560 | title=Patrick Cassidy – Deirdre of the Sorrows Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | publisher=AllMusic }}
2004: Immortal Memory – with Lisa Gerrard{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/immortal-memory-mw0000333186 | title=Lisa Gerrard, Patrick Cassidy – Immortal Memory Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | publisher=AllMusic }}
2006: Ashes and Snow – with Lisa Gerrard{{cite web | url=https://www.last.fm/music/Lisa+Gerrard+&+Patrick+Cassidy/Ashes+And+Snow | title=Ashes and Snow – Lisa Gerrard & Patrick Cassidy | date=9 January 2023 }}
2014: Calvary{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/calvary-original-soundtrack--mw0002650321 | title=Patrick Cassidy – Calvary [Original Soundtrack] Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | publisher=AllMusic }}
2016: 1916: The Irish Rebellion{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/1916-the-irish-rebellion-mw0002930953 | title=Patrick Cassidy – 1916 the Irish Rebellion Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | publisher=AllMusic }}
2019: The Mass{{Cite web |title=Patrick Cassidy – The Mass |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/19752913-Patrick-Cassidy-The-Mass |website=Discogs|date=2019 }}
2021: The Mass – Organ and Choir{{Cite web |title=Patrick Cassidy – The Mass {{!}} Patrick Cassidy {{!}} Organ and Choir |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/30866373-Patrick-Cassidy-The-Mass-Patrick-Cassidy-Organ-and-Choir |website=Discogs|date=13 October 2021 }}
2024: Kylemore Magnificat