William Michael Joseph Whelan (born 22 May 1950) is an Irish composer and musician.[2] He is best known for composing a piece for the interval of the 1994
Eurovision Song Contest. The result, "
Riverdance", was a seven-minute piece of original music accompanying a new take on traditional
Irish stepdance that became a
full-length stage production and spawned a worldwide craze for
Irish traditional music and dance. The corresponding soundtrack album earned him a
Grammy. "Riverdance" was released as a single in 1994, credited to "Bill Whelan and
Anúna featuring the
RTÉ Concert Orchestra". It reached
number one in Ireland for 18 weeks and number nine in the UK. The album of the same title reached number 31 in the album charts in 1995.
Whelan has also arranged a symphonic suite version of Riverdance, with its premiere performed by the
Ulster Orchestra on
BBC Radio 3 in August 2014.[3]
A studio recording was released on CD (on the RTÉ lyric fm label) in 2018.
Biography
Whelan is a native of
Limerick city, and was educated at
Crescent College.[4] He gained his Bachelor of Civil Law degree at
University College Dublin in 1973 and then went to
King's Inns.[5][6] In 2011, Whelan was awarded the UCD Foundation Day Medal in recognition of his outstanding achievements and his contribution to Irish music worldwide.[7] While he is best known for his "
Riverdance" composition and the theatrical show
of the same name, Whelan has been involved in many ground-breaking projects in Ireland since the 1970s. In his autobiography he especially mentions the major influence of
James W. Flannery.[8]
Original music (1989–1993) for fifteen
W.B. Yeats plays (three per season), which were produced by James W. Flannery for the Yeats International Theatre Festival held at
Dublin's
Abbey Theatre each September during that period.[14]
The Spirit of Mayo (1993), performed by an 85-piece orchestra in Dublin's
National Concert Hall and featuring a powerful Celtic drum corps and a 200 strong choir and choral group Anúna.[16]
The Connemara Suite (2009), features the
Irish Chamber Orchestra along with soloists
Zoë Conway, Morgan Crowley, Colin Dunne (Dance Percussion) and Fionnuala Hunt.[16]
1981 – Timedance, composed by Whelan and
Dónal Lunny, and performed by
Planxty, features in the interval of Eurovision. Timedance released as a Planxty record.[21]
1983 – Whelan produces "The Refugee" on the
U2 album War.[22]
1989–1993 – In collaboration with James W. Flannery writes original music for the Yeats International Theatre Festival held at Dublin's Abbey Theatre.[14]
1993 – Composes the orchestral work The Spirit of Mayo.[16]
1994 – Composes Riverdance for interval segment of the Eurovision Song Contest. The segment is an unprecedented success and spins off into the long-running stage show.[29]
^Flannery gave me a sense that my work as a composer was valuable, and he encouraged me in every way he could. He praised the work. Even though I was slow to believe it, he convinced me to have faith in my skills as a melodist. He wanted me to believe I was equipped with the instinct for the dynamics of drama that a good theatre composer should have. This affirmation was an American thing at the time and wasn't found easily in Ireland.