Members of Galway’s ensemble-in-residence, the ConTempo Quartet, will give two performances next month designed to help people prepare for Christmas by slowing down and prioritising rest and reflection.

The first performance of Hear the Sun Stand Still will be on Tuesday December 2, at 1.10pm in St Nicholas Collegiate Church and is part of the series, Lunchtimes with ConTempo.

The second is on Sunday, December 7, at 3.30pm in Scoil Éinne, An Spidéal as part of ConTempo Countywide, and is in partnership with Comhlacht Forbartha an Spidéil.

Both concerts are part of the Wintering Programme from the community organisation MusicConnects, and they will close out the group’s celebration of nature and ecology, which was its theme for 2025.

Works being performed will include adagio movements from Mozart’s Divertimento for String Trio and Beethoven’s String Trio Op. 3, both in E flat major, as well as Kodály’s Intermezzo and Swan Hennessy’s Petit Trio Celtique.

In line with MusicConnects’ commitment to programming and commissioning contemporary Irish composers, the programme will also feature the world premiere of a string trio arrangement of Sun Stands Still by Amanda Feery (originally composed for piano, double bass and percussion). This piece considers the winter solstice through musical reflections on the year’s end.

Ahead of these concerts, some of the repertoire will be dissected through MusicConnects’ new listening initiatives.

Next Tuesday, November 25, at 11am in Galway City Library, the organisation’s Guided Listening programme, Music Unveiled, will explore some of the programme’s works. Featuring talks by Amanda Feery and senior lecturer in music at the University of Galway, Dr Aidan Thomson, with live demonstrations by ConTempo Quartet, this event is about ‘less stress, more success’ and no knowledge of music required.

The session will also be filmed and made available online.

For those who want to engage with music by taking part, there’s Lines of Listening on Sunday, November 30, at 11am in the Space, at the University of Galway. Facilitated by visual artist Maeve Curtis and author Mike McCormick, this is an event that creates space for deep listening and responding through mark-making and writing. This initiative is part of Lochránn, an outreach initiative in partnership with the university’s Arts in Action programme.

Entry to all concerts and workshops is free and all are welcome.

Booking is required for Music Unveiled next Tuesday and this can be done through the City Library. For Lines of Listening, booking can be done through Eventbrite.

■ For further information, visit www.musicconnects.ie.

Pictured: Amanda Feery whose composition Sun Stands Still will be performed in a new arrangement for string trio.