Beautiful Broken Things is a new music performance created by composer Brian Keegan and songwriter Tríona Sings. The show is comprised of new original music specially created for Scene + Heard performed live by Tríona and Brian. In this new work the artists aim to create an experience for listeners which is expansive and which helps people connect to their deeper selves. They would like listeners to feel that they are connected to themselves, to the other people in the room and to the wider world. They aim to create a sense of oneness with one other and with their surroundings – an experience of lightness and connection.
The piece aims to invoke peace and calm, acknowledging that the journey towards stillness is different for everybody. Through distinct musical approaches, and a commitment not to repeat already used motifs, Brian and Tríona honour difference and the vast diversity of access points for individuals. Each piece has its own tone and musical vocabulary, each evoking different imagery in the mind of the listener and a different energy in the room. Their ambition is to take listeners on an emotional journey through chaos, grief, and back to joy.
Book Tickets HERE
Co-creator, Tríona Sings said:
“It is hard to describe my music, but the songs definitely sit in the folk/trad tradition and can be described as secular hymns – with sass. The work myself and Brian are doing takes the spiritual otherworldly dimension even further. What we create together is very different. When alone, I start with the lyrics, compose the melody on piano, then arrange for performance on guitar. With Brian, I am using only my voice. Brian brings a keen perception of intention and a wealth of experience and skill in composition. In general, when I sing I like listeners to connect to something they perceive to be larger than themselves. Something beyond words. In the music Brian and I create we hope listeners can tune into their deepest largest selves and to fully inhabit their space.
My musical influences are many: folk, trad, classical, choral, country, bluegrass, spiritual, cabaret, music hall, rock. I’m a big Leonard Cohen fan and admire the poetry and wisdom of his words. I’m inspired mainly by nature –the wildness of the ocean, the stillness of trees and by people of all walks of life who triumph but stay humble. I am also inspired by stories, be they books, songs, circus acts, comedy, drag or plays which are grounded in truth or which are funny.”
Editor’s Notes
SCENE + HEARD: The Festival of New Work returns to Smock Alley Theatre this February. The 2025 festival offers a thrilling mix of creativity and bold experimentation – think of it as a feast for the senses! Artists from across Ireland and beyond showcase their innovative new ideas, giving audiences an exclusive chance to witness the genesis of exciting future productions.
This year, the festival will debut 111 brand-new works, featuring over 600 performers, designers, directors, and creators. The selection celebrates daring ideas, artistic fusion, and creative risk-taking. Audiences are invited to engage directly, offering vital feedback that helps shape the final evolution of these works.
More information: https://www.sceneandheard.ie/
Artists Biographies
Tríona Ní Dhuibhir / Tríona Sings
Tríona performed her own one woman shows at Dublin Fringe Festival, Bewleys Café Theatre, the Cobalt Café and at The Performance Corporation’s Big House Festival. She played in traditional, folk and choral contexts for many years performing solo numbers with Cantóirí Choir at The Village, Whelans, The Helix and at Dublin Fringe Festival’s Spiegeltent. She sang in the citizens’ chorus of The Suppliant Women which opened Dublin Theatre Festival at the Gaiety Theatre. Tríona has a first-class honours MA from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance.
Tríona has since performed her original songs at Darkey Kelly’s, The Brady Sessions, Young Heart’s Run Free (in a line-up with Donal Lunny), at the Workman’s Club, the Back Page and with Mothers Artists Makers (MAM) at Árus an Phiarsaigh for Nollag na mBan, The MAM Behind the Mic at Smock Alley Theatre, the dlr Mill Theatre, and at Project Arts Centre with MAM for International Women’s Day. She opened The Cottage Festival, with an hour of original music, in beautiful Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan and was proud to be in the Mná Grá lineup at the Seo Beo Festival at Árus Chrónáin. She released her debut EP in 2021 and was delighted to share this selection of songs at First Fortnight’s Cistin and as a featured artist with The Songwriting Collective.
Tríona runs a platform for women singers who have not yet gained recognition with Axis Ballymun. Following the huge success of the inaugural edition with the amazing Asha Ari, Farah Elle and Caitlin Donavan she is proud to present the second edition with extraordinary artists from Ballymun and North Dublin, Aoife Fitzpatrick, Aisling Hill and Tanya Ray. This edition takes place in Axis Ballymun on Friday 31st January 2025 at 8pm on the eve of Imbolg/Lá Fhéile Bríde. The women, celebrating Ireland’s ancient tradition of the Goddess, are supported by a stellar line-up of local and international musicians including Mark Byrne & Peter Grange from Ballymun’s own band, Dextra, Libyan-Irish songwriter & pianist Farah Elle and guitarist Ecardo Baader from Hamburg, Germany.
Brian Keegan
Brian has a background in contemporary music composition, sound design and linguistics and has created music and songs for artists in dance, film and theatre. Brian has composed music for a variety of ensembles and orchestras including the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. His composition for screen includes feature-length dramas, documentaries and short films and this music has featured in numerous film festivals in Ireland and worldwide. His contemporary classical music has featured on RTÉ Lyric FM and has been played in the National Gallery of Ireland, the Hugh Lane Gallery, New Jersey, Milan and the CCI Paris. Brian’s compositions have been recognised with an award from Germany’s DAAD and with the François de Roubaix music composition award.
Recent professional achievements in music and sound design include composing for; The Somewhat Imagined, Partly Historical, True Story of the Forgotten Irish Playwright TERESA DEEVY at dlr Mill Theatre (2025); Aileen (written by Emma Moohan) at Smock Alley Theatre (2024); The Oasis (written by Michelle Read) at Gaiety School of Acting Graduation (2024); Grouchy Letters (written by Mizuho Yamaki) at Scene + Heard Festival (2024); Nebula with Chamber Choir Ireland at the National Concert Hall (2023); On a House Like a Fire by Michelle Read at Galway Theatre Festival (2023); Singularity with London Contemporary Chamber Orchestra (2023); Lir, Mixed Ensemble, Culture Night, Galway Atlantaquarium (2023); Bang! by Michelle Read at Dublin Theatre Festival (2021).
Find out more music HERE
