This programme tells the story of the composer Swan Hennessy (1866-1929), whose music, after years of neglect, has been rediscovered in recent years by scholars and musicians. Born near Chicago, he studied in Stuttgart, spent some years travelling around Europe, including Ireland, England, Switzerland and Italy, and was based in Paris in his final years. He was known as a ‘celtic’ composer and wrote numerous pieces with titles ending in ‘celtique’ and ‘irlandais’, influenced by Irish folk music and themes.

The presenter is Guy Livingston and the programme includes contributions from Axel Klein, author of Bird of Time: The Music of Swan Hennessy, cellist Aldo Ripoche, pianist Moritz Ernst, and Swan Hennessy’s great-grandchildren. The progamme also includes new performances of a number of previously unrecorded songs.

The producer is Claire Cunningham, sound supervision is by Tinpot Productions, and the programme is a Rockfinch production for RTÉ lyric fm.

Funded by Coimisiún na Meán with the Television Licence Fee and by RTÉ. Producer for RTÉ lyric fm: Eoin O’Kelly.