Jane O'Leary's Concorde Ensemble and RTE's new, free, Explorer Series with the NSO have already ensured a livelier than usual start for contemporary music in 1999, writes Michael Dervan. Now comes news that the Crash Ensemble will be back at Project @ the Mint for two concerts on Thursday, February 25th and Friday. Crash are promising six Irish premieres, of works by Salvatore Martirano (UIUS and Jest falaffs), Gerard Grisey (Talea), Philip Glass (the early Strung Out and Ik-Ook), Donnacha Dennehy (GUBU), Giacinto Scelsi (La reveil profond), and a piece by the young Northern Irish composer Michael Keaney (Resilient Hope).

On Saturday 27th at 2 p.m. there will be a lecture/recital by the Calcutta-born, German-resident composer Clarence Barlow (including a performance of his tape piece CCU), followed at 4.30 p.m., by a provocatively-titled panel discussion on Technology: the Support System for a Dying Art. Taking part will be Barlow, Dennehy, Gerald Barry, Raymond Deane and Roger Doyle.