The Irish composer Seóirse Bodley was born in Dublin in 1933. He studied in Ireland and Germany, and later became an Emeritus Professor in the Music Department at University College, Dublin. The influences on the music of Seóirse Bodley include a range of musical styles from the European avant-garde to Irish traditional music. Bodley’s symphonies are immediately accessible, with memorable themes, lively rhythms and expert and original orchestration. Both these symphonies show off the composer’s musical strengths to the full.