The new series of Northern Songs, Northern Ireland Opera's celebration of the beautiful landmarks and locations of Northern Ireland through songs composed by Northern Irish or Irish composers and performed by opera singers is back, launching on 13th May for a weekly series of 8 films. This season has a particular focus on counties Fermanagh, Armagh and Tyrone, but the first film starts in Belfast, with a performance of Duke Special and Andrew Doyle's 'A River Runs Beneath Us', performed by soprano Catherine Donnelly and mezzo Margaret Bridge with pianist Ruth McGinley, filmed along the Lagan on Belfast's Maritime Mile and Titanic Quarter.

All the films have been produced by Belfast based film production company Causeway Pictures, and this new series features songs from traditional airs to pieces by contemporary composers and travels from deep underground in the Marble Arch Caves to the edge of the rocks at Ballintoy Harbour, made famous as the Iron Islands in Game of Thrones. Full details of songs and release dates in the link.

Watch the new series every Thursday at 8pm on Northern Ireland Opera's YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/c/northernirelandopera of on www.niopera.com or via links on Northern Ireland Opera's social media feeds.