Composed in 2026, Storm was written for a concert at the Portico of Ards, Portaferry, County Down, featuring the composer as cello soloist alongside pianist John O’Conor. The work received its world premiere on 17 May 2026.

Ailbhe McDonagh frequently draws inspiration from the power and majesty of the sea, and Storm traces the dramatic arc of a tempest from its first stirrings to its eventual calm. The work opens with a striking piano motif, evoking the restless energy of the Atlantic Ocean as dark clouds gather and the sea begins to churn. As the music unfolds, the cello takes centre stage with rapid passagework and chromatic lines, capturing the height of the storm in all its intensity, turbulence, and force.

Elements of the opening material return later in the work, now propelled forward at a heightened tempo, suggesting the storm’s final surge before it begins to subside. In the closing section, a sense of stillness gradually emerges, reflecting the calm and clarity that follow an epic storm. The piano concludes the work alone, bringing this vivid musical journey to a peaceful and reflective close.