The success of Bill Whelan's Riverdance evolved from a concept for music and dance that he established earlier with The Seville Suite, his first major orchestral composition. The Seville Suite was commissioned for Ireland's National Day at the World Expo 1992 in Seville, Spain. Through the score, Whelan tells the story of legendary Irish war hero Red Hugh O'Donnell. At a mere 21 years of age, O'Donnell successfully led a rebellion against the English government in 1593. Johan de Meij's arrangement is a 13-minute adaptation featuring highlights from the original suite.