November 2007
Talking to David Connolly	Show Menu

Peter Barley talks to David Connolly, Organist and Director of Music at St Michael's, Dún Laoghaire

David, perhaps I could begin by asking you to describe your work at St Michael's.

There are three liturgies in the church on Sunday mornings, and the music is led by a different group at each. A small children's choir sings at the 11 am service, while the adult choir of about fifteen ladies sings at the 12 noon service. They also sing hymns and motets; I'd like to try and build up this choir in time, adding some men to the ensemble. A third service at 1 pm is led by a cantor.

How much rehearsal time do you have with each group?

The members of the children's choir come for an hour beforehand at 10 am, and I rehearse with the adults for an hour on the previous Wednesday evening. The cantor usually just has a brief rehearsal with me before the mass.

Turning now to the recital series, for which St Michael's is justly renowned, how is that organised?

The recital series runs on a separate track, although of course it is wholeheartedly supported by the church. We have been fortunate this year not only to receive our customary backing from Dún Laoghaire / Rathdown County Council, but also a grant from the Arts Council.

Presumably the church values the fact that this series brings people into the building who otherwise probably wouldn't visit.

That's right, and of course the Parish Priest Fr Mangan is absolutely behind the series, and couldn't be more helpful and supportive.

Did you have any particular thoughts when it came to putting together your first series of recitals? I must say that it looks a very good programme.

I set up this year's series using similar structures to before, so that I could get a feel for how things are working, and then after a year or two I will be in a better position to see if there are any changes that could be made to make it more efficient. I tried to create a balance between organists who play quite frequently and those with some new ideas.

I presume you're keen to keep a choral element in the series?

Over the thirteen weeks I'd like to have at least one choral concert (this year there was a popular return of the Palestrina Choir), and then to have one or two other types of group. I hope this will appeal to another part of the audience, who might then come to another concert in the series. Also, particular groups have particular followings, such as both of this year's choirs.

Let's now turn to talk about the other significant part of your current career, which is your work at NUI Maynooth. What is your role there?

I am a Senior Tutor, and am in charge of overseeing the practical musicianship aspects of the BMus and BA Arts Music degrees. I organise classes and tutorials, teach a couple of lecture classes in harmony to first and second years and I also have some organ pupils.

You must presumably be very busy during term time, then?

There are eleven weeks of hectic activity, and then it's much quieter in January when there are exams. Then another eleven week stint and then the Summer. For the last two years I have also directed the University Chamber Choir, which is made up of about 20 students, who are chosen by audition.

Looking back now, what was your own path through music education?

I began piano lessons at age eight, although nobody in my family was musical, nor were there any particular musical structures in the area where I grew up. I did not enjoy music much at this stage, but when I went to secondary school — a diocesan college — I had an inspirational music teacher, Ciarán Tackney. He had a very good music structure in the school. This was rare in a rural school in Ireland at that time — we had concerts, instrumental lessons and so forth. I took up the organ towards the end of my time there, studying with Ciarán.

It must have been at about this time that you were thinking of Maynooth, with its excellent reputation for tertiary level music?

I don't remember ever seriously considering anywhere else. I had heard good things about Maynooth, I knew a lot of people who had been there and I had also visited it and liked it a lot. I actually took a double honours in Music and Maths.

How did you find balancing those two, and was there a particular reason that you chose Maths as well as Music?

I can't remember how I did it! There did tend to be times when I was a little bit more Music heavy and did neglect the Maths. I was planning to be a secondary school teacher, for which I would need two subjects. After I finished my degree I did the HDipEd, and then I did a performance Master's degree.

Concurrently with studying at Maynooth you were organ scholar at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral. This must have been a great experience. How long were you there for?

I was there for four years (with a year away whilst I was doing the H.Dip.Ed). I was there during a period of huge transition. Orla Barry was Director of Music when I started, but within three months she left, and there was an interim Director for six months, and then I spent the remainder of my time watching Blánaid Murphy build the whole thing up. It was a very informative time. Professor Gillen of course also gave me an excellent training as an organist.

With your experiences of Catholic church music at the Pro Cathedral, Maynooth and now St Michael's, what is your perspective on the state of music in the Catholic Church? It tends to get something of a mixed press, but I must say that I perceive that things are more healthy than some people describe and I am impressed by how much is going on.

There are indeed more positive aspects than you would be led to believe by some people, although I would say that there needs to be more a straightening out of what's acceptable and what is not. This is particularly the case with weddings. Here you often find poor liturgical and musical practice. There needs to be a stricter set of guidelines, and a clearer delineation between music that is accessible/congregational and music that's just bad. There's an important distinction to be made here.

How about your own playing? Do you get much of a chance to play?

When I was doing my Master's degree I seemed to have much more time. In the last year I've probably fallen off a little from it, but I'd certainly like to keep doing recitals. My new position at St Michael's is certainly a great encouragement in this regard.

Thank you for talking to SOUNDBOARD, David, and I wish you well in all your future work in Maynooth, Dun Laoghaire and elsewhere. All good wishes for the rest of this year's series at St Michael's, and your plans for future years.

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