Recent Events

Urnaí na Nóna – Evensong in Irish, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

Saturday 2 June was a remarkable day for Christ Church. It was the eve of Trinity Sunday and the middle of the Cathedral Festival, marked that day by the singing of Evensong in the Irish language and also  by a showing of the Phantom of the Opera, the old silent film, under the auspices of the Temple Bar Cultural Trust, with the accompaniment not of a Wurlitzer but the cathedral organ in the inventive hands of David Briggs, the celebrated composer and concert organist.

Choral Evensong was just as exciting in its own way but unlike the Phantom it was something new. The recently-composed Irish language canticles and responses were sung in full together for the first time. The composer, Caitríona Ní Dhubhghaill, is a former member of the choir. The Anthem, Amra Cholum Cille, was sung for the first time. The text comes from a new translation of Amra Chaluim Chille by Professor Páraic L Henry, and the music composed by Seoirse Bodley. The work was commissioned by Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise for the Choir of Christ Church cathedral.

Girls’ Choirs of St. Finbarre’s Cathedral and St. Bartholomew's Church unite for the first time.

On Sunday 20th May 2007, history was made in St. Finbarre’s  Cathedral Cork, when the Girls’ Choir of both St. Finbarre’s Cathedral Cork, and St. Bartholomew’s Church, Dublin together with the Gentlemen of each Choir joined forces to sing together for the first time.

St. Finbarre’s Cathedral and St. Bartholomew’s Church are steeped in Choral tradition, and have maintained Music in their respective buildings for well over 150 years, recently, both established Girls’ Choirs to enhance the worship already provided by the main choirs of boy choristers and gentlemen.

The different choral traditions of each group were highlighted in the singing of the psalms, the Cathedral maintains the tradition of singing Anglican chant, and St. Bartholomew’s, with it’s own roots firmly linked to the Oxford movement maintains the singing of plainsong settings. It was therefore decided to introduce each choir to the different repertoire, and both choirs adapted brilliantly to each others form of singing, performing a plainsong version in the morning and an Anglican chant version of the psalm at evensong.

The directors of each choir Colin Nicholls ( Cork ) and Malcolm Wisener ( St. Bart’s ) shared the role of conductor for both services, and the music included the settings of the Communion service in F by Herbert Sumsion, and the Canticles in E by Herbert Murrill, the highlight being the glorious anthem “Te lucis ante terminum” or Evening Hymn by Balfour Gardiner.

After evensong, and following a very successful day, it was agreed that both choirs should maintain contact, and hopefully repeat this worthwhile exercise later in the year at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Dublin.

St Brigid's Day Celebrations 2007