Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 17 October 2009
Musician’s Memoir Published
A wide-ranging memoir by the notable Irish church musician Dr Harry Grindle will be launched in St Mark’s Church, Dundela, Belfast, this morning (Saturday) by Canon J.C. Bell. This illustrated memoir focuses not only on the career of one man but gives an insight into church music at a time of rapid change
In a career lasting over half a century, Harry Grindle has filled with distinction the roles of organist, conductor, composer, teacher and scholar. Reprise – An Irish Church Musician Looks Back, traces his path from a choirboy in Bangor Abbey, through his period as Organist and Choirmaster of Belfast Cathedral during the worst of the ‘Troubles’, to his many years as Director of the celebrated choral group, the Priory Singers.
In a life filled with music-making, Dr Grindle recounts his time school-teaching in Belfast and London, his years as Organist of Bangor Parish Church, and as Head of Music in Stranmillis University College. Of particular interest is his account of how he came to conduct the choir of the nuns of the St Louis Order.
Generous in his acknowledgement of the influence on him of such outstanding musicians as Sir Adrian Boult, Herbert Howells and Flor Peeters, Harry Grindle has done more than any other to guide and encourage young musicians in Northern Ireland, achievements which have brought him honours from Queen Elizabeth and the Archbishop of Canterbury
The book will be available at the Good Book Shop, 61-67 Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2QH (Phone: 90244825) and through the Resource Centre Bookshop, Holy Trinity Church, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6 (Phone/Fax : 4972821).
This morning (Saturday) the Country Air Association, founded in 1887 to give country breaks to Dublin slum dwellers and which still provides assistance for needy people to have brief holidays, will have a Sale of Work in St Paul’s Parish Centre, Gleneageary.
The eighth Dublin international symposium on Jonathan Swift will be held in St Patrick’s Deanery this afternoon (Saturday) and the main theme will be the 280th anniversary of the publication of A modest proposal. The symposium will be followed tomorrow (Sunday) by the Annual Swift Commemoration service in St Patrick’s Cathedral at 3.15pm when the address will be given by Professor Andrew Carpenter.
The Kilmore, Elphin & Ardagh Diocesan Synod will be held today (Saturday) and will be followed by that of Armagh on Tuesday. The Dublin & Glendalough Synod meets on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in Taney Parish Centre while on Wednesday the Cashel, Ossory & Ferns Synod will take place in Waterford and the Derry & Raphoe Synod in Ballybofey.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE Radio 1 will broadcast Morning Service from Ardrahan, Co. Galway where the rector is the Revd George Flynn, while in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the preacher at the Choral Eucharist will be the Revd Sharon Ferguson, Chief Executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement. In the evening the Archbishop of Dublin will preach at a Service of Thanksgiving to mark the restoration of the stained glass windows in Killiskey parish church, Co. Wicklow.
In St Ann’s Church, Dublin the Revd Michael Heaney and his wife, Rhodanne, continue with their shortened Alpha Course for business people at lunchtime on Mondays. The sessions are from 12.40 to 1.30pm, lunch is provided, and all are welcome.
On Friday evening the Bishop of Cork will be the preacher at a service to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the consecration of Christ Church, Fermoy, where the rector is the Revd Eileen Cremin.