Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 12 December 2009
Festive Music in Full Swing
Advent, as the herald of Christmas, is increasingly the time for seasonal music and there is a bewildering choice in the week ahead.
This evening (Saturday) there is an invitation to ‘Come and Sing Carols with the Cathedral Choir’ in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin at 4.30pm while tomorrow (Sunday) at the same time the Cathedral’s Assistant Organist, David Leigh, will play Messiaen’s La Nativité du Siegneur.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE 1 will broadcast a Sequence of Advent Readings and Music from St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway, led by the Ven. Gary Hastings and Canon Maureen Ryan, with the Collegiate Choir directed by Mark Duley. In the afternoon at 3.30pm there will be a candlelit Carol Service in St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, with music from the Cathedral Choir, directed by Derek Verso, and readings by members of the local community. At 4pm there will be s Service of Carols and Readings by candlelight in the medieval church of St Doulagh, on the Malahide Road, Balgriffen, with music form the 1st Co Boys’ Brigade Brass Band, while at the same time there will be an Ecumenical Carol Service in St Kieran’s Church, Templeconnor, Clonmacnoise.
The choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, will give two Christmas Concerts, on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 8pm. These concerts are to raise funds for the cathedral music and tickets may be had from www.tickets.ie/christchurchcathedral.
In the west, the Bishop Tuam, Killala & Achonry will preside at Carol Services in St Crumnathy’s Cathedral, Achonry, on Thursday and in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Killala, on Friday.
The Discovery Gospel Choir will play the first of two Christmas shows on Friday evening in their home church, St George & St Thomas's, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1, where the doors will open at 7.30pm . As this beautiful neo-Byzantine church is converted into Dublin’s most inspiring venue, the show will be a colourful and vibrant evening of song and dance for the choir and audience alike. Featuring African, Chinese and Polish songs, the multicultural choir will also perform traditional carols with a joyful gospel touch. Tickets are available from www.tickets.ie/discovery-gospel-choir
The service of evensong, recorded on 11 October, in St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny, in the style of a service from 1609 celebrating 400 years of the city charter will be shown on RTE1 tomorrow (Sunday) at 11.15. The Cathedral choir led by organist Malcolm Proud sang music of that era and processed in candlelight through the historic building, which had existed for a previous 400 years to 1609. The Mayor and Civic Dignitaries were in attendance and Dean of Ossory, the Very Revd Norman Lynas, congratulated them on behalf of the citizens of Kilkenny on this significant milestone.
Tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon the Archbishop of Dublin will preach at the Advent Discovery Service in St Maelruain’s Church, Tallaght, and on Monday will attend the annual Charter Day celebrations in the Kings Hospital.
The Wednesday lunchtime recital in St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, will be given by the soprano, Emma English, who will sing works by Mozart, Verdi and Puccini.
On Wednesday the annual St Ann’s Clergy Sit-Out for charity begins in Dawson Street with an official launch by the Lord Mayor and the Archbishop of Dublin at 2pm, when the Taney Parish Junior Choir will sing. On the following day the Dean of St Anne’s Cathedral, Dr Houston McKelvey, will begin his sit-out in Donegall Street, where the presence of the ‘Black Santa’ has become a familiar part of the Belfast seasonal streetscape