Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times
Belfast Cathedral Choir on Tour
Tomorrow (Sunday) the choir of St Anne?s Cathedral, Belfast, directed by Philip Stopford, and with Ian Barber at the organ, will sing the services in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, where the setting for the Eucharist will be Mozart?s Missa Brevis in F. This will be the final leg in a three cathedral Irish tour by the choir as part of the Belfast Cathedral centenary celebrations. Last Thursday the choir gave a concert in St Fin Barre?s Cathedral, Cork, and the following evening sung in Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford.
This has been an exceptionally busy year for the Belfast Cathedral Choir which has not only provided music for the weekly worship in St Anne?s but has also been involved in many of the special services associated with the centenary celebrations. Highlights of the year have included a live BBC Radio 4 broadcast, the recording of a new CD, and, next month, the recording of two programmes for the ever popular BBC television Songs of Praise.
The choir?s new CD, entitled Mysterium, includes the motet O magnum mysterium by the American composer, Morten Lauridsen, a selection of spirituals such as Steal Away and Were you there when they crucified the Lord, and motets from the 20th and 21st centuries. Mysterium is available from Belfast Cathedral, Donegal Street, Belfast BT1 2HB.
There is a good deal of other music next week in Church of Ireland venues. The Newfoundland Philharmonic Choir from Canada will give a free lunchtime recital in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, on Monday. On Wednesday evening they will sing in St Carthage?s Cathedral, Lismore, in aid of the Cathedral Restoration Fund and on Friday evening will give a concert in St Multose?s Church, Kinsale, in support of the church renovation fund.
On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday Evensong in St Patrick?s Cathedral will be sung by Appasionare and on Friday there will be a lunchtime recital by the Choir of Queen?s College, Cambridge.
In St Barrahane?s Church, Castletownshend, Co. Cork, on Thursday evening, the Rothko String Trio will perform works by Schubert, Weir and Beethoven as part of the Festival of Classical Music.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Rt Revd Paul Colton will visit Cape Clear Island where he will celebrate the Eucharist on the site of the old Church of Ireland church at South Harbour. Clear Island is now part of a union of parishes based on Abbeystrewry where the rector is the Revd Bruce Hayes.
On Tuesday the Archdeacon of Dublin, the Ven. Gordon Linney, leaves for Uganda to visit a major hospital development programme at Kisiizi which has been funded by the parish of Glenageary of which he is rector. David Barrett, a civil engineer from the parish, has been working in a voluntary capacity at the hospital for the last three years, while another parishioner, the writer Sarah Webb, has edited a book of short stories, part of the proceeds of which will go to the children of Kisiizi. Her book, Travelling Light has been published by Gill & Macmillan.
On Wednesday from noon the Kilmocomogue Union Garden Fete will take place at the rectory, Durrus, Co. Cork.
On Friday evening, in Rathbarron Church, Co. Sligo, the Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry, Dr Richard Henderson, will institute the Revd Kathryn Southerton to the incumbency of the Achonry union of parishes. Ms Southerton, who was ordained in 1992, has come from the Church in Wales where she has been Rector of Halkyn in North Wales since 1997.
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