Soundboard No. 31 - Church Music Dublin

SOUNDBOARD
MAY 2014 1
SOUNDBOARD
CHURCH MUSIC AND MUSICIANS
THE MAGAZINE OF CHURCH MUSIC DUBLIN
▪
Giving worship a vibrant voice through music
ISSUE 31 MAY 2014
In this issue
LIVING WORSHIP 2014 … 2
TRAINING AND INFORMATION
for church musicians … 3
Photograph by Patrick Hugh Lynch
Music at St Audoen’s, Cornmarket...
There are new beginnings at St Audoen’s Church, 500 metres from Christ Church
Cathedral. St Audoen’s is the only medieval (12th-century) parish church remaining
in Dublin, and has a Eucharist at 10 o’clock every Sunday. Since January the music
has been provided by a 4-voice professional quartet directed by Killian Farrell (see
above). Killian is a music student at TCD and also studies organ and piano. He is
Young Associate Conductor with Opera Theatre Company and also works as chorus
master with DIT Conservatory of Music opera productions. Canon Mark Gardner,
vicar, congratulates these young musicians for ‘braving the cold to bring new life
into an old place’ and clearly is pleased to have a Sunday Eucharist embellished by a
sung Gloria and Sanctus and a polyphonic motet. This solution to a church’s musical
needs might be usefully followed by other places.
DAVID BRIGGS IN LIMERICK ... 4
POPE BENEDICT XVI AND
LITURGICAL MUSIC … 5
PIPEWORKS 2014 … 6
...and at All Saints’, Grangegorman
There also are interesting music developments in the Christ Church Cathedral
group of parishes. Gerard Downey, the interim Director of Music at All Saints’,
Grangegorman, is reviewing musical resources generally in the three churches. At
All Saints’, the former fine tradition of Gregorian chant and homophonic singing is
being rediscovered and the restoration of children’s voices to the choir is
particularly welcome. Restoration work to the heritage organ in St Michan’s is being
considered and also to the St Werburgh’s Church organ, where the gilded front
pipes and a number of the internal pipes date from 1767. Fáilte Ireland recently
announced a grant towards the cost of updating the electrical installation in St
Werburgh’s.
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AN ORGANIST’S LIFELONG WORK
Robbie Crowther … 6
PROJECT MESSIAH … 7
A SIMPLIFIED HYMN TUNE … 7
ST BARTHOLOMEW’S IN PRAGUE … 8
2 SOUNDBOARD MAY 2014
Living Worship 2014
Living Worship 2014 – held on three Saturday mornings during January –
was led by Mark Duley, Peter Barley and Aidan Greene
Mark Duley’s topic was ‘Re-imagining a tradition’. He described the
development of Schola Cantorum at Galway’s Collegiate Church of St
Nicholas (see Soundboard 30), explaining the planning leading to its
formation and how variety has been achieved by having different choirs
ministering to the congregation at various times. It was clear that
partnerships established with NUI Galway and with the City Council have
been a key factor in the success of the Schola.
Mark also outlined how the church congregation has been included by the
use of frequently repeated material. The aspiration to establish Schola
Cantorum as an independent corporate entity is a recognition that the
future must be planned for, so that personnel changes within the church
will not adversely affect the music outreach. Those present sang some of
the material used at services at St Nicholas’ and Mark explained how the
pieces fit into the liturgy. These examples included a recent macaronic
setting by him in Irish and English of Glory to God in the highest, which
everyone agreed is attractive and easy to sing.
Using material from the forthcoming supplement to Church Hymnal,
Peter Barley, Director of Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick,
demonstrated ways of teaching new music to a congregation and provided
some very useful tips. Participants were pleased to be presented with a
useful preview of the supplement and the morning ended with a Q&A
session.
Aidan Greene is a music teacher and a former Director of Gardiner Street
Gospel Choir, based in St Francis Xavier Church. His topic was ‘gospel
music within liturgy: an Irish perspective’. Assisted by a short slide
presentation and music hand-outs, he spoke about ways of using gospel
music and introduced material suitable for use at church services. Aidan
summarised the fundamental characteristics of gospel music as being:
• Strong, tight harmonic sound with good relationships between the parts;
the basic triad is much used and parallel movement quite common
• Strong soloists, syncopated (off-beat) rhythms and accompaniment
• Repetition and reinforcement
• Emotion and expression reflected in the music.
• Interaction with the congregation /audience; call and response singing is
a key feature
• Music that supports and relates to the particular occasion and liturgy.
As always, Living Worship presented us with new ideas; ways of reflecting
on tradition that will help us today; good communal singing and an
opportunity to enjoy a pleasant chat over coffee. Look out for the January
2015 programme.
Aidan Greene at Living Worship
Companion to Church Hymnal
is a superb resource for musicians and
clergy. It contains fascinating
background information on every item
in Church Hymnal and a useful chapter
on choosing and playing hymns. Soon
will be out of print. Still available at the
special price of €40 from David at
[email protected] /
+353 87 668 3998
Let’s see you!
For future issues, we need good
images of people singing - something
happening - movement - people
enjoying themselves - human interest…
In brief, images that reflect the
singing church in action.
And we’d like to hear the stories
behind them too, so do write us little
snippets whenever you do something
interesting.
More formal choir photos are useful
too, though we use them only
sparingly.
We’re always happy to receive things.
[email protected]
Deputy organists
If you are on the deputy organist list,
be sure to let us know when your
contact details change. We receive
occasional advice that the contact
numbers are incorrect or that organists
are no longer available. To view the list,
go to
www.churchmusicdublin.org/deputy
Remuneration guidelines
The guidelines and recommendations
are on the website. The suggested
rates continue at the 2009 level. The
guidelines are published jointly by
Church Music Dublin and the Advisory
Committee on Church Music of the
Roman Catholic bishops.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions to Soundboard for 2014
are now due. There are online payment
details on page 1 and other payment
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SOUNDBOARD
MAY 2014 3
Training and Information
Archbishop of Dublin’s Certificate
in Church Music (ACCM)
This three-year course covers the skills required by anyone who
wishes to be a parish church organist. The syllabus includes
organ-tuition (28 individual lessons each year), choir training
and liturgy. Students are nominated by a parish and commit to
one year at a time. The cost is shared by the student, the parish
and the dioceses. There is an organ exam at the end of each
year. Liturgy training is provided by the Living Worship course
(see below) and there are occasional sessions in choir training
and encouraging congregational singing.
One-year Organ Training
This course caters for the person who is new to the organ and
would like some basic training. It also is for the parish organist
who feels that their skills need updating and refreshing. A
personal training plan of 20 lessons is designed for each
student and tuition in hymn-playing is an essential component.
Assessment at the end of the year is optional. (While this is a
standalone course, the student would be well-positioned for
subsequent acceptance to the ACCM.)
Living Worship
Three or four Saturday morning sessions in January-February
each year led by invited speakers. A very wide range of topics
has been covered since the course started in 2006 (see
website). Open to organists, singers, clergy – anyone interested
in widening their understanding of why and how we worship.
Hearts and Hands and Voices
The Ulster Society of Organists and Choirmasters
and the Royal School of Church Music invited choral
singers to a massed choir which rehearsed and
performed Stainer’s Crucifixion on Saturday 5 April
in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast (see above). The
conductor was Mark Duley, the performance was
accompanied by the Cathedral organist Ian Barber
and the soloists were David Robertson and Alan
Leech. 130 singers from all over Northern Ireland
attended.
This course (3 or 4 sessions) caters for a group of students
within a local area. The group may comprise those who wish to
find out more about the role of the church musician and/ or
organists (perhaps playing in a group of parishes) who wish to
bring their skills to a new level and gain fresh ideas. The local
churches publicise the course and provide the venue and
refreshments. Church Music Dublin plans the event and
provides tutors and documentation.
Videos
Music, Eucharist & You is a short (9-minute) web-based video
describing best practice in positioning music within the Church
of Ireland Eucharist. A second video, dealing with leading hymn
-singing from the organ, will be released during 2014.
churchmusicdublin.org
Our website contains information on all the above training
opportunities and about deputy organists, vacancies, musicians’
remuneration, simplified hymn tunes, and much more.
www.churchmusicdublin.org
Email updates
Anyone may sign up to our email list and receive occasional
information – not more frequently than once a month.
Details on our website.
Above: ACCM students being presented with their
certificates on Sunday 24 November 2013 at Christ
Church Cathedral (photo: Derek Verso).
L-R: Jonathan Wilson, Year 1 St Ann’s Church; Inga
Hutchinson, Year 3 Geashill and Killeigh; The Revd
Garth Bunting; Matthew Breen, Year 2 Taney
parish; and Stephanie Maxwell, Year 2 Clontarf. Not
pictured: Joseph Bradley, Year 2
Newtownmountkennedy and Newcastle.
4 SOUNDBOARD MAY 2014
Gospel Rising Festival
LINDSAY ROUNTREE on the 2014 event in Limerick
Sister Act is probably the first thing that comes to mind
when Gospel Music is mentioned in Ireland but ‘Gospel’ is
so much more.
Gospel music has a huge number of sub-genres from Negro
Spirituals to Urban Contemporary, Southern Gospel to
Gospel Blues and many, many others. While very different
from each other, they are all linked by common messages of
hope, joy, love, freedom and the ability to overcome strife.
Gospel Rising 2013, Service on Bray Bandstand,
The music is characterised by dominant vocals, often with a
led by Karen Gibson (Photo: Luke Weir)
strong use of harmony.
This year the Gospel Rising Music Festival is in Limerick City from 9 to 11 May. This is a full weekend of workshops and
gigs giving everyone attending a chance to really become part of this new music genre in Ireland. There will be a
Gospel Music Taster Workshop, run separately, on the Saturday afternoon at 3.30 to give everyone a chance to come
and see what it’s all about, sing your heart out, dance with the music and leave feeling full of the energy and
excitement that gospel music can give you. Further information and booking: www.gospelrising.com
David Briggs in Limerick
Wednesday 21 May at 8pm
A concert by international organist David Briggs celebrates the 150th anniversary of
the inauguration of the Hill organ in St John‘s Cathedral. This is the highlight of the
inaugural Limerick Pipe Organ Festival. David Briggs is currently Artist in Residence
at St James’ Cathedral, Toronto. Prior to this he held major cathedral appointments
in England, including that of Director of Music at Gloucester Cathedral.
Briggs is renowned as a leading exponent of improvisation, and this recital will
include organ improvisation. He has also built a significant reputation in the field of
orchestral transcriptions – playing well known orchestral music on the organ, often
in arrangements that he himself has made.
This is a concert not to be missed, as it is rare to hear three different strands in one
programme – organ repertoire, orchestral repertoire played on the organ, and
improvisation. The concert will be preceded on Tuesday 20th May by masterclasses
on improvisation. See www.lpof.ie for details.
The Limerick Pipe Organ Festival was established under the auspices of the RC
Diocese of Limerick to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the installation of the
organ in St John’s Cathedral. Tickets: €15, €10; email: [email protected]
Summer organ
workshops at Glenstal
News from FR COLUMBA MCCANN
Douglas Hollick, internationally recognised expert on
baroque organ music, returns for the fourth time to guide
organists in repertoire performance of all eras from 15-17
August at Glenstal Abbey. In recent years Douglas’s main
interest has been in 17th-century North German organ
music. He will give individual lessons in a group context, and
is also available for individual lessons by private
arrangement. Players of all standards are welcome.
Contemporary Dance Performance at the University of
Limerick, who will take a session with organists from the
perspective of the dancer. This workshop should be of
interest not just to organists but to anyone interested in
composition, improvisation or dance.
Contact Br Cyprian Love OSB [email protected]
Contact Fr Columba McCann, OSB [email protected]
Ansgar Wallenhorst, international prizewinning expert in
improvisation will work with organists from 11-13 August, on
his fifth visit. The theme for this year’s exploration of
improvisation will be ‘Dance’, and we are delighted to be
joined by Dr Mary Nunan, course director of an MA in
A previous participant wrote: ‘The workshop was fabulous.
The environment in Glenstal is unique, extremely peaceful,
and the abundance of instruments coupled with great
teaching skills make for some excellent learning. Everyone is
really friendly, and it was a really enjoyable experience.’
SOUNDBOARD
Benedict XVI and
liturgical music
CAROLINE PIRTLE is the Assistant Director at the
Notre Dame Center for Litugy, Indiana. She has
written a fine article entitled Benedict XVI and an
Incarnational Theology of Liturgical Music.
She identifies that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has
effectively changed, even set aside, the debates of
past decades surrounding the music of the liturgy
with his incarnational theology of liturgical music.
Two extracts from her article:
'For many in parish music ministry today, the 'style'
question is a hot-button issue: Gregorian chant,
Renaissance polyphony, hymnody, and praise and
worship are not simply classifications based on
empirical criteria of melody, harmony, rhythm,
texture, or timbre. They have come to imply loyalty
to a particular camp, an ethos of liturgical music
that often extends into defining an ethos of the
liturgy itself and even the Church in general. Those
who favour chant or 'traditional' hymnody are
often viewed as conservative elitists striving to
cling onto an antiquated vision of the Church.
Those who gravitate toward 'contemporary' hymns
or praise and worship music are conversely labelled
free- spirited, progressive liberals struggling to cast
off the oppressiveness of a previous era in order to
usher the Church into the modern culture. In order
to resolve these conflicts, a dialogue must take
place that delves more deeply than the question of
mere musical style and examines the issue at its
root. Ratzinger provides a starting point to this
dialogue by stating that “church music is faith that
has become a form of culture” (A New Song to the
Lord, 94). By adopting this mind set, it becomes
clear that a discussion of music and its place in the
Church must first begin with a discussion of culture
and its relationship to the Church, and it is this
relationship which is in need of healing.'
'For those who seek to sing God's praises, the self
must be set aside in order to create a space for the
Other. This becomes very difficult in a culture
which sets such a high value on creativity,
individuality, and originality, particularly when it
comes to music. Whenever liturgical music
becomes an extension of the self (whether as an
expression of taste or a demonstration of virtuosic
talent), it has ceased to serve its higher purpose. In
rediscovering ourselves and the relationship
between faith, culture and music, we must seek
above all to rediscover Christ, who offered his life
in self-emptying love as a song of praise to the
Father. In seeking to imitate this act of self-gift,
musicians and parishioners alike create an interior
space for the One who invites them to join in his
perfect song of praise.'
Here is a link to the full article: http://
blogs.nd.edu/oblation/2013/03/05/benedict-xviand-an-incarnational-theology-of-liturgical-music/
MAY 2014 5
Coming up this summer
This year’s Irish Church Music Association Summer School will take
place from Thursday to Sunday, 3-6 July, as usual at Maynooth
College.
The guest director will be David Saint, Organist and Director of
Music at St Chad’s Cathedral,
Birmingham. A new special
choir, the New Generation
Youth Choir, will be launched
this year, and will be involved
in the preparation for Vespers
on Saturday evening, 5 July,
at 6pm. Young people will be
the leaders. The speaker at
Vespers will be Bishop Pat
Storey (Meath and Kildare).
www.irishchurchmusicassociation.com
Solemn Patronal Mass at St John’s Church, Sandymount (St John
before the Latin Gate) and dedication of the restored organ. Sunday
4 May at 6pm. Preacher: Canon Adrian Empey.
www.sandymount.weebly.com
Dún Laoghaire Summer Organ Concerts. Sundays from 8 June
at 8pm. www.dunlaoghaireorganconcerts.ie
Photograph by Ros Kavanagh
Pipeworks 2014 by MARK DULEY
The 2014 Pipeworks Festival is coming up! Starting on 18 June, our
geographical adventures take us north of the border, to the Ulster
Hall and its mighty Mulholland Organ. The concerto final round (a
first for Pipeworks) of the international organ competition will take
place there, featuring the Ulster Orchestra. A further innovation is
the use of the chapel at St Patrick’s College Maynooth, with its new
Ruffatti organ where the 16 quarterfinalists (selected from a record 57
entries) will play.
The jury panel this year includes four Pipeworks first-timers: Dame
Gillian Weir (UK), Pier Damiano Peretti (Italy), Todd Wilson (USA) and
Sophie-Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin (France). Jon Laukvik (Norway/
Germany) returns as jury chair. The recitals and masterclasses to be
given by our jurors are not-to-be-missed events for Irish organists. A
major theme this year is ‘music of our own time and place’, with a
series of innovative workshops for composers, premieres of new
organ works, and a collaboration with Crash Ensemble (above).
As always, there is a strong choral element in the programme. The
Hilliard Ensemble, disbanding at the end of 2014, will sing twice for
us as part of their year-long swansong; Ireland’s own premiere
ensemble, Chamber Ireland Choir, will feature, as will Dublin’s three
cathedral choirs and the Mornington Singers. A feast of music to
celebrate the King of Instruments! www.pipeworksfestival.com
6 SOUNDBOARD MAY 2014
Bringing light to the world
DONNA MAGEE introduces a concert for a very good cause
An evening of music based around the theme of light will take place on Sunday 8 June at 5pm in Sandford Parish Church,
Ranelagh. The eclectic programme will feature Donna Magee (acting Director of Music) and friends, as well as the Sandford
Parish National School choir and the recently formed music group “Ceol.jam”. The programme will include sacred choral
works “O thou the Central Orb” by Charles Wood and Holst’s “Nunc Dimittis”, “Miroir” for organ by the Dutch composer Ad
Wammes, and more popular works by SPNS choir and Ceol.jam such as “Any Dream Will Do” and “Star, star” by The Frames.
Admission to the concert is free and there will be a retiring collection in aid of Solas Project, a charity whose vision is to see
communities rejuvenated. Solas equips and builds up young people in the Liberties area of South Inner City Dublin to
overcome the limitations imposed on them by social and educational disadvantage.
See www.solasproject.ie for more information on Solas.
Also at Sandford: Summer Music at Sandford Parish Church:
Fridays from 20 June at 1.10pm. www.sandford.dublin.anglican.org
The choir of St Polycarp's, Finaghy, Belfast (director, Simon Neill) will pay a return visit to Westminster Abbey in
August. The choir recently received a £6,000 grant from the Friends of Cathedral Music, which enabled them to build a new
choir vestry and office and a music library.
An organist’s lifelong work
Judy Cameron talks to ROBERT CROWTHER
Robbie had his first music lessons on the piano aged five
(in 1934). While his parents were not particularly musical,
in those days playing piano was an accepted recreation.
He became a chorister at St Patrick’s Cathedral when he
was seven, where George Hewson was organist and John
Turner Huggard his assistant.
Junior boys sang at weekday services
and joined the main choir when ten or
eleven years old. Robbie claims that he
didn’t have a particularly good voice - he
was known as ‘foghorn’. However, he was
an exceptionally good sight-reader,
winning in-house competitions (with a
sixpenny prize), and was a reliable
member of the team.
He sang in the cathedral choir until
1947 and studied piano with Thomas
Weaving, organist at Christ Church
Cathedral, who suggested that Robbie take up the organ
with Dr Hewson. Robbie may have been one of the last of
Hewson’s choristers to be channelled on to the organ
stool. At the RIAM, he won scholarships at all three levels,
Junior, Middle and Senior, which allowed him three years
free tuition.
His organ-playing career began on Pentecost Sunday
1947, when he was thrown in at the deep end. The
organist at Crumlin, Billy Spray, had broken a leg. Could
Robbie play in the morning? No preparation; no time to
practise!
In October 1949, Robbie was appointed to St James
Church, James’s Street at £40 a year. He remained there
with Canon Alcock until 1952 when he moved to
Powerscourt Church, Enniskerry, taking over from Percy
Steede, at £55 a year. Percy had been organist at
Powerscourt for 50 years.
There were morning and evening services, so
Powerscourt also provided Sunday lunches at many
hospitable tables round that widespread parish.
From 1962, pressure of work, the need for more family
time and involvement with Civil Defence caused Robbie to
give up the Enniskerry post and go freelance. He played in
many churches, especially in the Bray/Greystones area.
He joined the choir in Christ Church, Bray in 1962 under
Frank Deegan, and was organist from 1965
to 1970, also playing at St Paul’s. (The
Christ Church organ, currently being
restored, is a three-manual Conacher and,
Robbie says, one of the finest that he ever
played.)
Robbie’s other life was in insurance and
he remarks that it is a curious fact that in
those days insurance companies seemed to
attract organists. (Perhaps this would be an
interesting field for some social research!)
In 1976, Albert Colin, organist in Kilbride,
became ill, and, following a request from
Canon Albert Stokes, Robbie served there on a voluntary
basis until 2000, when his sight began to fail.
As a member of the united parishes of Kilbride and
Powerscourt, he often played in both churches and
fulfilled many other functions, not least as a very
convincing Santa Claus.
Robbie is not impressed with some recent trends in
church music, being especially disappointed with the
modern-language psalter. He feels that the shorter
sentences have made the psalms more difficult to sing. His
other horror is the alteration of words in established
hymns for reasons of political correctness.
An excellent raconteur, he has vast experience to draw
on, more than 50 years of it; 60 if you count his time as a
chorister. He can entertain a listener for hours with tales of
frightful organs with missing keys and wheezy stops, of
eccentric organists, deaf singers, country concerts, and of
the vagaries of brides who choose strange hymns for
weddings such as “Lead kindly light, amid the encircling
gloom”!
SOUNDBOARD
MAY 2014 7
Project Messiah
DEIRDRE SEAVER describes a community choral initiative for church choirs
When Blánaid Murphy, Director of the Pro-Cathedral
Palestrina choir, approached me in August last year and
proposed that we think of a way to celebrate the end of
the Year of Faith, I couldn’t resist! Over coffee, we decided
that it would need to be something that would focus on
the Church as a people - Pobail Dé - rather than the
church as an institution.
Our vision was to bring singers from church choirs all
over Dublin, all walks of life, all ages, all levels of musical
ability and provide them with the opportunity to sing
together and feel the power of their collective voices. We
wanted to lift the spirits – of both those who would sing
and those who would listen to them.
We discussed repertoire and kept returning to one
piece: Handel’s Messiah. Messiah, of course, holds a very
special place in the hearts of Dubliners and in many ways
it is considered a Dublin oratorio. And so was born Project
Messiah!
The challenge was to bring over 100 ‘random’ voices
together to learn Handel’s oratorio in eight weeks and
then perform it with professional singers and orchestra.
But would anyone else be interested or would they come
to All Hallows for that first rehearsal? Well, come they did,
and so began an amazing musical journey.
They braved dark, wet and windy Thursdays, they battled
road works, but it was chiefly their willingness to take a
risk and walk into that first rehearsal that was most
commendable. We saw confidence grow week by week.
One lady arrived the first night and shared that she had
taken a panic attack the evening before thinking about
what she had taken on. But she
came on her own despite her
nerves, and the following
Thursday she bounded in, full of
confidence, having looked
forward all week to the second
rehearsal!
During those eight weeks, under Blánaid’s tutelage, the
singers were motivated, inspired and gelled together
wonderfully. They were joyful rehearsals. This was a special
group- we heard not a solitary complaint or moan during
the entire project. On 23 November we received a most
warm welcome in Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in
Drimnagh and Project Messiah Choir gave its inaugural
concert. It was a very special performance for singers and
audience alike.
We have been inundated with requests from the
singers to make this an annual event and we would dearly
love this to happen. In the meantime we are organising a
choral workshop for church choir singers on Saturday 17th
May in All Hallows, Drumcondra. Do come along- and
Raise your Voices - Lift your Hearts!
Deirdre Seaver is a professional singer and harpist. She is
cantor at St Mary's, Star of the Sea Church, Sandymount,
where she directs both the adult and children's parish
choirs. She also cantors on a regular basis at Mount Argus
Church. Deirdre works as a Liturgist/Liturgical Music Leader
for the national and international Assemblies and Chapters
of various religious groups. [email protected]
Simplified hymn tune arrangement
Below is a further reprint from the 1986 publication 75 Well Known Hymn Tunes. The tune Lasst uns erfreuen is set to
three hymns in Church Hymnal: All creatures of our God and King (No.24), The whole bright world rejoices now
(No.274) and Ye watchers and ye holy ones (No.476). There are further simplified arrangements on the website.
8 SOUNDBOARD MAY 2014
St Bartholomew’s Choir at Prague Christmas Market
The music at St Bartholomew's, Clyde Road, Dublin continues to go from strength to strength. Having recovered from our
Holy Week services, culminating in a performance of Mozart's ‘Coronation Mass’ with orchestra on Easter Day, upcoming
events include the girls and men singing Evensong in Nun's Cross Parish Church, Killiskey on Sunday 25 May. There will be an
Ascension Day Eucharist at 8pm on 29 May and Corpus Christi will be celebrated at 7pm on Thursday 19 June, followed by
the usual parish BBQ. We will give our mid-Summer concert on Sunday 22 June at 7pm. This will include some lighter musical
items, suitable for the fantastic weather we will (of course) be enjoying, and will be followed by sparkling wine and canapés in
the church ground. Hope to see you there! Having achieved an amazing four gold awards in last year’s round of RSCM 'Voice
for Life' exams, we will continue to train our choristers to these high standards with further exams in October.
Tristan Russcher - [email protected]
FEIS CEOIL ORGAN RESULTS (congratulations to all!)
Fitzgerald Trophy: Adam Collins; Sr Catherine McAuley Cup: Matthew Breen;
Stanford Prize: Matthew Breen; Senior Organ (Fitzgerald Woodworth Cup): Robbie
Carroll (1st); Olwyn Feely (2nd); Junior Organ (Sarah Cooper Cup): Thomas
Maxwell (1st); Eoin Casey (2nd)
ORGANISTS ON THE MOVE
Helen Beardsley O’Toole has been appointed organist at Powerscourt
(Enniskerry) Church. Gerard Downey, former Pro-Cathedral organ scholar, is
interim director of music at All Saints’ Church, Grangegorman. David O’Shea is in
Cambridge on study leave and plans to be back in Dublin in mid-2014.
WANTED: Up to 30 copies of the Irish Chant Book, in reasonable condition.
Contact Gerard Downey, All Saints’, Grangegorman, Dublin 7. [email protected] /
086 179 7711
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SOUNDBOARD is published by
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which is appointed by the Dioceses of
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in local churches
ISSUE 31: MAY 2014
Edited & designed by Fraser Wilson
Photography by FW, named contributors,
& public domain sources
Correspondence and material for future
issues should be sent to
[email protected]
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editor or the Executive Committee
Chair Archdeacon Ricky Rountree
Secretary Mrs Jacqueline Mullen,
23 Ludford Park, Ballinteer, Dublin 16
Telephone +353 (0)1 298 8923
email [email protected]
website www.churchmusicdublin.org
The next Soundboard will be out in
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