Sunday 22 December 2013

Service for Oncology Unit Cavan General

Families and friends of the staff and patients of Cavan Oncology Unit held a candle lit service at the Kilmore Hotel on the morning of Saturday Dec 21st. This was the first time, after 15 years, the service had moved from the Oncology Ward of the hospital. The mixture of readings, prayers, candles, music and song was wonderful. All who partook and attended were touched by the atmosphere. We are blessed, as ever, to be able to bring the power of song to this occasion.

Stars, Choirs and Carols

A bus load of us headed off to Croke Park on Thursday 20th to join in a World Record Attempt at singing carols in great numbers. We did not break the record, but a wonderful evening was had by all who took part in this joyous and well organised event. (What's that I hear? We'll do it next year? mmm...)
There is a report in the Irish Independent here

AGM 2013

Our AGM took place in the Kilmore on Tuesday 17th. There was a great turn out and we got through the business efficiently, effectively and with good humour. Reports from the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer told of a very busy and productive year, touched by the sadness of losing our friend and former Musical Director Winnie Hughes. We discussed plans for next year (our 30th birthday/anniversary), and installed our committee as listed below. Our shiny new Facebook page was launched. We then relaxed with some refreshments and chatter.
Here our outgoing committee are pictured, reflecting both the serious and lighthearted nature of our AGM. We thank each of them for their work on our behalf in the past year, in particular Áine Sullivan who is stepping down having finished her 'sentence' as Treasurer!

Incoming committee members elected:
Chair - Rachael Cullivan Elliot (alto)
Vice Chair - Frances Galligan (tenor)
Secretary - Carmel Gaffney (alto)
Treasurer - Liz Murray (soprano)
Assistant Treasurer - Nora Kennedy (soprano)
Librarian - Peter Howard (bass)
PRO - Mags Amond (tenor)

"In the Bleak Mid-Winter"

There were rumours of a strange new Santa-type monster stalking the Town Square in Cavan on Dec 14th, rattling a bucket! Ah, but those 'in the know' who will tell you it was our intrepid Treasurer Dr Áine Sullivan (alto) who wanted to ensure the dreadful weather did not reduce donations at our street Carol Singing in aid of St Vincent de Paul. Check the Met Office report for the day if you have doubts - anyone who braved this weather to sing deserves a medal, or at least a mince pie! Well done to all, not least Áine, and especially our (truly adaptable) accompanist Eileen Tackney.

Thursday 12 December 2013

"The Joy of Christmas" - Cavan Cathedral Carol Concert 2013


In the mildest winter weather for many a year, we joined in the seasonal celebrations in Cavan Cathedral, where our former Chair (and bass) Fr. Kevin Donohoe is currently the ADM. This is the program for the evening, which was attended by a large appreciative congregation. It was great to be part of such a wonderful evening.

Entrance - All choirs - O Come All Ye Faithful
Words of Welcome - Fr Kevin
Lighting of Candles - Youth of the Parish

Cathedral Choir
So Many Stars
God Rest You Merry Gentlemen


Cavan Singers
Coventry Carol
Advent Carol


Cavan Sinfonia
The Snowman
Silent Night


Claire O'Reilly & Brian McKeever
Still A Bach Christmas

Priests of the Parish - Fr Ultan, Fr Darragh, Fr Kevin
Gabriel's Message

Cathedral Choir & Cavan Singers
Soloists - Carmel O'Donoghue and Martina Lee Boyle
O Holy Night

St Patrick's College Choir
When Christ was born in Bethlehem

St Patrick's College Ensemble
Soloist - Andrew Molloy
Christmas Rhapsody

Recessioanl - All choirs
Hard the Herald Angels Sing
Joy to the World





Wednesday 11 December 2013

It's a "Midwife Crisis"

On an unseasonably mild Sunday evening we joined the congregation in the Church of Ireland Cavan for their annual Carol Service. As Rev Mark Lidwill said in his welcome address, we have been doing this for almost our entire 30 year history. One of the delights of this occassion each year is the Nativity play produced and presented by the teachers and students of Cavan No1 school. This year it was called "A Midwife Crisis" and it was brilliant. Our soloists this year were Brian Mc Keever (bass) and Pauline Brady (soprano), we were accompanied on the organ by Eileen Tackney and conducted by our Musical Director Sue King.


(Tonight we cross the road to sing with the Cathedral and St. Pat's choirs in the Cathedral Carol Service.)

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Yesterday at 11am, in Newtownforbes Church, we sang for our late former Musical Director Winnie Hughes, along with The Longford County Choir and their conductor and organist Fintan Farrelly. We sang together pieces she had conducted in Cavan Singers and pieces she had sung with Longford County Choir - Locus Iste, the Alleluia from Mozart's Exsultate, Jubilate, Caccini's Ave Maria and the Benedictus from The Armed Man. We listened to Leonard Cohen and the Webb Sisters sing the prayer If It Be Your Will. It was very sad, but also very lovely to be invited by Winnie's family to take part in her funeral Mass. Our sympathies are with them, and they will be in our thoughts each time we remember Winnie.
To remind us of the happy times, read again Mary Haren's post about the trip to Barcelona in 2008, and watch us singing there with Winnie.

Song of Jupiter - Where W'ere You Walk

Saturday 30 November 2013

"Tis the Season..."

We began our Christmas season by singing along with the launch of the Cavan Town lights by the Cavan Ladies Football Team (and Santa of course) this afternoon. Well done all.

ps - the Drumlin Media live broadcast can be accessed here!!


Saturday 2 November 2013

Hallowe'en to Christmas is going to be very very busy...

We have a very busy schedule between now and Christmas - as well as recording some Carols for RTE LyricFM on Nov 14th, we will be performing both Carols and Sacred music as follows...

Sat Nov 30th - Cavan Town Square, Turning on the Christmas Lights

Sun Dec 8th - Church of Ireland, Carol Service

Wed Dec 11th - Cavan Cathedral, Carol Service with Cathedral Choir

Sat Dec 14th - Cavan Town, Carol Singing in aid of St Vincent de Paul

Tue Dec 17th - Hotel Kilmore for our AGM and Christmas Party

Thur Dec 19th - Croke Park Dublin, "Stars, Carols & Choirs" World Record Charity Carol Service

Sat Dec 21st - morning in Hotel Kilmore singing carols for the Oncology Unit, Cavan General Hospital

Sun Dec 22nd - Cavan Baptist Church, Carol Service

(And as if that wasn't enough, our friends in Cavan Sinfonia are playing the Ramor Theatre in Virgina on Dec 7th at 8.30pm, guest singer John O'Grady.)

Cavan Singers / Fermanagh Concert Band "Duet" Part II

The "return match" in Cavan Crystal Hotel on Friday October 18th went very well and the Cavan audience was as gracious in their applause and appreciation as had been the Fermanagh one. We have enjoyed our collaboration with the FCB, a talented and generous group with whom we hope to work again with in the future. Because this project has been Peace III funded, we were able to invite lots of friends who support us in all our ventures.





















(btw FCB are very prolific and talented photographers - lots of great pics shared via the FCB FaceBook photostream)















We have a very busy schedule between now and Christmas - as well as recording some Carols for RTE LyricFM, we will be performing both Carols and Sacred music as follows...

Sun Dec 8th - Church of Ireland, Carol Service
Wed Dec 11th - Cavan Cathedral, Carol Service with Cathedral Choir
Thur Dec 19th - Croke Park Dublin, "Stars, Carols & Choirs" World Record Charity Carol Service
Sat Dec 14th - Cavan Town, afternoon Carol Singing
Sat Dec 21sy - Oncology Unit Carol Service, Hotel Kilmore
Sun Dec 22nd - Cavan Baptist Church, Carol Service

Date for Lyric recording to be confirmed, and the most important date of all is Tuesday December 17th - our AGM and Christmas Party combined.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Arcadian Rhapsody #1 with Fermanagh Concert Band in Enniskillen

On Saturday evening we set off in Flood's coach from the Orchard car park and headed to the Westville Hotel in Enniskillen. There were some hurried phone calls en route to friends and 'groupies' who were attending, as this was a last minute change of venue! It turned out to be a pleasant one. A small but attentive and appreciative audience enjoyed our programme.
Cavan Singers went first, delivering our current repertoire in English, Irish, Italian and Spanish - including Song of Jupiter, Laschia, Cantar, Éist, Viva La Vida, Sway - and our geographical trilogy of Cavan Girl (new arrangement by our accompanist Eileen Tackney), Kerry Dances and Follow Me Down to Carlow. This audience loved our Irish airs Danny Boy and Isle of Hope. After the interval we listened to a fabulous repertoire from the Fermanagh Concert Band which went down a storm with us all. The finalé of the evening was a joint presentation of the two pieces we had rehearsed together, All That Jazz and Bohemian Rhapsody. It is wonderful for the choir to sing with a full band, and the brass added greatly to both pieces. Now we only have to prepare to do it all again next Friday night in the Cavan Crystal hotel!!
The intrepid online jounalists from FCB have lots of great pictures from the concert at their FaceBook photostream, have a look...

Tuesday 1 October 2013

And we finally join Facebook!

We have a Facebook account now, please 'friend' us here. Who knows, we may even 'like' you back!

Preparing for a series of Cross-Border Concerts

We are preparing for a series of Cross Border Concerts which will take place this October in both Enniskillen and Cavan. We will be performing with the Fermanagh Concert Band from Enniskillen and their Musical Director David Baxter.
On Thursday evening Sept 26th, we set off on a bus from the Cathedral to the Share Centre in Lisnaskea, where we spent the evening rehearsing with the Concert Band. We were treated to wonderful refreshments. Their photographer has posted lots of rehearsal pictures on their Facebook page...

New Rehearsal Venue

For our new winter of rehearsal we have a new venue. After many many years rehearsing at the Golf Club in Drumelis, we have moved to the Hotel Kilmore. It nice nice to see Mr Paul Henry the hotel manager again - many moons ago Paul was our host out the Golf Club on Tuesday nights!

Gathering at the Green in Cavan Golf Club











As part of the nationwide Gathering celebrations, we took part in a Gathering on The Green, organised by Cavan Golf Club. We performed alongside the Leitrim Percy French Society. If audience reaction is anything to go by, between the two groups we provided a great evening of pure Irish entertainment.

Friday 19 July 2013

The Green Room - Showstoppers interviewed online

Paul Cox in his online show "The Green Room" interviews our Musical Director Sue King and our show's Producer Frances Galligan about our summer show "Showstoppers". It is great fun, have a look...


Sunday 2 June 2013

'Show Stoppers' success

We had three fabulous nights of entertainment in the Town Hall at our 'Show Stoppers' Proms. Houses were packed and encores were called for. Soloists and chorus from both Cavan Musical Society and Cavan Singers put on a superb show with Musical Director Sue King and Producer Frances Galligan.




Our program of songs, from shows presented by both groups in the past, pleased the audience greatly:

My Fair Lady
Ascot Gavotte
With a little bit of Luck (Terry O’Connor)
Wouldn’t it be loverly (Claire O’Reilly),
I could have danced all night (Martina Lee Boyle)
I’m getting married in the morning (David Cullivan)
On the street where you live.

Oklahoma
Surrey with the fringe on top
Oh what a beautiful morning (Peter O’Hanlon)
Kansas City (Robbie Johnston)
The Farmer & The Cowman (Carmel Lewis & Gerry O’Keefe)
I’m just a girl who can’t say no (Elaine Galligan)
Oklahoma

Jesus Christ Superstar
I Don’t know how to love him (Carmel O’Donoughue)
Everything’s alright (Carmel O’Donoughue)
Superstar (Peter O’Hanlon)

Les Miserables
At the end of the day
There was a time (Clare O’Reilly)
I dreamed a dream (Clare O’Reilly)
Castle on a cloud
Do you hear the people sing (Brian McKeever)
On my own (Martina Lee Boyle & Brian McKeever)
Bring him home

Calamity Jane
Deadwood stage
Higher than a Hawk (Alan McHugh)
Keep it under your hat (Elaine Galligan)
Secret Love (Carmel O’Donoughue)
Black Hills of Dakota

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
Go Go Go Joseph
Canaan Days (Karen Coyle)
Dreamcoat (Benjamin Calypso)
Close every door (David Cullivan)
Song of the Kings -‘Elvis’ song (Alan McHugh)
Any dream will do (Terry O’Connor)

And here we are pictured in our amazing technicolour tee shirts during the finale!


As well as the soloists listed in the programme above, the chorus members are listed here...

Soprano
Ann Smith, Clare Harrington, Claire Finlay, Clare O’Reilly, Fidelma Sheridan, Fionnuala Duffy, Liz Murray, Lucilla O’Hanlon, Marie White, Martina Lee Boyle, Mary Sullivan, Maura Conlon, Maura Kane, Nollaig Amond Murray, Nora Kennedy, Pauline Brady, Rita Cullen, Ruth Sullivan, Selena Barry

Alto
Aedine Browne, Aileen Lawlor, Aine Sullivan, Angela O’Mahony, Ann Marie King, Ben Charles, Caoimhe O’Brien, Carmel Gaffney, Carol Watson, Catherine Cusack Ames, Dara Hume, Dollé Cullivan, Eva Fiebelkorn, Irene Dunwoody, Janice Robertson, Liz Foster, Mary Haren, Pamela Young, Phyllis McMonagle, Rachel Cullivan Elliot

Tenor
Carmel Lewis,Colm Crowe, Frances Galligan, Gerry O’Keefe, Mags Amond, Pauric Corley, Peter O’Hanlon

Bass
Brian McKeever, Dermot McMonagle, Kevin O’Connor, Pauric Kelly, Peter Howard, Tom Flynn

Joining our accompanist Eileen Tackney for the shows were musicians Clara Donohoe, Sean Maguire and Andy Hilton. As ever for a Town Hall Show the lighting was by John Conlon and Panic Hire took care of the sound.

Thank you to the people of Cavan for supporting our shows in such huge numbers - without an audience we are nothing.
Special thanks are due to our business supporters and sponsors - St Clare's College Ballyjamesduff, Trim Musical Society, Easons, Cavan Gifts, Morthern Sound, Anglo Celt, DT1, Browne's Pharmacy Cootehill, Connolly's Pharmacy Newcourt, Little Sicily, Peter Howard, Tesco
The proceeds of our raffles have been donated to three Cavan volunteer groups - Alzheimer's Assocciation, St Vincent de Paul, and Good Morning Positive Age Action.

And remember - This year’s collaboration between Cavan Singers and Cavan Musical Society is intended to revive interest in the Musical Society and so hopefully we will see musicals on the Cavan stage again in the near future...

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Show Stoppers

Cavan Singers and Cavan Musical Society, with our Musical Director Sue, and Show Producer Frances Galligan, have come together to present an evening of music from well known popular shows - Oklahoma, Les Miserables, My Fair Lady, Calamity Jane, Joseph, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Performances will take place in the Cavan town Hall on Monday May 27th, Tuesday May 28th and Wednesday May 19th at 8pm sharp each evening. The show will feature a number of soloists who have previously performed as leads with Cavan Musical Society and Cavan Singers.