It was a delight to see our first billboard on the Dublin Road into Cavan for the past few weeks. We finally presented our show in the Hotel Kilmore on Tuesday evening to a packed house - the most appreciative audience we could have asked for.
We had one choir, two orchestras, two bands, and in a new bold move - some dancers. We are used to singing with our musical director Eileen Tackney and our accompanist Sue Donohoe; on this occasion we had to build our stage AND an orchestra pit, as both of Sue's orchestras - the Sinfonia and the Youth orchestra, were joining us. We also had a wee trad band as well as our 'forever' favourite band of Peter (guitar), Paul (drums), and Jim (bass), joined on this occasion by John lending us some string sounds on the keyboard.
Eileen is our inspiration, and she and Sue put together a programme to challenge us and delight the audience. The choir and the musicians perfomed seperately and together, Eileen and Sue changing roles gracefully and seamlessly. Evin O'Meara also conducted the orchestras; our bass Hugh Tunney made us proud as he sang several solo pieces with the orchestras. In our own performaces we were also led by individual members of the choir, as listed beow in the programme list. In a surprise move this year, Eileen chose a piece wich called for dance moves and body percussion, so the plywood was added to the stage floor, the set dancing shoes were donned, and the audience was treated to a dozen dancing dames 'breaking it down'. Huh!
This concert was a great collaboration of talents from the community - the combination of voices with full orchestra was a thrill for us in the choir. At the end of the evening, as our chair Brian McKeever paid tribute to Eileen and Sue he also thanked all who had supported us in our work to make the concert happen - all listed below - and most imortantly for us, the audience; he ended with an invitation to people to consider joining us, espeically if they were tenors :)
So the now stage is packed away, accounts are settled, the choir is resting for the summer ... but the committee never sleeps ... they meet next week to tie up the last few threads and sow the seeds of plans for 2026-2027!
The Sound of Music - Medleys & Melodies
Cavan Singers Summers Proms
@ Hotel Kilmore May 12th 2026 8pm
Cavan Singers :: Musical Director - Eileen Tackney, Accompanist - Sue Donohoe
Cavan Sinfonia Orchestra & Cavan Youth Orchestra
Musical Director - Sue Donohoe, Conductor Evin O’Meara
Act One
✼✼ CAVAN SINGERS ✼✼
COME FLY WITH ME
Lyrics - Sammy Kahn; music - James van Huesen; arr. Kirby Shaw
featuring Hugh Tunney
AUTUMN LEAVES
Lyrics - Johnny Mercer; music Joseph Kosma; arr. Ryan O’Connell
JOLENE
Lyrics & music - Dolly Parton; arr. Mark Brymer
featuring Irene Dunwoody
✼✼ CAVAN SINFONIA ORCHESTRA & CAVAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA ✼✼
COLONEL BOGEY
Composer - Kenneth J. Alford
DUBLIN DANCES
Traditional Irish melodies; arr. Jan Van der Roost
MY WAY
Lyrics - G. Thibaut, C. François, Paul Anka; Music - J. Reveaux; arr. Damian Montalto
Solo Hugh Tunney
LOVE’S BEEN GOOD TO ME
Lyrics & music - Rod McKuen; arr. Sue Donohoe
Solo Hugh Tunney
I AM I SAID
Lyrics & music - Neil Diamond
Solo Hugh Tunney, Conductor Evin O’Meara
PALLADIO
Composer - Karl Jenkins; arr. Sue Donohoe
Conductor Evin O’Meara
JUPITER (The Planets Suite)
Composer - Gustav Holst; arr. Sue Donohoe
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Composer - Hans Zimmer; arr. Klaus Badelt
✼✼ INTERVAL ✼*
Act Two
✼✼ CAVAN SINGERS ✼✼
THE SOUND OF MUSIC medley
Lyrics - Oscar Hammerstein; music - Richard Rodgers; arr. John Leavitt
FOR GOOD (Wicked)
VILIA (The Merry Widow)
Lyrics Adrian Ross; music Franz Lehar; arr. H. M. Higgs
Solo Pauline Brady
BENDEMEER’S STREAM
SIÚIL A RÚIN
Traditional Irish song; arr. Michael McGlynn
featuring Áine Duffy, Jennifer Entee & Maria Battigelli
AMY’S TUNE
Music - Eileen Tackney; arr. Eileen Tackney
Uilleann Pipes Keenan Smith, Fiddle Niamh Kelly, Bodhrán Evin O’Meara
DANCE!
Lyrics, music & dance direction - Robert T. Gibson
✼✼ CAVAN SINGERS with CAVAN SINFONIA ORCHESTRA & CAVAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA ✼✼
CANTILENA
Lyrics & music - Karl Jenkins
BENEDICTUS (The Armed Man)
Lyrics & music - Karl Jenkins
Viola Sue Donohoe
ADIEMUS
Lyrics & music - Karl Jenkins; arr. Nicholas Hare
MARY POPPINS medley
Lyrics & music - Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman; arr. John Leavitt
✼✼ FINALE✼✼
Some lovely pictures here were taken during the evening, thanks to Paul Cox.
[Official pictures of the perfomance are still being processed, we will upload them later]
::Cavan Singers wish to thank each person who played their part in this production::
Organising Committee
Brian McKeever, Brid Brady, Carmel Gaffney, Darragh Hourihane, Dermot McMonagle, Fidelma Sheridan, Fiona Flynn, Mags Amond, Orla O’Sullivan
Cavan Singers Musical Director Eileen Tackney Accompanist Sue Donohoe Alto Aedine Browne, Áine Sullivan, Ben Charles, Carmel Gaffney, Catherine Maguire, Dollé Cullivan, Janice Robertson, Mairéad Conaty, Mary Haren, Orla O’Sullivan, Pamela Young, Phyllis McMonagle, Rachael Cullivan, Yvette von Cramon Bass Brian Derham, Brian McKeever, Dermot McMonagle, Hugh Tunney, Jan van Haaster, Kevin O’Connor Soprano Áine Duffy, Angela Costello, Angie Flynn, Anne Smith, Bríd Brady, Fiona Flynn, Fidelma Sheridan, Gay Fannon, Jenny McEntee, Laura McQuaid, Liz Murray, Lucilla O’Hanlon, Maria Battigelli, Mary Sullivan, Mary Lou Reilly, Nora Kennedy, Paula O’Neill, Pauline Brady, Priscilla Gorman, Rita Cullen, Sheila Cooney, Tina Farrelly Tenor Brian McGill, Carmel Lewis, Ciarán Tackney, Darragh Hourihane, Irene Dunwoody, Mags Amond
The Band Guitar Peter Denton Bass Jim Kelly Keyboard John Kelly Drums Paul Cox
Cavan Sinfonia Orchestra Musical Director Sue Donohoe Musicians Helena Brady, Aedine Browne, Shane Cavanagh, Gerry Darcy, Eithne Doyle, Irene Dunwoody, Áine Duffy, Maureen Gaffney, Mary Haren, Marie Henry, Jennifer Jones, Jim Kelly, Niamh Kelly, Carmel Lewis, Tony McMahon, David Mulligan, Sinéad O’Ferral, Evin O’Meara, Paula O’Neill, Margaret Rose Traynor, Fidelma Sheridan, Ashley Wynn, Anette Ziemann
Cavan Youth Orchestra Musical Director Sue Donohoe
Co Conductors Sue Donohoe & Evin O’Meara
Musicians Hendrik Altenhoefer, Leo Brandt, Caoimhín Cryan, Christopher King, Vivienne King, Marie Koci, Odhrán McKiernan, Conall McManus, Genieve McManus, Jay Newman, Cian O’Maol Tuile, Dónal O’Meara, Niamh O’Meara, Jamie Smith
Sound & Light Vincent Macklin
Cavan Singers appreciate the generosity of our many volunteer supporters
Backstage & Set John Conlon, Brian Derham, Brian McKeever, Kevin O'Connor, Leon Lynch, Sue Dononoe
Front of House Andrew Fannon, Colman Smith, Dermot McMonagle
Orchestra Organisation & Support Ashley Gordon, Maureen Gaffney, Sinéad O'Ferral of CSO; Nuala Gordon, Zoe Wells of CYO
Tickets Sales Cavan Gifts - Eddie Coleman, Liz Murray; Hotel Kilmore reception staff
Publicity Abbeyset; Anglo Celt Newspaper; Mel's Signs
Raffle Prize Donors Absolute Jewellry, Café Mana, Cavan Crystal Hotel, Cavan Gifts, Dunnes Stores, Hotel Kilmore, House of Fabric, Latté Da café, D & P McMonagle, Peoples Restaurant, Shades Restaurant
ps - not on the programme list were two sets of names
1 our dozen dancers who performed the dance section of Dance! Aedine Browne, Áine Duffy, Ben Charles, Brid Brady, Carmel Gaffney, Carmel Lewis, Fidelma Sheridan, Jenny McEntee, Mags Amond, Pamela Young, Paula O'Neill, Tina Farrelly
2 our most versatile of all - Aedine, Áine, Carmel L, Fidelma, and Paula - who played with the orchestra as well as singing AND dancing with the choir!
