A String of Musical Pearls - that's us at 30 years

We named our 30th Birthday Concert "a string of musical pearls" in a moment of whimsey - but it turned out we were right. Sue chose a great program for us (see below), and we had a lovely audeince who seemed to appreciate it as much as we enjoyed singing it with Cavan Sinfonia.
From warm up to wrap up the evning was great - and how lovely it was to see former Directors (including the original!) Martin Cahill and Ciaran Tackney, and the choir's first Secretary Jeannette Gibbs in the audience along with former officers Eithne McKay, Noel Monahan and many more familiar faces.
Full report and photographs of the concert proper will follow - meantime here we are warming up (and checking our pearlies!).

Cavan Singers 30th Birthday Concert Programme

Conductor – Sue King

Accompanist – Eileen Tackney


Act One

Gloria – Vivaldi, arr. Hermann

Locus Iste – Bruckner

Cantique de Jean Racine – Fauré & Racine, arr. Rutter

Where’er You Walk – Handel

The Prayer / Lead us Lord - Bayer Sager & Foster, arr. Fettke

Les Miserables – Schonberg, Boublil, Natel & Kretzmer, arr. Lojeski

La Ci Daren La Mano - Mozart (Duet: Martina Lee Boyle & Brian McKeever)

Barcarolle - Offenbach (Duet: Martina Lee Boyle & Brian McKeever)

76 Trombones – Willson, arr. Stickles

Battle Hymn of the Republic - Ward Howe & Steffe, arr. Wilhousky

Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah - Handl


Interval


Act 2 - Accompanied by Cavan Sinfonia



Lascia – Handel, arr. Calmelet

Benedictus - Jenkins (Cello solo: Lynsey O’Neill)

Adiemus – Jenkins, arr. Hare

Ashoken Farewell - Unger (Instrumental: Cavan Sinfonia)

Danny Boy – Weatherly, arr. Flummerfelt

Isle of Hope – Graham, arr. Leavitt

Cavan Girl – Moore, arr. Tackney (French Horn solo: Evin O’Meara)

Cantar - Althouse

Viva la Vida - Berryman, Buckland, Champion & Martin, arr. Brymer

Bohemian Rhapsody – Mercury, arr. Brymer (Solist: Cian Conde)

Java Jive - Oakland & Drake, arr. Shaw (Soloist: Dermot McMonagle)

"One Sleep More" until our Birthday concert....

Tomorrow night we will be performing our 30th Birthday Concert "A String of Musical Pearls", at the Hotel Kilmore at 8pm. We have a terrific programme planned, featuring our soloists Brian McKeever, Martina Lee Boyle and Dermot McMonagle as well as Cavan Sinfonia. Eileen Tackney will accompany us, and Directing us all will be Sue King.
The programme features songs we have been singing for 30 years (Java Jive, Cantique de Jean Racine), songs brand new to our repertoire (Adiemus, Benedictus from Jenkins's Mass The Armed Man), and everything in between. We will have songs for audience participation - don't foget your Messiah score if you wish to join us in the Hallelujah Chorus!

There we are pictured neatly lined up at our dress rehearsal - well, most of us!! Well done to photographer Lorraine Teevan for getting us into order.
Back Row L to R: Claire Harrington, Malachy McDwyer, Dermot McMonagle, Tom Flynn, Kevin O’Connor, Jim O’Leary, Brian McKeever, Tony McMahon, Peter Howard, Gerry O’Keeffe, Padraic Corley, Colm Ceowe, Aedín Browne
3rd Row L to R: Eileen Tackney, Dara Hume, Ben Charles, Janice Robinson, Dollé Cullivan, Anne Marie King, Eva Fiebelkorn, Liz Foster, Finuala Duffy, Gay Fannon, Lucilla O’Hanlon, Pauline Brady, Fidelma Sheridan, Sheila Cooney, Carmel Lewis, Mary Haren
2nd Row L to R: Áine Sullivan, Sally McKenna, Martina Lee Boyle, Mary O’Connor, Rachael Cullivan-Elliot, Mary Sullivan, Ann Smith, Marie White, Claire Finlay, Nora Kennedy, Tina Farrelly, Angela Costello
Front Row L to R: Claire Crowe, Orla O’Sullivan, Phyllis McMonagle, Bríd Brady, Selena Barry, Sue King, Frances Galligan, Carol Watson, Nollaig Amond Murray, Mags Amond, Áine Duffy, Liz Murray.

Spinning plates with Alan Leech!

Last Tuesday evening we had a wonderful choral workshop with Alan from the AOIC. Alan is currently a full time tenor with The National Chamber Choir of Ireland. He is also a lecturer in Voice at the Leinster School of Music & Drama, and Mater Dei Teacher Training College Dublin.
He put us through our paces and stepped us through one of our favourite pieces, Gabriel Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine. He gave us helpful exercises and pointers, all delivered with good humour. Thank you Alan, we promise to put it all to good use, and that we will all try to keep all of our plates spinning in the air!

Friends Remembered

We sang to remember departed friends on Saturday evening in St Clare's Chapel with Fr Kevin Donohoe. We were joined by families and friends of choir members (and some very tiny future members!). We supported each other in our sadness, and we celebrated our continued friendships and the joy we share in singing together. We sang our debut of the "Benedictus" from Karl Jenkins's "The Armed Man", which we had sung with the Longford Choir at Winnie's funeral Mass. Martina Lee Boyle (soprano) lead us in the psalm "Shepherd Us O Lord."
After the mass we had a meal in the Farnham Arms Hotel, and a post prandial 'singsong' with Dessie Ronan on piano, and Gerry O'Keeffe (tenor) on Spot Prizes, and a hilarious reprise by Mary Haren (alto) of her epic 1997 poem "Roman Holiday", complete with author's commentary!

Remembering departed friends

We are preparing at rehearsals for a lovely evening soon, in which we will remember our deceased members from Cavan Singers. We will have readings, prayers and hymns at a service with Fr Kevin Donohoe (Adm) in St Clare's Chapel at 7pm on Saturday March 8th. Then we will share supper and some music in The Farnham Arms Hotel in Cavan.

Here we are in one of the happy times we wish to celebrate - competing at the Sligo Choral festival with Winnie Hughes (former Director, RIP) and Josie Coyle (alto, RIP)...thanks to Rachael Elliot (alto) for the photograph.

Eileen and the Andrews Sisters in Killeshandra

Eileen Tackney, our accompanist, and her group the Song Sisters, are performing their current show "The Andrews Sisters at the Hollywood Canteen" in Killeshandra on February 8th. A show not to be missed!

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.