Annual Memorial Service and Social Evening

On Friday night we had our Annual Memorial Service for deceased members and friends of the choir. We have had this event on our calendar for several years now, an evening when we take a look back with thanksgiving on times past, then have supper and song together and make plans for the future.

Paul had prepared us to sing Evening Service, which was conducted by Fr Kevin Donohoe (Bass -your place is being kept!) and Rev Mark Lidwill. We sang Locus Iste, Stand by Me (Tom Kendzia version), Psalm 26, The Magnificat, Cantique de Jean Racine and Abide with Me.


We gathered in the Farnham after wards for a meal with our friends and guests. This was followed by "singsong" led by Dessie Ronan, who lent both his musical talent and wit to the evening. We of course had the raffle with a prize for almost everyone in the audience. We had solos, duets, and choruses - no one needed a second prompt.

Mags Amond (Tenor) and Mary Haren (Alto) did a reprise of their "30 years Alphanumeric Ditty", with added extra verses. Predicton - future singing of certain verses in the Gloria will take great discipline for us to keep straight faces when when pondering Vivaldi in all his regalia..

Drumlinmedia.com video of Cathedral Carol Service on Vimeo

Those who take part in services seldom get to see or hear what the audience experiences. Thanks to Drumlin Media then for this video on Vimeo, you can experience the Christmas Service from the Cathedral on DEc 8th.

An Evening of Christmas Carols and Seasonal Music in Cavan 2014 from Drumlinmedia.com on Vimeo.

Age Friendly Ireland national award ceremony

We were invited to sing at the Age Friendly Awards in Cavan Crystal Hotel on Tuesday January 20th. We sang Cantar, Cavan Girl, Kerry Dances, Viva La Vida and Danny Boy, and the audience seemed to enjoy the performance, and many of the joined in when invited by Paul to do so!
Here we are in two "up close and personal" pictures taken by Lorraine Teevan, thanks Lorraine, and thanks Nathan from Age Friendly Ireland for sending us the pictures.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year"

As the seasonal song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year", and "the hap-hap-iest season of all". We certainly had a busy but happy and wonderful finish to our BIG year of 2014. We sang at Carol Services with the congregations of Cavan Church of Ireland, Cavan Cathedral, Cavan Baptist Church and the friends of the Oncology Unit of Cavan General Hospital. We sang on the street for charity, and we finished the year in the Hotel Kilmore as guests (and as audience) on a Joe Finnegan radio show "stuffed" with amazing local talent including Cavan Singers featuring Martina Lee Boyle, Song Sisters, Brendan McCahey, Noel Monaghan, Padraig McIntyre and The Strypes. Our thanks to Northern Sound producer Kevina Pilkington for inviting us, and to Joe Finnegan for his entertaining presentation - it is always a treat to watch professionals at work!
It was a very joyous occasion with which to end a special year, and puts us in a very positive frame of mind for 2015...
Below are some reminders of the season, and don't forget to visit our FaceBook to see other pictures and reports.


Don't worry about your voice Joe, our Gerry's on standby...

Joe oversees the sound checks and rehearsal before the show...

Paul wears his seasonal best...

Our Eileen and her sublime Song Sisters...

Rachael tells Joe the story of our 30 years-a-singing...

...and when we were not singing, we were The Audience!

It was a treat to see out local heroes graciously signing autographs for their young fans...

The Strypes finished the show, playing as a trio - with a great rendition of Nick Lowe's "Peace, Love & Understanding"

Advent in Prague

Thanks to Mary Haren (alto) for this roving reporter's report from Praha!
On Thursday 27th November members of the Cavan Singers and their supporters flew to Prague to take part in the Prague Advent Choral Meeting. Choirs from Brazil, Russia, Norway, Belgium, Israel, Hungary, France and Czech Republic sang at the meeting over two days. Each choir performed for thirty minutes on Friday and Saturday. The Cavan Singers sang "Cavan Girl", " Viva La Vida", "Cantar", "The Kerry Dances", "Danny Boy", "Thank You For The Music", "Advent Candle", "O Holy Night", "Don Oiche Ud In mBeithil" and "In the Bleak Midwinter".
Our musical director for the trip was Eileen Tackney and we were accompanied on the piano by Sue King. The success of our performances was due to the amazing talent of these two wonderful musicians. Our soloist for "O Holy Night", Pauline Brady, sang so beautifully that we received a standing ovation on both days. Our performance was very well received by all the other choirs and audience.
Our weekend included a walking tour of Prague, a night time cruise on the river, and a wonderful meal with other choirs where we had a sing song that went on late into the night. The Cavan Singers know how to enjoy themselves!
Prague is a beautiful city and our trip was made even more interesting by the Christmas markets which started on Saturday. The standard of singing and musicianship was very high and the Cavan Singers are proud to have been involved in such a wonderful occasion. I would like to give a special thanks to Liz Murray, Nora Kennedy and Rachael Cullivan-Elliot of the committee who put so much work into organising the event. The members of the Cavan Singers are wonderful people who love to sing, make friends, laugh, travel and enjoy life, and it is a pleasure to be part of it.

First Anninversary - Winnie Hughes - An Appreciation

Winnie Hughes was the 6th Musical Director of the Cavan Singers, appointed in 2005. She was no stranger to us however, as we had often performed with both her Loreto College Cavan School Choir and Chamber Choir in concerts and carol services in the previous decade. She also conducted us when we performed with Cavan Cathedral Choir, St Patricks’s College Choir and Cavan Sinfonia.
Winnie was equally at home conducting massed choirs singing sacred works, professional soloists, or smaller groups singing contemporary and popular classics. Variety was certainly the spice of our life with Winnie – we never knew what surprise the Tuesday night rehearsal might bring - she taught us songs without words, she introduced Barbershop singing, she even gave us kazoos!
Winnie was the classic “larger than life” MD – she loved music, travel, history, wine and good company, and was never happier than when all of them were combined. She looked forward to planning the next trip, be it with the choir, her close friends, or her family. She took the choir on adventures as far and wide as Barcelona and the Flat Lake Festival in Monaghan!
When illness struck, Winnie appointed our accompanist Sue King as interim MD, a role Sue assumed with supreme grace. Winnie resumed her singing with the Longford County Choir, and wrapped herself in her family and friends. She died on December 1st 2013.
Cavan Singers were invited by her husband Kevin and sons Gareth and Harry to join the Longford County Choir colleagues to sing her funeral Mass with her friend Fintan Farrelly. For Winnie we sang, from The Armed Man, a final Benedictus. Ní beidh a leithéid ann arís.
Mags Amond, PRO

Don Oíche Úd I mBeithil...

This Christmas Carol season we have a new piece to sing for you, arranged by our Musical Director Paul Flynn, with translation into Irish by local poet Noel Monahan. We are especially delighted with this, as Noel is a founder tenor with the choir.

Don Oíche Úd I mBeithil

Don oíche úd i mBeithil
beidh tagairt faoi ghrian go brách
Don oíche úd i mBeithil,
go dtáinig an Briathar slán;
Tá gríos-ghrua ar speartha
‘san talamh ‘na chlúdach ban;
Féach Íosagán sa cliabhán
‘San Mhaighdean in aoibhneas grá.
Ar leaca loma sléibhe
‘sé ghlacann ne h-aoirí scáth
Ar oscailt gheal ne spéire
ta teach-taire Dé ar fáil
Céad glóir’ anois don Aithair
i bhfaitheasaibh thuas go hard
Is feasta fós ar talamh
do fhearaibh dea mhéin síocháin.