Join in THE BIG SING

We are hosting a Big Sing at our open rehearsal next Tuesday, as are many other AOIC choirs around the country. All who love to sing are welcome to join us for a song and a cuppa. This is to celebrate Mental Health week and Choral Singing Week. Many thanks to Cavan County Council Community Office for supporting us in this venture.

AGM Sept 29th

We had our AGM after the rehearsal on Sept 29th. Rachael, our departing chair, thanked everyone who had contributed to making 2014/2015 one of our best years yet. We had our various officers' reports, and discussed ongoing affairs, as ever at AGMs!
We elected a new Committee for the 2015/2016 as follows:

Chair - Carmel Gaffney
Vice Chair - Frances Galligan
Former Chair (ex officio) - Rachael Cullivan Elliott
Secretary - Mags Amond
Treasurer - Liz Murray
Assistant Treasurer - Áine Sullivan
PRO - Nora Kennedy
Librarian (hard copy) - Martina Lee Boyle
Librarian (soft copy) - Peter Howard

Thanks to the outgoing committee for their trojan work on behalf of the Singers, and best wishes to the incoming team.

Getting started on the 2015-2016 season

We began our 2015-2016 saying a fond farewell and thanks to Paul Flynn, and Céad Míle Fáilte to our new Musical Director, Eileen Tackney. Eileen has been working with us for years as accompanist, arranger and teacher, so it didn't take long to get to get to work on our season's work. We are working side by side on our Christmas music (including a beautiful piece written by "our" Paul) and our new pieces which are taken from musical movies.

US Civil War Commemoration in Cavan

We sang at the US Civil War exhibition at the Johnston Memorial Library, Cavan on 5th August 2015. Acompanied by Eileen Tackney on keyboard, We sang many songs evoking the era - Wake Nicodemus, We are Coming Father Abraham, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Just Before the Battle Mother, Dixie and The Battle Cry of Freedom. Soloists were Brian McKeeven (bass) and MArtina Lee Boyle (soprano). Musical Director Paul joined the Aedine Browne (alto), Mary Sullivan (soprano) and Martine Lee Botle (soprano) for a haunting rendition of Shenandoah, joined ny guest violinist Amy Kelly.

Dunmore Choral Festival

On Saturday the 16th we made a return visit to Dunmmore, Co Galway to partake in their Choral Festival - report to follow!

Gloria - Recital in Cavan Cathedral

Many thanks to audience over over 300 who joined us for the Recital in the Cathedral on Thursday night. We were delighted to be joined by our Minister for the Arts, Heather Humhreys.

Recital Programme

Cavan Singers
Locus Iste - Anton Bruckner
Cantique de Jean Racine - Gabriel Fauré
Ave Verum Corpus - Wolfgang Mozart

Duet: Martina Lee Boyle (Sporano) & Brian McKeever (Bass)
Panis Angelicus - César Franck

Cavan Singers with student choirs of The Royal School, Breifne College, Loreto College, and St Patrick's College
I heard the Voice of Jesus - Trad, arr. Vaughan Williams
Stand By Me - Tom Kendzia

Solo: Niamh McCormack
I am the Good Shepherd - Paul Flynn

Cavan Singers, Niamh McCormack (Sporano), Niamh O'Hanlon (Contralto)
Gloria - Antonio Vivaldi
i. Gloria in exclesis Deo
ii. Et in terra pax
iii. Laudamus te
iv. Gratia agimus tibi
v. Propter magnam gloriam
vi. Domine Deus
vii. Domine, Fili unigente
viii. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei
ix. Qui tollis pecata mundi
x. Qui sedes ad dexterum Patris
xi. Quoniam tu solus sanctus
xii. Cum Sancto Spiritu

Read the full programme


"Thanks You"s
Well done to all singers, as well as our MD Paul William Flynn, our organist Eileen Tackney, all the soloists - our own Singers Brian (Bass) and Martina (Soprano) as well as the two Niamhs who joined us for the evening - and the student choirs from The Royal School, Breifne, St Pat's, and Loreto Colleges.
The sincere gratitude of the organising committee goes to the following folk for their invaluable assistance:
Fr Kevin Donohue, ADM Cavan Parish, for permission to use the venue and the church organ.
Ciaran Tackney, Janet Traynor, Carmel Fay, and Laura Kavanagh, who prepared the four school choirs.
School Principals Angela McGarvey, John Crotty, Edward Linsday, and Christopher Rowley for facilitating the participation of their students.
Cavan Arts Officer Catriona O'Reilly for continued support.
Alan McMahon and Mark O'Hanlon for sorting the stage.
Mark O'Janlon, Seamus Kennedy, Colman Smith, and Raymond Boyle for "manning" the "Box Office".
Nollaig Amond Murray for assisting Eileen with the sheet music.
Stewart Elliott and Christopher Elliott for distributing the programmes.
Ciaran Murray for videotaping and photography, and Carmel Fay for recording....To see the video, follow this link

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..