OUR CHOIR BLOG |
#carlowchoralsociety #lovechoral
|
We have some catching up to do.
Lots coming in 2025 for our 60th Anniversary Year!
Christmas Messiah 2022
|
|
What a spectacular concert we had last December in Carlow Cathedral. It was probably our best performance of Handel's Messiah to date and a full cathedral.
We want to thank all who made it possible and supported our concert on the night. |
Back Singing in 2022
|
May 2022 brought our performance of Vivaldi's Gloria to Tullow. A superb concert, uplifting and heart warming. our first Summer Concert since Covid lockdown.
We were accompanied by the Irish Choral Sinfonia Orchestra and our wonderful accompanist Yvonne Collier on Organ. Soloists were Aisling Kenny, soprano and Laura-Joy Copeland, mezzo soprano. We had such a wonderful audience and welcome from all in Tullow |
|
New Year, New Singing Term
|
Following our return to rehearsals last October we were delighted to have such an amazing term. We worked hard under continuing restrictions to prepare for our first Christmas Concert in two years.
We had a wonderful evening performing James Whitbourne's Missa Carolae and Carols on December 4th 2021. We want to extend our thanks to our wonderful audience that supported us and all who made our return an enjoyable one. We are now back rehearsing in Carlow College every Monday night in preparation for our Summer Concert 2022. Our programme is Vivaldi - Gloria and Magnificat. More concert details soon. |
We are BACK!
|
We are thrilled to be back at rehearsals after 19 months of no singing in person.
Our special thanks to Carlow Cathedral for allowing us to use their sacred space for our reunion and to our members, committee, musical director Blánaid and accompanist Yvonne. We are thrilled to have made a safe and positive return. We can't wait to bring you some wonderful music very soon. Keep a check on our news and social media for December 2021 events. |
|
Joy to the World, Carlow Cathedral
14/12/2019
|
ONLINE REHEARSALS RESUMING
So we are back online. We love our members and have been keeping in contact with them all. Through email, phone calls, texts, zooms etc. This lockdown seems to be harder and we are missing singing and seeing each other.
We decided to get back on zoom for those much needed vocal sessions to keep us upbeat and in tune not only with sing but ourselves. As we all know singing and social conversation is excellent for our mental health! More details here |
Missing our choir rehearsals
|
Gloria- Mozart's Coronation Mass
June 2011 with visiting choir Watford Philharmonic, London |
So new restrictions have pushed back our plans again to get together for some singing sessions but we carry on. We all miss choir and meeting with each other for that weekly rehearsal in preparation for our Christmas concert season.
Christmas is our busiest term in choir with our concert in Carlow Cathedral and our National Concert Hall dates for Gubbay's Glory of Christmas. We miss choir very much but not as much as we miss each other at the moment. We are keeping in touch as best we can but its not the same as being in company. We have been sharing loads of memories on our social media these past few weeks and will continue to do so. We hope we will emerge out of these times for the better. |
Will we get back to rehearsals?
|
This is the time of year we start our recruitment drive for new members. COVID-19 has had an impact on us since or last group rehearsal on March 9th. With the worry of rising cases we decided for the safety of our members to postpone our rehearsals. We challenged ourselves with online rehearsals using Zoom. While they gave us a great boost in an unknown time we embraced them with Blanaid and Yvonne guiding us along the way. They allowed us to keep up the connection with our fellow members into in the June Bank Holiday. Throughout the summer our committee has been working together with the hope the choir can meet again. We have noted government guidelines in relation to covid and in particular singing groups and the potential for these groups to get back to doing what we do best. Alas the summer months have come and gone and we are a little none the wiser. Sing Ireland have in line with Government guidelines provided some supports in relation to planning a return if advised save to do so.
|
|
We have taken part in online webinars on covid and choirs, risk assessment and local reopening and planning participation group webinar with Carlow PPN. We are building towards getting our choir up and running to some form of normality but there is a lot more to consider when undertaking such a task. The welfare of our members takes precedence. So a the present time we wait in hope that we can return to singing together soon. For all those who have enquired about joining our choir you are most welcome when we can return safely to rehearsals. In the meantime we are in contact with current members. We are working on a plan to access our situation and we will endeavour to keep you all informed of developments as they unfold.
|
Viajes Seguros RaquelWe are sad to see Raquel leave us as she returns home to Spain after being a member with us for the last two terms while completing her studies at Carlow College of Further Education. We are delighted you decided to complete your work experience with us. We absolutely loved having you and wish you and your family well for the future. We will be keeping in touch and hopefully one day we will sing and have fun together. Safe Travels. We will be keeping up the contact 😊 Thanks to Stephen and Ann for arranging a little socially distanced gift.
|
2019 MemoriesOne year ago on this date we sang in Carlow Cathedral. Haydn Te Deum, Mozart Ave Verum and Haydn's Nelson Mass. Here is Haydn's Te Deum from that concert. More on our YouTube channel.
Unfortunately we have to postpone our Bach and Beethoven on May 30th 2020 but for now we are enjoying weekly on-line rehearsals and chats and looking forward to being all together again soon. |
|
|
Summer Concert 2020
Our scheduled concert celebration for Beethoven's 250th anniversary with a performance of his Mass in C Major and Bach Magnificat was due to take place on May 30th in the Cathedral of the Assumption Carlow. Unfortunately this concert will not be going ahead. Hopefully we can reschedule this performance in the near future. In the meantime we are rehearsing new pieces online and hope to do so during the summer months. You can follow all our activities on our social media links above this post. |
MEMORIES BACK TO BERLIN 2018
|
Matona Mia Cara some of our members performed in Berlin May 2018 at the Cosoa Choir Festival. Members love trips abroad and have been to many places in Europe. Very much looking forward to a trip again soon hopefully.
|
|
HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY BRENDA
|
Our amazing member Brenda is cocooning on her 90th birthday today April 30th and we sent social distancing members and a recording of the choir to sing Happy Birthday to her. Such a very special moment for a special lady. We wish her health and happiness and looking forward to the celebration gathering when we meet again.
#choirfamily #covid19 #birthday |
We are thrilled to see our on-line rehearsals feature in this week's Carlow Nationalist. We are enjoying them very much and another one coming up this Monday. Carlow College of Music and Music Generation also are featuring their teaching resources online. Hope we can all inspire more to connect and sing with their choirs.
Carlow Nationalist Carlow College of Music Music Generation Carlow PianoSoundz |
ONLINE ZOOM REHEARSALSWe had our first full parts choir online rehearsal. It was great fun. A much needed social outreach for a lot of singers and some singing. We were all missing our weekly chats. Looking forward to next week's 😍 and those who forgot their wine tonight can bring it next week.🤣 Stay safe and well everyone till then. #CarlowChoral20 #flattenthecurve #keepcarlowsinging
|
Fidelio Review Feb 2020
Sunday Business Post 01/03/2020
|
Image by hejkaklaidia on Instagram
|
ABOUT US
The Glory of Christmas, National Concert Hall, Dublin
19/12/2019
|
|
|
|
Lux Aterna, In Paradisum. composed and conducted by Andrew Campling. Sung with London Dockland Singers and Marcel Sinfonia. November 9th 2019
|
Mozart, Ave Verum, May 18th 2019 - Blánaid Murphy, conductor - Irish Sinfonia Orchestra - Yvonne Collier, organ
|
3 Composers: Monteverdi, Bach & Beethoven Mass in C Major
May 27th 2017, Carlow Cathedral (Photos Martin Doyle, Carlow)
Mozart Requiem, The Really Big Chorus, The Royal Albert Hall, London
May 7th 2017
May 7th 2017
A Nations Voice ~ Easter Sunday 2016
|
You can watch #ANationsVoice on the RTE player via http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/a-nations-voice-30003953/10551947/. See us and Borris Junior Vocational Choir in what a momentous and proud occasion for us to be part of. We put in a lot of work over the past months to prepare and it really paid off. We were delighted to be involved with all the very talented 31 choirs and musicians and a thanks to all organisers and conductor David Brophy. RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Arts Council Ireland Association of Irish Choirs & Music Generation Ireland.
|
|
Messiah by Candlelight
RTE Nationwide 23/12/2015
|
|
|
Joy To The World
|