Blog Archives

choir alumni & robing of senior probationers - 26 November 2023

28/11/2023

Current choir members and choir alumni singing Exsultate justi.

Sunday morning, 26th November saw a wonderful gathering of Choir Alumni and Choir Supporters. A really joyous occasion. At Mass, the current members of the Palestrina Choir sang Palestrina's greatly revered Missa Papae Marcelli. It was this Mass that the choir's founder Edward Martyn heard performed in Clarendon Street conducted by Vincent O'Brien that inspired him to start of the process of establishing the Palestrina Choir at the Pro-Cathedral.
After Mass the alumni joined the current choir on the steps of the altar in singing together Viadana Exsultate Justi. And after that much tea, coffee and cake was consumed amidst a great deal of reminiscing. And, as we celebrated the alumni, the choir's next generation, four senior probationers got robed and fully admitted into the choir. Congratulations to these young boys starting out on their choir journey. A day to be remembered!
During the 120 year we have started reaching out to the alumni and would very much like to keep hearing from past members so that we are able to build a vibrant data base.

*** To all alumni out there - please contact us if you would like to be included! ***

Fr Kieran McDermott robing the senior probationers & welcoming them as full members of the Choir.

Choir Director Blánaid Murphy with some of her former choristers.

0 Comments

premiÈre of new mass by sEÁn doherty- commissioned by the 120 committee

22/11/2023

0 Comments

Sean with the 120 Committee who commissioned this work.

At 11am Mass on Sunday 19th November 2023, Seán Doherty's new "Mass" was premièred by the Palestrina Choir, Organist Aleksandr Nisse, Soloist Nathan Phipps-O'Neill conducted by Blánaid Murphy. Monsignor Lorcan O'Brien was the Celebrant assisted by Deacon Tom Groves.
This was commissioned and fully funded by all the members of the 120 Committee.
This setting of the Mass is particularly evocative and sensitively written exploring the full range of dynamics and sonority of the Choir and of the organ at the Pro-Cathedral. It will certainly become a staple of the choir's Sunday repertoire. Thank you and many congratulations to Seán Doherty.
The première of this work was a very special moment in the celebrations of the Choir's 120th anniversary.
A live recording of the première will be available soon.

0 Comments

15th November - a busy choir day!

17/11/2023

1 Comment

FILMING FOR RTÉ NEWS2DAY

Presenter Molly O'Connor from RTÉ News2Day and her crew were at the Pro-Cathedral bright and early on morning of Wednesday 15th November. The Boy Choristers were joined by the boy and girl Junior Probationers (for the Palestrina Choir and for St Mary's Pro-Cathedral Girls' Choir). The Choristers were filmed at the Spire, at the Hand in the Department of Education and on the Pro-Cathedral steps in a spirited rendition of "Carol of the Bells". And some interviews took place. This clip will go out on RTÉ over the next couple of weeks.

120 lecture series
foundation of
the palestrina choir.

This was a very special evening which took place in St Kevin's Oratory at the Pro-Cathedral.
Noelle Dowling, Diocesan Archivist, gave a fascinating lecture on the correspondence and background leading up to the Choir being installed at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in 1903. She also spoke about key aspects of the Choir's first 20-30 years.
An old 78 recording of the hymn "Sweet Heart Of Jesus", probably dating back to 1932, was played.
And there was then a fascinating round-table discussion with Professor Gerard Gillen, James Reynolds (Choir Librarian) and they were joined by Elizabeth O'Brien (wife of the late Oliver O'Brien, former Director of the Choir) and Noelle Dowling. Illustrating historical facts with manuscripts and original letters, with the sound world of 1932, with some insights into some of the interesting items in the Choir's extensive library and with very funny stories and anecdotes, this was a most entertaining evening and an evening that will start the process of documenting the oral history of the Choir's first 120 years.

NEXT LECTURE WILL BE GIVEN BY RENOWNED PROFESSOR OF MODERN IRISH HISTORY AT UCD AND CHOIR ALUMNUS DIARMAID FERRITER
WEDNESDAY 13TH DECEMBER AT 8PM

1 Comment

rté lyric fm recording

5/11/2023

0 Comments

CELEBRATING THE CHOIR'S 120TH ANNIVERSARY
After their mid-term break the Boy Choristers and Gentlemen of the Choir were back with a bang, recording 9 pieces of sacred music ranging from Gregorian Chant, Polyphony, Early Baroque, Romantic Era to Contemporary settings commissioned and written for the choir. These pieces will be broadcast at a later date in a programme about the Palestrina Choir - its history and its musical legacy as the Cathedral Choir of the Pro-Cathedral, the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Dublin. Thank you so much to Gail Henry, Senior Producer at RTÉ Lyric Fm and her team for all that they did to make this afternoon run so smoothly.