Yesterday we said good-bye to our wonderful Pierce Cullen. Pierce started out as an extremely able boy chorister at 8 years of age. I am pleased to say that I noticed very early on his talent and exceptional love of music. He went on to become a fine Head Chorister and then a Junior Gentleman and Gentleman of the Choir. For the last nearly 2 years Pierce has been my Assistant. Pierce has been superb in this role: he is leaving a wonderful legacy of excellent standards in training our boy choristers, designing our web-site, type-setting, composing and all round pushing the boundaries of what is possible. It has been a source of great pride for me to see him grow into the wonderful musician that he is today. I know that he will be greatly missed by the boys, the gentlemen and by all the musical staff at the Pro-Cathedral. We all wish Pierce all the very best in the next phase of his professional development. I know he will be no stranger to us. A big bualadh bos for Pierce from all members of the Palestrina Choir, past and present.
(Blánaid Murphy, Director of the Palestrina Choir)
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Last day of choir year - Sunday 25th June 2023! After an action-packed year, the choir is now on its summer break until September. At the end of 11am Mass this morning, 25th June 2023, chorister Simon Maughan, who was graduating from the choir today, was presented with the Palestrina Choir Medallion to mark his sterling service as a choristers over the last 7 years. The whole community at the Pro-Cathedral wish to thank Simon and wish him all the very best. After a pizza lunch, and presentation of certificates and a summation of the year by the Choir Director, it was time for everyone to go home and take a break. Apart from the regular liturgies at which we sing, some high-lights this year have included: Friends of Cathedral Music Choral Vespers Fauré Requiem performance in a November concert “Remembering” Christmas Concert in the National Concert Hall Art & Music on a Marian Theme in a collaboration with Adrian LeHarivel, National Gallery of Ireland Choral Vespers on the Feast of the Annunciation Mini tour to Cork and Mount Melleray Abbey Tour to Palestrina and to Rome to sing at the Papal Mass for Pentecost, at the Irish College and in the Basilica of San Silvestro Hosting visiting choirs from both Helsinki and Stockholm Re-Joyce! Exploring James Joyce and sacred music in Ulysses and other works A busy and most fruitful year! We also said good-bye to assistant Pierce Cullen. Please see our next blog entry about Pierce. Enjoy the break - mind those voices - see you all again in September!
On 26th May, a group of 47 - 26 boy choristers, 14 Gentlemen, 5 Chaperones, our Choir Director and Cathedral Administrator flew to Rome. And, of course, many Parents independently made their way there too. First stop was a wonderful afternoon in the City of Palestrina: a visit to the Museo Casa Natale, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, the special opportunity of singing at all Palestrina programme – Missa Papae Marcelli, Ave Maria and Exsultate Deo – in the beautiful Cathedral in Palestrina (Duomo di Palestrina; Cattedrale di Sant'Agapito martire) and the opportunity to meet the Director and members of the Fondazione Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. On a day of sight-seeing – Roman Rome – the Choir and friends were warmly welcomed by Fr Paul Finnerty to a reception and to sing at Mass at the Pontifical Irish College. And then it was time to baton down the hatches and get ready for an early start to be in St Peter’s Basilica robed and seated by 8.30am for a rehearsal with the Sistine Chapel Choir under Monsignor Pavan and the Guido Choir under Fr Ramon before singing a 20 minute programme before Mass and joining in singing at the Papal Mass for the Feast of Pentecost on Sunday 28th May celebrated by Pope Francis. And then some much needed gelato and a most enjoyable visit to the Leondardo da Vinci museum. On Monday, after a visit to the Baths of Caracalla and St Paul Outside The Walls, the Choir gave a recital, generously hosted by the Irish Ambassador to the Holy See, Frances Collins, in the exquisite Basilica of San Silvestro in Capite. And, on Tuesday, some last minute sight-seeing and shopping – Piazza Navona, Roman Stadium under the Piazza and the Pantheon and a last slice or two of piazza before heading to the airport with our wonderful guide Massimo.
A wonderful tour - WE WILL BE BACK!
As we enter our last few days of preparations of our trip to Palestrina and to sing at the Papal Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on the Feast of Pentecost, it was special to sing Palestrina’s masterpiece Missa Papae Marcelli today at the Pro-Cathedral.
This Mass was sung at Papal Coronation Masses (the last being the coronation of Paul VI in 1963) and it also holds a very important place in the history of the Palestrina Choir:
More information on the tour to Palestrina, St Peter’s Basilica and Basilica of San Silvestro to follow soon. As part of the Palestrina Choir 120 celebrations, what a wonderful mini-tour to Cork City, Cobh and Mount Melleray Abbey.
The Choir had the great privilege of being part of the Cork International Choral Festival (thank you to Festival Artistic Director Peter Stobart) and to give concerts in two wonderful Cathedrals: St Fin Barre’s (Cork City) and St Colman’s (Cobh). The choir also had the special opportunity of joining with the Cathedral Choir of St Fin Barre’s in singing Choral Evensong wonderfully accompanied by Matthew Breen, newly appointed Assistant Director at St Fin Barre's. During this beautiful service, we were able to give a choir medallion to Christopher Costello, now in his 80s, who has spent his adult life in Cork, but who started out as a boy chorister in the Palestrina Choir. Holy Week and Easter liturgies may be still fresh in our memories but choristers are back with a bang, hitting the ground running. A great day was had today getting ready for "Palestrina Choir 120" outreach trip to Cork International Choral Festival and to Mount Melleray Abbey.
Boys made great progress on a whole range of repertoire for the trip whilst Parents and volunteers, co-ordinated by the Choir's wardrobe-mistress, Mary Sugrue, sorted choir uniform, choir bags and robes. It was quite the hive of activity upstairs in the choir area at the Pro-Cathedral. Singing engagements: lunchtime concert in St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork, Friday 28th April at 1.10pm: https://www.corkchoral.ie/festival_events/organ-recital-at-st-fin-barres-cathedral/ Choral Evensong in St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Friday 28th April at 6.15pm St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Choir and the Palestrina Choir, St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral: https://www.corkchoral.ie/festival_events/choral-evensong-at-st-fin-barres-cathedral/ Lunchtime concert in St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh, Saturday 29th April at 1.10pm: https://www.corkchoral.ie/festival_events/choirs-at-st-colmans-cathedral-saturday/ Sunday morning Mass at 10.30am in Mount Melleray Abbey, Waterford: https://mountmellerayabbey.org/ There has not been a Service of Tenebrae at |
AuthorsBlánaid Murphy - Dir. Archives
June 2024
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