MORE from Dr Michael O’Brien, organiser of this year’s Limerick Choral Festival. He has been shoulder to the podium for a decade in this festival with Timothy Shinnick and the late Joe O’Connor, bringing the finest in sacred and church music here. Most performances/ competitions are free to attend.
With more than 50 choirs booked for five city churches and competing for 10 titles, there are plenty of local schools in the running. View their performance schedule at www.limerickchoralfestival.com
“Among the Limerick choirs taking part will be the Limerick Gospel Choir, Cór Chríst Rí, Ancór and Glenstal Abbey,” reports Michael, computer boffin in UL by day, organist and cantor for St John’s Cathedral at other times. “They will be joined by several school groups such as Thomond Primary School, Parteen N.S. and Limerick School Project.
“Augmented by choirs from Clare, Galway, Waterford, Sligo, Kilkenny, Dublin, Cork, Tipperary and Wicklow, a total contingent of over 50 choirs will make up this year’s event – performing a variety of choral pieces ranging from church/sacred music, gospel to early music, and various contemporary compositions of all types”.
A last word on The Palestrina Choir, set to open Limerick Choral Festival this Friday 26 at 7.30pm in St Joseph’s Church.
“This choir, consisting of 28 boy choristers and 12 gentlemen, is regarded as one of the finest cathedral choirs in Europe. Since its founding in 1903 it has recorded and travelled extensively as well as singing many times a week at liturgies at the Pro-Cathedral, the Mother-Church of the Archdiocese of Dublin”.
Their programme is of Palestrina, Stanford, Armstrong, Victoria, Hassler and Monteverdi.
This is the only pay-in event with tickets €12 or €15 from The Abbey Bookshop by St Augustine’s or online at www.litmt.ie.
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