Mercy Choir on a high after successful year
Our Lady of Mercy Primary School Choir, 'Mercy Chorus', together with their co-ordinators Michelle O'Brien and Fidelma Nugent (on the left) and Frances Tobin (on the right).
‘Onwards and upwards’ is the motto of the Mercy Chorus choir, comprised of angelic singers from Our Lady of Mercy Primary School in Cahir, and after a busy year, the singing students are celebrating its success.
The Mercy Chorus choir was set up in January 2011 to encourage the musical growth of children and to cultivate enjoyment of singing. They reached for the stars and they certainly achieved great things in their first year!
The autumn programme began in October with rehearsals for the Hallelujah Concerts in Dublin. For this event, up to 3,000 school choir members from all parts of the country come together to sing in one large communal choir and a range of music, from Randy Newman’s Toy Story to Rebecca Lawrence’s Power in Me and a Queen Medley was learned. What an experience it was for the choir - made up of 4th, 5th and 6th class members, to perform at the RDS, Dublin, for the first time! One of the first aims of these concerts is to inspire children to sing together and it certainly did that.
David Lewis, the founder of the Hallelujah Concerts, noticed the choir and invited co-ordinators, Frances Tobin, Michelle O’Brien and Fidelma Nugent to a workshop in London with the Young Voices team. Because this London team is the biggest organiser of children’s choir performances in the world, meeting and working with them, gave the co-ordinators a wonderful insight into choral training and performances on a large scale!
That same month, they sang at the school’s carol service in St Mary’s Church in Cahir while their power point presentation and performance in Cahir Castle in January helped to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the song It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.
The spring programme began with a workshop given by Fr Columba McCann OSB from Glenstal Abbey. The choir had already learned some of Fr McCann’s music and were very interested in meeting a composer whose music they enjoy singing.
In March, Mercy Chorus sang at the celebration of confirmation in the Parish. A wide variety of music, including some of Fr McCann’s, was performed and everyone was very proud to sing for the sixth class choir members who have been so loyal to Mercy Chorus.
On May 12, they sang once again in the church and on this occasion it was for the children who celebrated their First Holy Communion. For such church services, the choir has been accompanied by Fidelma Nugent (organ), Maeve Johnston (flute), Kate Johnston (violin) and Bríd Ryan (flute).
Mercy Chorus members and third class have recently been given the wonderful opportunity of working with Monica Brown, an international composer, teacher, facilitator, story teller and animator. This will take place during the forthcoming Eucharistic Mercy Chorus would like to express their gratitude to parents of choir members and to school staff for supporting and accommodating them. They are enjoying the benefits of choir singing which include: good fun, enjoyment of singing and making music together, team spirit and togetherness among many others. So if you are searching for a group of engaged, talented, happy and generous young people, look no further than Our Lady of Mercy Primary School in Cahir.
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Weather for Clonmel
Thursday 20 June 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 12 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: West
