Music

Mornington Singers Concert: Saturday, 15 June | 6.00pm

The Mornington Singers return to Saint Bartholomew’s on Saturday, 15 June at 6.00pm for Natural History: Musical Explorations of the Natural Universe.  Conducted by Orla Flanagan, this concert is a choral exploration of the natural world featuring pieces by such classical composers as Stanford, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and Alfvén; as well as contemporary works by Eoghan Desmond, Emma O’Halloran, Roxanna Panufnik, Chris Sivak, and Laura Sheils.  Tickets are €15 (€10 concession) and may be found on Eventbrite.

Lunchtime Recital: Saturday, 18 May | 12.30pm

All are invited to a lunchtime recital at Saint Bartholomew’s on Saturday, 18 May given by baritone Padraig O’Rourke and pianist Michael Grant.  The programme features Copland’s Old American Songs and Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte.

The Old American Songs were written in the 1950s and comprised two sets.  The first was premiered by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten; the second by William Warfield.  They are an expression of Copland’s modernism and his distinctly American style, which utilised simple harmonies, folk melodies, and a lucid orchestration.

An die ferne Geliebte (To The Distant Beloved) was written in 1816 and was Beethoven’s only song cycle.  Its text was written by an Austrian doctor and writer named Alois Isidor Jeitteles, possibly at Beethoven’s request.  The composition’s theme is that of intense and painful longing, likely a reflection of the failed romance with the “Immortal Beloved” of Beethoven’s famous 1812 letter.

Padraig and Michael’s musical collaboration spans more than fifty years.  Their talents have seen them feature in a large number of concerts, operas, and recitals worldwide.  Both have also enjoyed extensive careers as broadcasters, with Padraig’s Music Choice classical music programme being a Sunday morning staple of RTÉ’s Radio 1 for twenty-three years.  Michael’s annual series of lectures for Dublin City Libraries is widely acclaimed and regarded as a highlight of the library service.

This recital is free of charge, but donations to the organ restoration fund will be most gratefully received.

Sunday, 21 April Evening Services

The choir has been invited to sing a service of choral evensong next Sunday, 21 April at 5.00pm in Nun’s Cross Church in Killiskey, Ashford, Co. Wicklow (A67 WP83).  The service will be led by the rector of Nun’s Cross, Revd. Jack Kinkead.  All are most welcome to attend.

For those who may not wish to make the drive, a service of said compline will replace evensong in Saint Bartholomew’s that evening.

Directions to Nun’s Cross Church from Dublin:

  • Take the N11/M11 towards Wexford
  • Exit at junction 15 towards Ashford
  • At the first roundabout, take the second exit towards Glendalough/Roundwood
  • At the second roundabout, take the first exit towards Ashford/Glendalough (R772)
  • At the third roundabout, take the second exit to continue on R772
  • At the fourth roundabout, take the second exit to R764
  • Veer left at the V
  • At the end of the road, turn left
  • Follow signs for Nun’s Cross Church.  The church will be to your right.  Parking is available on the roadside and beside the national school.

Photos by Robin Heather

Yeats–A Concert by New Dublin Voices: Saturday, 13 April | 7.30pm

PLEASE NOTE: Due to a match at the nearby Aviva Stadium, parking in the Ballsbridge area will be in high demand.  Attendees are encouraged to use public transport to reach the church.  We are located about five minutes’ walk from the S2, 4, 7, and 7a bus lines (use the American Embassy stop) and 10-15 minutes’ walk from the 39a, 46a, 145, and 155 bus lines (use one of the stops on Morehampton Road in Donnybrook).  The nearest DART station is Sandymount.


You read Yeats.  I read Yeats.  Next door reads Yeats.  He’s on the leaving cert.
And each of us sees something a little different…

Chamber choir New Dublin Voices with conductor Bernie Sherlock invited composers from around the world to share how they read Yeats.  They picked poems and turned them into music—fresh, striking, powerful pieces, full of light and darkness.  And then they sent them to Dublin.

On Saturday, 13 April, New Dublin Voices will lift the words of Yeats and the notes of these brilliant pieces off their manuscript pages and bring them to full dramatic and expressive life in the beautiful surroundings and warm acoustics of Saint Bartholomew’s.

The concert will include world premieres of new commissions, funded by the Arts Council, of Yeats settings by England’s Roxanna Panufnik and Ireland’s Jonathan Nangle.

Tickets are €20 (€15 concession) and available here.

Sir John Stainer’s “The Crucifixion” Event

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the performance of Sir John Stainer’s The Crucifixion at Saint Bartholomew’s on Saturday, 23 March.


Over 70 singers from far and wide took part in the event, from Lisburn to Westmeath; from Carlow to Cork, as well as many from Dublin, with a total of 27 choirs represented.

Musical direction was ably provided by Ben Barnes and supported by David O’Shea on the organ.

 

 


Our soloists were Robin Heather and Max O’Neill with three singers from Bart’s: Tim Pearson, Andrew Forrest, and Niamh Goucher.

We performed to a large and appreciative audience at 5.00pm.  We were well looked after by Julie Heather, Iris Scott, and Simone Orr in the interval with tea/coffee and hot cross buns. The day was a great success with many positive comments from the singers, and many wanting to do another event soon. Donations toward the much-needed organ restoration in Saint Bartholomew’s were gratefully received, totalling over €1300.

The Gaudete Singers Concert: Saturday, 9 March | 8.00pm

“Composers who are female are not rare. They are just too rarely performed, even today.”
—Jessica Duchen

The Gaudete Singers return to Saint Bartholomew’s for their spring concert, Assisted by Angels: Women Composers from Bingen to Bingham.  This performance will showcase a millennium’s worth of women whose musical works are all too often overlooked, from the 12th century scores of Hildegard von Bingen to the pieces debuted by English composer Judith Bingham in recent years.  Other artists in the programme include Caterina Assandra, Clara Schumann, Amy Beach, Susan Spain-Dunk, Imogen Holst, Betty Roe, and Judith Weir.  Tickets are €20 (€15 concession; €5 students) and will be available at the door.

Sir John Stainer’s “The Crucifixion”: Saturday, 23 March

Following discussions with Church Music Dublin and in order to correct a recent post in the February Church Review, please note that Church Music Dublin has kindly agreed to promote this event on our behalf, but this event is not an official reunion of the very successful CMD online production of 2021.  We are, however, encouraging those who participated to join us on the day!

The choir of Saint Bartholomew’s Church and the Sandford & St. Philip’s Choral Union invite singers from across the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough to take part in a rehearsal and performance of The Crucifixion by Sir John Stainer.

Musical Director: Ben Barnes
Organ: David O’Shea
Tenor: Max O’Neill
Bass: Robin Heather

Schedule:

2.30pm: Registration
3.00pm: Rehearsal
4.30pm: Break with tea/coffee provided
5.00pm: Performance
Please bring your own scores. (Some may be available on the day.)
The performance at 5.00pm is open to all, and hymn sheets will be provided.

About The Crucifixion:

A very appropriate work to be sung on the day before Palm Sunday as we enter Holy Week, The Crucifixion: A Meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer is an oratorio by Sir John Stainer written in 1887 for SATB choir and organ with solos for bass and tenor.  The format follows that of the Bach Passions and tells the story of the passion and crucifixion of Jesus.  The text was written by W.J. Sparrow Simpson based on the King James Bible.  Stainer dedicated the work to “my pupil and friend W. Hodge and the choir of Marylebone Church,” who first performed it on Ash Wednesday in 1887.  It has been sung in Marylebone Church every year since then. There are five hymns sung by the choir and audience throughout the work, culminating in the final and most well known, For the love of Jesus, also known as All for Jesus, All for Jesus.

Please come and join us for what promises to be a very enjoyable afternoon and help us raise some much needed funds for the continuing restoration of the Saint Bartholomew’s organ.

December Concert Line-Up

Christmas concert season is approaching!  Mark your calendars for these December performances at Saint Bartholomew’s:

Saturday, 9 December  |  1.00pm

Mornington Singers Lunchtime Christmas Concert: Noël

Saturday, 16 December  |  8.00pm

Christmas with 4-in-a-Bar

Sunday, 17 December  |  6.00pm

Saint Bartholomew’s Choir Christmas Concert

Almost sold out!

Tuesday, 19 December  |  8.00pm

AIB Choral Society presents: Christmas Concert 2023

AIB Choral Society Concert: Tuesday, 19 December

AIB Choral Society presents: Christmas Concert 2023

Tuesday, 19 December   |   8.00pm

The AIB Choral Society’s annual candlelight Christmas concert at Saint Bartholomew’s is a staple of our December line-up.  Conducted by Tomos Watkins, this year’s programme features favourites from the modern golden age of carols (think Bing Crosby), as well as a few French carols.  Tickets are €20 (€5 child) and available on Eventbrite.

Having celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022, the AIB Choral Society comprises over 50 members of current, former and retired AIB staff, family members, and friends.  They perform in numerous charity and community events throughout the year.  Last May, they traveled to Spain to participate in the 9th International Choir and Orchestra Festival in Calella on the Costa Barcelona.

For more information, follow the AIB Choral Society on Facebook.

4-in-a-Bar Concert: Saturday, 16 December

Christmas with 4-in-a-Bar:

Saturday, 16 December   |   8.00pm

Christmas with 4-in-a-Bar  will see this award-winning quartet perform a programme of feel-good carols.  Doors open at 7.30pm with a free glass of mulled wine to welcome you before the show begins at 8.00pm.  If you’d like to extend the evening, the singers have teamed up with Bianconi’s Restaurant on Merrion Road (D04 RH61) for a pre-concert special, which includes a two-course meal with your show ticket for €42.50 (offer only available until 1 December).  Tickets for just the show are €20 and all tickets, plus details about the meal special, are available at kendumusic.com.

4-in-a-Bar is one of Ireland’s most acclaimed vocal ensembles, performing sold-out shows all across Europe.  Since 2008, Eoin, Tristan, Paul, and Shane have brought the classic American barbershop vocal style into Irish traditional music, as well as ancient, classical, and pop genres.

They are managed by Dorothy Alioth of KenDu Music.