Mullingar Choral Society return to open Christmas season
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” Andy Williams dulcet crooning sets the tone for the festive season and the Mullingar Choral Society are set to stage a concert to affirm that sentiment.
The birth of Jesus Christ in a humble stable, just over 2,000 years ago is a real cause of joy, not just for children but for grown-ups too. The Mullingar Choral Society, as president, Patrick Pilkington attests, celebrate this great festival of Christmas every year in the Cathedral of Christ the King thanks to the patronage of Bishop Tom Deenihan.
This year the concert will take place on Sunday, December 7, commencing at 7pm.
“We are also most grateful to the new Rector of the Church of Ireland at All Saints who, along with their Select Vestry, allow us to practice in their parish hall. We welcome him, his wife Jenny and their young boys to Mullingar,” Patrick said of the wide community support for the concert.
The society welcome back music director, Fintan Farrelly, who will continue his long association with them: “He has given us a truly memorable concert programme of Christmas music for this year with many of the settings he composed,” Patrick said.
Fintan is a native of Longford and is organist and choir director in St Mel’s Cathedral. He is a highly qualified musician with a Masters in Organ Performance and Musicology from DCU.
The show will feature a première by Ross Xanthopolous, A Promise Born. There are two superb soloists. The first is Ami Hewitt, a coloratura soprano from Dublin who has sung with the Irish National Opera in a number of roles.
“This is the fist time she joins us. It is a happy collaboration with Paul Kiernan Jr, whom she recently married. Congratulations to them both,” Patrick said.
Paul is a native of Mullingar and well known in the town. He is a member of the Defence Forces and is a part of the No.1 Army Band. He has a Bachelor of Music from the Conservatory of Music in Dublin.
Patrick concluded by encouraging everyone to come along to the show: “We are joined by the Arioso String Quartet along with Paul Kiernan Sr and the brilliant Cathal Masterson as the pianist. The St Kenny National School will join us under the able direction of Joanna Fagan. Joanna has sung with us many times in the past and we are most grateful for her talent.
“As always, the society welcome you to what is always an enjoyable introduction to the Christmas season.”
The Mullingar Choral Society Christmas concert is on Sunday, December 7, at 7pm in the Cathedral of Christ the King.