Conductor and Organ Scholar appointed at Trinity College Dublin Chapel; Fifty Shades of Grey helps The Tallis Scholars rise up classical music charts; Cookstown Youth Choir set to perform at Olympic festival event in Belfast; Greater Harmony Chorus to Tour Ireland; Owl City announces world tour dates; Live performance video from MercyMe
Conductor and Organ Scholar appointed at Trinity College Dublin Chapel
It has been announced that Ms. Margaret Bridge has been re-appointed as Conductor of Trinity College Dublin Chapel Choir for the 2012/2013 academic year. Mr. Joseph Bradley has been appointed Organ Scholar to the College.
Margaret Bridge is from Bray in Co. Wicklow and has just completed her music studies at TCD. She has been a member of the Chapel Choir for several years and a choral scholar for two years. In addition to being an accomplished singer and conductor, Margaret is also a talented pianist and flautist. She was elected to Scholarship in Music in April 2010. This is her second year as Conductor of Chapel Choir.
Joseph Bradley is from Lanarkshire in Scotland and is a rising Junior Sophister in music in TCD. He also studies organ with David Adams at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and is enrolled on the Archbishop’s Certificate in Church Music course. For the past couple of years he has been organist at St Matthew’s church, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow.
Dr. Kerry Houston, Director of Chapel Music at TCD said, “Margaret and Joseph are working in the chapel at a very exciting time as we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the first formal Chapel Choir by Provost Andrews in 1762. We have had a very enriching series of events already this year including a reunion service on Low Sunday which was broadcast by RTE when the preacher was our former chaplain Bishop Michael Burrows. We are planning more events later this year which leads into the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the sharing of the College Chapel by the major Christian denominations in Ireland. We will mark this forward-thinking initiative of Archbishop Alan Buchanan with a series of ecumenical events. The College Chapel and its music is not just for staff and students at Trinity. Everyone is welcome at Thursday evensong (5.15pm) and Sunday morning Sung Eucharist (10.45am).”
The Dean of Residence at Trinity College Dublin, the Revd Darren McCallig commented, “We are very grateful to Margaret, Joseph and all who give so generously of their time and their talents to ensure the continuation of our renowned choral tradition here in Trinity. I know that with this new leadership team in place Chapel Choir will continue to create magnificent music to enrich our liturgies and nourish our spirits.”
In addition to the regular choral services during each week of lecture term and various special college and university services, the Chapel Choir gives concerts and is broadcast regularly on RTE radio and television. Trips within Britain and Ireland are organized twice yearly and more distant travels have included visits to New York, Rome, Berlin, Hong Kong, Vienna and (in June of this year) Venice.
For further information on the choir or to enquire about joining, please contact Margaret Bridge at bridgem1@tcd.ie
Fifty Shades of Grey helps The Tallis Scholars rise up classical music charts
The Tallis Scholars have risen into the top ten of the UK classical chart with help from an unlikely source – the erotic fiction novel Fifty Shades of Grey.
The group made it to number 7 in this week’s singles chart with Spem in alium. Sales of the single have grown over the last few weeks, seeing it rise from number 20, to 13, to 8 and now to 7 as the track has become increasingly more popular on iTunes.
Director Peter Philips said: ‘I haven’t read Fifty Shades of Grey but I am most grateful to the author for introducing so many new listeners to the musical sensation that is Thomas Tallis’s Spem in alium.’
Spem in alium, featured in the novel, has also found success in the US classical charts as the popularity surrounding E.L. James’s book continues to grow. As plans are announced for a possible film adaptation, the song is likely to feature in the soundtrack.
Peter Phillips explained the background to the song: ‘Written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I it features 40 individual voices singing in Latin that combine to a thrilling climax for the words ‘respice humilitatem nostram’(be mindful of our humiliation).’
Phillips also took the opportunity to ask fans to, ‘please buy The Tallis Scholars recording today from iTunes’, so that the group might just ‘replace Nessun Dorma at the top of the classical singles chart!’
www.thetallisscholars.co.uk
Cookstown Youth Choir set to perform at Olympic festival event in Belfast
Mid Ulster Mail – Over the past number of weeks Brian has been working with the Ulster Youth Orchestra and a specially formed community chorus made up of singers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds from all over Northern Ireland, including members of Cookstown Youth …
http://www.midulstermail.co.uk/news/local/cookstown-youth-choir-set-to-perform-at-olympic-festival-event-in-belfast-1-4068571
Greater Harmony Chorus to Tour Ireland
Patch.com – Sweet Adelines to sing with choir in Ireland.
http://cranberry.patch.com/articles/greater-harmony-chorus-to-tour-ireland
Owl City announces world tour dates
Owl City will be heading to the UK and Ireland this autumn as part of his world tour
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/owl.city.announces.world.tour.dates/30249.htm
Live performance video from MercyMe
MercyMe have released a new live performance video for their latest single The Hurt The Healer
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/live.performance.video.from.mercyme/30184.htm