17/04/2016
This programme features the Loreto Grammar School Choir, Cappella Caeciliana's 20th anniversary and one of our busiest musical ambassadors, Margaret Keys.
More great music from our top choirs and singers. John Anderson goes behind the scenes to meet the people who make the music and give Northern Ireland its great choral tradition and worldwide reputation.
This programme features Loreto Grammar School Choir (Omagh) who have just been awarded outright winners at the Prague Festival, Cappella Caeciliana's 20th anniversary, and one of our busiest musical ambassadors, Margaret Keys, who recently was invited to sing for Pope Francis in America.
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MUSIC IN THE PROGRAMME
Loreto Grammar School Choir
Dybych byla jahodúEmil Hradecky
Waly, WalyTrad arr John C Philips
Sound of Silence Paul Simon arr Gerard Bradley
Joyful Joyful Beethoven arr Mervyn Warren
(from Sister Act 2)
Cappella Caeciliana
Kyrie (from Mass for 4 voices)William Byrd
Ut Omnes Sunt Sir James Macmillan
Lux Aurumque Eric Whiteacre
Cum Sancto Spiritu (from Gloria) Vivaldi
Margaret Keys
I could have danced all night Lerner & Loewe
(My Fair Lady)
In The Arms of an AngelSara McLachlan
Believe Me If All Those Thomas Moore
Endearing Young Charms
The Lark In The Clear AirIrish Traditional
Wouldn’t It Be Luverly Lerner & Loewe
(My Fair Lady)
LORETO GRAMMAR, OMAGH WIN IN PRAGUE
Loreto Grammar School’s Senior Choir arrived back triumphant from their recent trip to the Youth Choir Festival in Prague, having won the Girls’ Choir Competition, achieving the highest accolade of a Gold Award. Choirs from around the world travelled to participate in the Young 2016 Prague Festival and Loreto Grammar, Omagh was the only choir from the U.K. and Ireland to not only win their competition but also achieve the Gold Award. Conducted by Mr Gerard Bradley, the choir performed five unaccompanied songs. They had the challenge of performing from memory a set piece in Czech (Dybch Byla Jahodú) and a traditional folk song, O Waly, Waly. It was an eclectic programme which also included Paul Simon’s classic Sound of Silence, the lively Frog in the Well and the haunting Enya song, May It Be.
Mr Bradley, who has taken the Senior Choir to the Youth Festival in Prague on three previous occasions, was delighted with the girls’ performance.
“We achieved the gold award on our last trip to the Festival so to win this section is fantastic. We were competing against more senior choirs from all around the Europe and it was a fabulous result, recognising the dedication and talent of these students. I am very proud of them.”
CAPPELLA CAECILIANA
Cappella Caeciliana was founded on the feast of St Cecilia 1995 and has sung liturgies and concerts all over Northern Ireland as well as Italy, Germany, Austria, USA and in a highly successful tour of Bavaria in July 2013. On their American tour in 2011 they sang choral evensong at the National Cathedral in Washington DC and gave concerts to great acclaim in Philadelphia. They have performed on radio and television on many occasions and recently released their 4th album on which they sing music by a range of composers from Tallis and Byrd to MacMillan and Neil Martin.
Cappella’s repertoire includes plainchant, great polyphonic works by Byrd, Victoria and Palestrina, music by Haydn, Mozart, Faure, Durufle and other composers up to the present day. They have increasingly been exploring the music of outstanding contemporary figures such as Arvo Part, Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre and James MacMillan. The latter was commissioned to compose a new piece for the choir (Ut Omnes Sunt) and received its premier, conducted by Sir James, at a recent concert to celebrate their 20th anniversary year. Cappella has led workshops in Belfast by members of The 16 among others and in June members of the choir will travel to London to work with James MacMillan and with Harry Christophers and Eamonn Dougan of The 16.
http://www.caeciliana.org
MARGARET KEYS
Margaret Keys, a classical singer, grew up in Derry, Northern Ireland. The daughter of Bill and Mary Keys, she is one of 4 children and her twin sister Rosemary is a doctor.
Margaret was introduced to singing and music as a social activity at an early age. She started singing lessons at the age of 4 and her grandparents were also keen performers. Though not professional, they won many competitions, one of which included the Deanna Durbin singing competition, which was awarded to her grandmother, Margaret Clifford.
Margaret trained as a music teacher, but always continued to study singing seriously. Having graduated as teacher she was then awarded a scholarship to study at the prestigious Royal Scottish Conservatoire of Music and Drama.
She was then signed by Universal Records and released her debut album internationally. She has since gone on to perform in prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, West End theatres, toured Europe, United States, Australia and New Zealand
She has performed with Alfie Boe, Russell Watson and Paul Potts. Just a few months ago she was invited to perform for Pope Francis in his first visit to America. Also singing was Andrea Bocelli in an event which was broadcast to a worldwide audience of millions.
https://www.margaretkeys.co.uk
Broadcasts
- Sun 17 Apr 2016 18:30ý Radio Ulster & ý Radio Foyle
- Tue 19 Apr 2016 19:30ý Radio Foyle & ý Radio Ulster