01/05/2016
Featuring the tenor Ciaran Kelly, news from Lyric Opera and a visit to Ballymoney to go behind the scenes with the choir of Dalriada Grammar School.
A celebration of Northern Ireland's great tradition of singing and choral music, and some of the great soloists that it has produced. This week, Sing Out features the young Londonderry tenor Ciaran Kelly and some of the choirs and great vocal ensembles that he sings with, news from Lyric Opera about their show Opera by Candle light, and a visit to Ballymoney to go behind the scenes with the choir of Dalriada Grammar School, ý Radio Ulster's Choir of the Year 2016.
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Music in the programme
Apollo 5
The Boogie Woogie Bugle BoyAlbert Ammons
Ciaran Kelly
Walking in the Air Howard Blake
Codetta
And So It GoesBilly Joel
Oxford Clerks
First Preces and Psalm for EvensongOrlando Gibbons
On Whitsunday
Anuna
Song of OisinM.McGlynn
Celtic Woman
Níl Se’n LáTrad. Irish
Four In A Bar
Yes Sir, That’s My BabyKahn/Donaldson
ú
Run To YouPentatonix
Apollo 5
Stand By Me King/Lieber/Stoller
Renée Fleming
Casta Diva (from Norma)Bellini
Dalriada Grammar School Chamber Choir
Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My FeetJohn Parker/Greg Gilpin
Send In The ClownsStephen Sondheim
The Conversion Of SaulZ. Randall Stroope
The Lord Bless you And Keep You Philip Stopford
Ciarán Kelly
Ciarán Kelly, is a former student of Lynda Lee at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin. He made his opera debut at the RIAM in January 2007, singing ‘Don Curzio’ in a production ofLe Nozze Di Figaro, going on to sing with the Downpatrick Opera Fringe Festival, Opera Theatre Company and Lyric Opera. Ciarán has also been been an active member of renowned chamber choir ‘Resurgam’ under the directorship of Mark Duley. In 2010, Ciarán sang as a soloist in the historic performance of Handel’s Messiah, a joint performance between St Patricks and Christ Church Cathedrals in Dublin. In 2012 he travelled to Piacenza, Italy to perform the lead role in Nicolini’sLe Due Gemellewith singers from Italy, Japan, Korea and Armenia. Ciarán was also chosen to perform the lead role in a specially commissioned short opera in Derry for the arrival of the Olympic Torch; Number Seven, composed by Seán Doherty.
Ciarán undertook the narrator role in Monterverdi’sIl Combattimenti Di Tancredi e Clorindaand in 2013 completed a National Tour with Opera Theatre Company’s production ofCarmen(Ի岹).
Recent roles also include Endymione in a joint performance of Rossi’s Orfeo with Resurgam and Atalante, directed by award winning early music specialist Erin Headley.
Ciarán now lives in London where he combines a full-time schedule with professional a cappella quintet Apollo5 alongside recording and performance dates with his own Irish a cappella ensemble, ú.
Dalriada Grammar School Choir
The Chamber Choir of Dalriada was formed in 1983 by Bobby McQuillan and consisted of nine girls and three boys who wanted to sing madrigals for fun! The choir grew from strength to strength and eventually became the only choir in school for which pupils had to audition. The present Head of Music and Choir Mistress of the Chamber Choir, Heather Montgomery, was one of the founder members of this choir. The Chamber Choir performs challenging repertoire whereas the senior choir, which is open to everyone, performs more popular and easily accessible repertoire. Dalriada currently has four choirs which rehearse on a weekly basis and who come together to sing major choral repertoire such as Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Faure’s Requiem.
The Chamber Choir of Dalriada School won this year’s Competition. They performed three contrasting and challenging unaccompanied pieces from memory at the final; The Conversion of Saul by Z. Randall Stroope, The Lord Bless You and Keep You by Philip Stopford and Nothin Gonna Stumble my Feet by Greg Gilpin. The choir were praised for having a well blended and unified sound, they were complimented for having “no passengers” in the choir and for delivering musical and moving performances of their chosen repertoire.
Broadcasts
- Sun 1 May 2016 18:30ý Radio Ulster & ý Radio Foyle
- Tue 3 May 2016 19:30ý Radio Foyle & ý Radio Ulster