The Billie Barry Stage School
The Billie Barry Stage School was founded in 1964. Since then the school has achieved huge success. Audiences will be familiar with their Late Late Toy Show appearances as well as their work on stage, screen and television with many top Irish and Overseas artists. This year The Billie Barry Children made their 29th consecutive appearance in a Gaiety Theatre pantomime.
The school is very proud of the huge success of past pupils; Mikey Graham of Boyzone, Bryan McFadden of Westlife and Samantha Mumba.
Billie Barry children have a long established association with the Dublin County Choir. They are delighted to make their annual appearance with the choir at the National Concert Hall. The Christmas concert is always a special one and holds many happy memories for both children and parents. It also gives the Stage School an opportunity to showcase some of the young and up and coming talent of the future.
The Billie Barry Stage School would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Dublin County Choir on their Silver Jubilee and thank them for all the happy times that we have shared.
The Royal Irish Academy of Music Wind Ensemble.
Fergus O'Carroll
Fergus O'Carroll is Director of the Royal Irish Academy Wind Band. He also holds the position of Musical Director of the Mullingar. Choral Society and the Dun Laoghaire Choral Society.
The RIAM Wind Band is a relatively new addition to the activities of the long established Royal Irish Academy of Music. The band, founded in 1997 by Victor Marlirsh, Professor of Horn at the Academy, has developed progressively over the years into the fine ensemble that it is today. Because of the natural turnover of pupils in any 2nd/3rd level academy, the building of an ensemble such as this can be an arduous task.
Because of the now established annual relationship between the Dublin County Choir and the band, the band during the first part of the year, works mainly on audience friendly music while specific band repertoire is explored during second semester. This means that the pupils are exposed to all musical genres during the year, everything from pop music to contemporary compositions for wind band.
Jim Molloy, Producer. "From La Scala to the Met Promotions".
"I had heard of the reputation of the Dublin County Choir over the years, but it was only when they were our special guests for three performances of "The Irish Ring" that I saw how good the choir is. Their commitment and obvious love of music are evident and are a wonderful example to all those who will follow in their foot-steps in the future".
Aidan Faughey, Visiting Conductor
Aidan Faughey is a visiting conductor of the Dublin County Choir and a regular conductor for Lyric Opera Productions.
"The Dublin County Choir is without doubt one of the most versatile choirs in the City of Dublin. Their repertoire ranges from Bach to the Beatles and they have been delighting audiences with their singing for the past 25 years. Of course they are most fortunate in having, not one, but two outstanding Musical Directors, Colin Block and John Dexter. It was a great privilege for me to work with the choir on three occasions recently when we presented concert excerpts from the "Irish Ring". These concerts were a great success, due in no small measure to the excellent preparation by Colin , John, and the choir members.
I am very much looking forward to working with the choir again in the concert of "Broadway Classics" and later the concert "Magic of Opera"".
Vivian Coates, Director /Designer Lyric Opera Company.
"My first encounter with the Dublin County Choir was back in 1996, when I was invited to direct a semi-staged performance of Purcell's pastoral, "Dido and Aeneas" at the national Concert Hall.
Daunting as I thought, to get over one hundred and twenty people moving and acting, with people from all aspects of the community, it turned out to be a great challenge, experience and above all, a great laugh.
Their friendship is infectious and was made amid delicately placed masks and complicated hand gestures and thankfully, that is how it has remained - without masks and hand gestures I'm glad to say.
I wish this collection of dedicated and hard working choristers many more years of fun and enthusiasm as we are privileged to be servants to the one master - MUSIC".
Mary Callen Clarke
Born in Galway' Mary Studied at University College Dublin, The Dublin College of Music, and the Royal College of Music ,London.
Operatic roles include Agathe, Der Freischutz,Gilda: Rigoleto, and Mimi: La Boheme for Welsh National Opera.
In Ireland Mary has sung Sandrina: L'Infedecta Delusa, Grafin: Wienerbuit, and Alice Ford: Falstaff, all for Opera Theather Company Ireland.
For Scottish Opera she has performed Fiordiligi: Cosi fan tuitte, Violetta: La Traviata, Micaela: Carmen, and Adina: L'eusir D'amore.
In addition to her work in opera Mary has performed extensively in concert and oratorio. She has been frequent guest with the RTE Concert Orchestra, and has appeared as soprano soloist with choral societies throughout Britain and Ireland.
These performances include the Verdi Requiem at Southwark Cathedral, the Brahms Requiem at the National Concert Hall Dublin, and the Hyden Creation at Great St. Mary's Cambridge.
Eugene D O'Hagan Tenor
Born into a musical family, Eugene soon developed his keen interest in singing both at school and later at Queen's University, Belfast under the renowned late Frank Capper. Having won many if not all major singing classes at the Belfast, Ballymena and Coleraine Music Festivals he went on to pursue singing studies with Maestro Ballani during several years in Rome.
While in Rome Eugene sang on numerous occasions at St Peter's and many of the other Roman Basilicas. Not only a singer of oratorio, art song in various languages and an exponent of German lieder, he is also an accomplished actor and has even from an early age been involved in plays, operetta and opera.
Frank O'Brien Bass
Frank O'Brien is one of Ireland's leading singers. A versatile artist having covered the full range of the singer's experience: Opera, Oratorio, Operetta, Musicals, Recitals, Radio and Television.
Frank has appeared on many occasions with Dublin Grand Opera Society, Wexford Opera, Opera Theather Co, and Cork Opera South. He has also sung oratorie with Lady's Choral Society, The Culwick Choral Society and many more. In 1995 he was awarded the John McCormac Gold Medal for services to singing in Ireland.
His first performance with the Dublin County Choir was in the Rutter Requiem and the Mozart Requiem in 1999 and he is looking forward to his second performance with the choir in their silver jubilee concert.
Edel O'Brien Contralto
Edel O'Brien come from Co. Clare. She graduated with an honours degree in Performance Studies from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
In 1992 she won the Margaret Burke-Sheridan Cup at the Dublin Feis Ceoil. In 1997, she won an Italian Government scholarship to study at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan.
Her oratorio experience includes alto soloist in Mozart's Requiem, Durufle's Requiem, Dvorak's Mass in D and Stravinsky's Les Noces. She has sung the roles of Clariss in Prokoviev's Love of Three Oranges, the Old Prioress in Poulenc's Dialogue of Carmelites and the Baroness in Barbers' Vanessa.
She was chosen to sing the role of Ines in Verdi's // Trovatore by Maestro Daniele Gatti in a gala concert at the Royal Albert Hall in December 1999. At present, Edel is studying with Hazel Wood and Robert Aldwinkle at Trinity. College of Music, London.
Edel O'Brien last appeared with the Dublin County Choir in Mendelssohn's Elijah in 2000.
Mary Gallagher, Leader, Orchestra of St. Cecilia,
Formed in January , 1995, the Orchestra of St. Cecilia has quickly established a fine reputation for the quality of its performances.
Drawn from among the finest of Dublin's professional musicians, it was first heard in the noted Bach Cantata series in St. Ann's Dawson Street. The success of these concerts led to the issue of a CD of Cantata Highlights.
As well as presenting a regular series of concerts, the Orchestra was featured as part of the RTE Summer Sounds Season with Barry Tuckwell as conductor and soloist. The Orchestra has performed with many choral societies in the National Concert Hall and throughout the country, including the Cork Choral Festival.
The Orchestra of St. Cecilla has performed on many occasions with the Dublin County Choir
Niamh Murray
Niamh Murray is widely regarded as one of Ireland's outstanding lyric sopranos possessing a warm and charismatic personality.
This highly acclaimed multi-award winning artiste has sung all over the world as well as appearing on major broadcasting stations such as RTE,BBC,CH4 along with the Australian, South African and Polish networks. Niamh is also a prolific recording artist with numerous albums to her credit.
"I remember well my first encounter with the Dublin County Choir. It was a cold, wet, dreary September evening in 1991 and I had finished singing to a packed Cathedral when a distinguished bearded gentleman - Chairman Roy Byrne - approached me to discuss my singing with the choir in its Christmas concert in the National concert Hall.
From that meeting to the present day, I can honestly say that I have had some magnificently splendid musical experiences with this fine choir and its marvelous conductor Colin Block from singing and "carrying on" in its Christmas concerts to performing in Carmina Burana as well as being guest soloist on its beautiful C.D. album "Let the Bells Ring".
Dublin County Choir possess so many fine attributes, it would be difficult to highlight them all but for me the beauty of tone and thrilling ability to deliver a variety of dynamic colours, sounds and styles make this a special choir.
Apart from all the obvious musical accolades which could be so deservedly be heaped on them, the members of the Dublin County Choir continue to sparkle and spread its musical mantle of brilliance over those of us fortunate enough to enjoy the experience."
Niamh Murray.
Mary McAuliffe, Composer
Mary McAuliffe's work continues to develop; CD recordings and a variety of performances are taking place in Ireland, Britain, Italy and in many parts of the USA. On St. Patrick's Day 2001 her "Return to Old Ireland" (2000) received performances by the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Indiana, and by the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids with the Fine Arts Chorale of State Valley University, Michigan. This work is also to be performed by the Symphony and Chorus of Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, USA and its release on CD takes place in Atlanta, Georgia in May 2001. Many performances of Mary's works are planned for the year ahead.
"Since my initial association with Dublin County Choir when Colin Block in 1991 chose my "Star of Bethlehem" for performance at the Christmas Festival, Christmas has become, for me, synonymous with truly wonderful and delightful performances at the National Concert Hall. I am equally proud of the magnificent and moving performances of "Gloria!", commissioned by the Choir in 1994, and "Song of Adoration" which feature on the CD "Let the Bells Ring", as I am of the great generosity of spirit shown by the Choir in 1994 when they gave their thrilling performances for the benefit of Open Door Care Centre in Bray.
The enduring commitment of Colin Block and Dublin County Choir to the performance of my compositions has proved to be a catalyst for me in the pursuit of my work as composer, and I am truly appreciative of the remarkable talent, the dedication, the vision and the friendship which has become deeply special to me. My sincere congratulations and best wishes to you all on the occasion of your 25th Anniversary. May you continue to delight and bring pleasure to so many."
Mary McAuliffe.