When last I extensively advertised a coming event in the Cathedral – Newpoint’s performance of T S Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral – I found on the night that everyone had arrived before me, though I was there a full half-hour before commencement. I had to stand at the back,
…….. where the acoustics were so poor that I lost most of the dialogue. I was determined not to repeat my mistake last evening for the Mozart 250 Celebration event.
We were four rows from the front and saw and heard everything – before the many vaulted ceilings, apses and alcoves could play havoc with the sound. Friends towards the rear complained of some sound distortion and some notes lost entirely!
Your editor is a huge fan of all of Mozart’s many works and of his Requiem in particular. Quite simply this evening was the highlight of my whole year. The performance, by
It would be invidious of me to single out any individual since it was a choir and ensemble performance. However my Newry readers would not forgive me if I failed to mention one of our own, Cian O’Duill who gave an exemplary rendition – with Fiona Winning – on the viola, of the Symphonia Concertante. I am not ashamed to say that tears filled my eyes throughout: I had never heard anything more beautiful in my life. And that was just the taster!
The 60 strong St George’s Singers, with soloists Rachel Thompson (soprano), Colette McGahon (mezzo soprano) David Revels (tenor) and Michael Brown (bass) – and of course the inimitable Joanne Quigley, lead violin – who, along with musical director Brian McKay gave us this brilliant event – enthralled us for over an hour with Mozart’s last composition, the Requiem.
I apologise to my readers to be advertising after the event. But you wouldn’t have left a decent seat for me and my party, now, would you, had I informed you in advance?
St Colman’s College will shortly also be performing Mozart’s Requiem in the Cathedral, so all is not lost. And I tell you in plenty of time.
Requiem K626 in D Minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, sung by
Choir of st Colman’s College
Cathedral, Sunday 3 December at 7.30 pm.
Voluntary subscription to Hospice.
And within the month Newpoint are giving us a special week’s celebratory performances in the Arts Centre, both Youth and Senior groups. The latter are doing Brian Friel’s The Faith Healer, featuring the return to the stage of director Sean Treanor – something to celebrate in itself!
More of all that later!