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Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Musical Matters

Music is integral to the life of the Church of Ireland. Musical settings, old and contemporary, adorn the celebration of the Eucharist, Matins and Evensong, while the Church Hymnal provides a rich and varied resource for congregational singing. Cathedrals and parish churches, with their fine acoustics, are places of choice for concerts and recitals, especially in the summer months.

For July, the RCB Library’s ‘Archive of the Month’ turns to a musical note as music historian Dr David O’Shea explores the recent accession of an original manuscript copy of Sir John Stevenson’s ‘Te Deum and Jubilate in the key of C, sung at the installation of the Knights of St Patrick 1819’ in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin.  Dr O’Shea’s article also provides a concise introduction to Sir John, who is the Irish composer perhaps best known for his piano arrangements of Irish Melodies with poet Thomas Moore.

The document was donated to the RCB Library by Sarah Cannon last year, following contact with Dr Stuart Kinsella, Research Advisor of Christ Church cathedral, and Dr O’Shea who both put her in touch with the Library where the archives of both Dublin cathedrals – St Patrick’s and Christ Church – which contain significant musical–related materials are located.  The provenance of the document is a bit of a mystery. It was given to Sarah by her father, the Revd AM Cannon of Penrith, but it is not known how the manuscript came to be in his possession.  Dr O’Shea’s article offers us a colourful picture of Dublin and one of the principal cathedrals of the Church of Ireland in 1819.

The Library is grateful to Sarah Cannon for her kind donation, and for the collaboration provided by both Dr Kinsella and Dr O’Shea, which ensured that its final home would be in Braemor Park. This manuscript, which is digitized to accompany the online presentation, is a welcome addition to the Library’s ever growing manuscript collection.

Dr O’Shea’s piece may be read at www.ireland.anglican.org/about/rcb–library/archive–of–the–month

The Summit Chorale, New Jersey, USA, are on tour in Ireland. This evening (Saturday) they will sing in St. Nicholas church, Adare, Co. Limerick; on Monday in Holy Trinity church Westport, Co. Mayo; and on Wednesday in St. Mary’s church. Maynooth, Co. Kildare. All the concerts will be at 8pm with a retiring collection in aid of church funds. On Thursday the Chorale will sing Evensong in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin at 5.30pm.

There will be a visiting choir tomorrow (Sunday), 24th in St George’s parish church, Belfast where the Choir of New College, Oxford, will sing at the 11am Choral Eucharist. The choir will also give a concert in St George’s at 3pm on the same afternoon. The parish will be very pleased to welcome back Donal McCann, the Assistant Organist at New College, who was an Organ Scholar in St George’s.

In the series of lunchtime concerts in St Mary’s cathedral, Limerick, on Tuesday at 1.15pm there will be a performance on violin and piano by Duo Formosa from Florida.

In Calary Church, Co. Wicklow, there will be two concerts this week. On Wednesday pianist, Simon Watterton will play, followed on Thursday by Duo Formosa. To book tickets for these concerts or for more information, please ring John (01) 281 8146 or email derekneilson11@gmail.com

On Friday, at 1.10pm Summer Music in Sandford continues in Sandford parish church, Ranelagh, where Luke Lally Maguire and Órán Halligan (piano duo) will play music by Debussy, Poulenc, Schubert and Brahms.

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