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Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Musical Chairs 

The appointment of Mr Bartosz Thiede to the joint position of Choral Director at Kilkenny College and Director of Music at St Canice’s Cathedral has been announced. This new venture seeks to foster and deepen the existing warm historic links between the Cathedral and Kilkenny College in a generous and mutually enriching partnership. The appointment has been welcomed by the Dean of Ossory, the Very Revd David McDonnell, and the Principal of KIlkenny College, Mr Simon Thompson.

Bartosz Rafal Thiede is a Polish–born Ulsterman who attended St. Colman’s College, Newry, where he began his organ studies, and sung as a tenor with the Schola Cantorum Choir in Belfast. In 2013 he was awarded a sixth form music scholarship to attend Clifton College, Bristol, where he developed his organ playing technique winning the 2014 Intermediate Category of the Northern Irish International Organ Competition. In 2015 Bart won an organ scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, with a place to read music. He studied organ with William Whitehead and conducting with Paul Spicer. He has played on BBC Radio 4 Longwave Daily Worship broadcasts, accompanied choirs in St Paul’s cathedral, London, and the Tower of London, and has organised tours of Malta and Sicily as well as Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. Bartosz appears on a number of CDs, most recently on the disc ‘On Christmas Night’ by Exeter College Chapel Choir, on which his organ playing has been described as having ‘perfectly–nuanced virtuosity’.

After graduating in the summer of 2018, Bartosz took some time off, working with social services, and later volunteering with Citizens Advice. He was also awarded the job of a Director of Music at the historic church of St Mary and St John on Cowley Road in Oxford. In January 2019 he took on a new challenge of Fundraising Executive Assistant with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras.

Bartosz Thiede will take up his position in mid–August in preparation for the new choir and school term in September. 

There are also major changes in the Music Department in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin. The Director of Music, Ian Keatley, has been appointed as Director of Music in Southwark cathedral, London, and will take up his new position in September. The Assistant Director of Music, Dr David Bremner, has resigned to concentrate on composing. Dr Bremner lectures in the Dublin Technical University (formerly DIT) Conservatory of Music.

Tomorrow (Sunday) the 11am Sung Eucharist in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, will be sung by the Choir of the Cathedral Group of parishes directed by Gerard Downey while in St Patrick’s cathedral, the 11.15am Choral Eucharist will be sung by the Close Chorale.

‘Summer Music in Sandford’ continues next Friday at 1.10pm in Sandford parish church, Ranelagh, where there will be an organ duet by Patrice Keegan and Carole O’Connor.

As part of Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council’s ‘Summer of Heritage’ series three Church of Ireland parish churches will be open regularly for visitors during July and August. All Saints, Blackrock and Monkstown will be open each Saturday and and Holy Trinity, Killiney, will be open from Thursday to Saturday. Monkstown, built in 1789 but radically altered by John Semple in the 19th century, will probably be the most familiar due to its prominent position in Monkstown village and imposing castellated exterior. Holy Trinity, on the corner of Killiney Hill Park, with its Harry Clarke window, was built in 1848, while Blackrock, on Carysfort Avenue, was built in the early English gothic style in 1870. No pre–booking is required for these free self–guided tours.

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