ThE festive season saw the choirs of Carrickfergus Grammar School busy with performances for the community in North Street Presbyterian Church, in Saint Anne’s Cathedral for Action Cancer (raising £600) and the annual school carol service in Carrickfergus Congregational Church.
In the midst of the season of celebration the choir was given the poignant honour of being asked to sing at the Requiem Mass funeral service for their much-loved and inspirational singing teacher Marie O’Sullivan who, aged 50, lost her long and courageous battle with illness.
Paying tribute to his colleague, Carrrick Grammar teacher Edward Craig stated: “Early in the morning on their last day of term, while everyone else was enjoying the annual festive cheer, the choir of young people united their voices along with vocal trio ‘The Priests’ and the choir ‘Cappella Caeciliana’. The School Choir sang Shaun Davey’s hauntingly beautiful ‘The Deer’s Cry’ and Fauré’s affirming ‘In Paradisum’.
“Marie taught in the school’s Music department for five years encouraging and effectively training many young singers through her ebullient personality. Always affirming and practical in her teaching she was so much more than a teacher to her pupils and the other staff in the Music department.
“Marie has laid the foundations for some great singers and singing teachers of the future and her musical legacy will live on. The whole school community offer sincerest condolences to her husband Michael and young family.
“The saddest of occasions for the choir was, however, about to take a dramatic twist. The choir had entered a national competition with RTÉ Radio, Lyric FM. With over 200 entries the school choir won both the Secondary School Choir Competition and the overall title of Best Choir beating a wide variety of choirs, including semi-professional adult choirs, from throughout Ireland.
“It is a tremendous achievement for the school with their winning performance being broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM and being presented with a cheque for 700 Euro. The choir have also been invited to record some music with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for a CD to be released next Christmas.
“2012 sounds like it is to be one of the busiest for the choir to date with performances in every month from now to June, a tour to Scotland for St Patrick’s weekend and many more dates surely to planned as the school enters its 50th year.”
Report in Carrick Times