Trinity College Chapel Choir Celebrates 250 Years of Music;
‘Great Big Photo Fest’ at St Columba’s Knock; Cashel Institution; Classical Music in Delgany; Catholic Church remains biggest child in playground; Closure of Vatican embassy will not be reversed ‘in the immediate term’; Vatican and voices of dissent; Vatican ‘not totalitarian state’: ACP
Trinity College Chapel Choir Celebrates 250 Years of Music
The chapel of Trinity College Dublin was filled with beautiful music at a Festival Eucharist to celebrate 250 years of the chapel choir. Former choir members joined current choristers along with former Archbishop of Dublin, John Neill and Senator Sean Barrett. The special service was broadcast live on Lyric FM. The choir was conducted by Margaret Bridge and the chapel’s musical director, Dr Kerry Houston, played the organ while Darren Magee and Fergal McMullen played fiddle and trumpet respectively.
The sermon was preached by the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, Rt Revd Michael Burrows, himself a former Church of Ireland Chaplain of Trinity College. He recalled in his time as chaplain learning “the line” of every building putting up posters to advertise the music in the chapel. He said that the role of the chaplain was not simply a student service but to provide a service to the college. “I could not have done the work without the work of the choir and its music. This is a place where the whole college can come together. This is a place where the college can still have a proper familial feeling.”
At a reception following the service Dean of Residence and Church of Ireland chaplain, Revd Darren McCallig, paid tribute to all who made the service possible. Quoting the poet John O’Donoghue, Revd McCallig said: “music is what language would love to be if it could”. But he said that beauty did not happen by accident – it happened because talented people came together to rehearse so that everyone who came through the chapel door got a “moment of peace and beauty”.
Director of music at the chapel, Dr Kerry Houston, thanked all who had travelled long distances to join the celebration. “The value here is that we do this week by week and what we do week by week is what makes this so valuable.” He thanked Margaret Bridge for conducting the choir so magnificently and organ scholar, Kevin O’Sullivan.
Provost Prendergast observed that living in the Provost’s house, he had the opportunity to cross the cobbles and hear the uplifting music of the choir. He said the talent of the chapel choir had been heard around the world and commented that they were proud of tradition and respectful of the past but that the choir was evolving and was dynamic and contemporary.
‘Great Big Photo Fest’ at St Columba’s Knock
St Columba’s Parish Church, Kings Road, Belfast is organising their very first “Great Big Photo Festival”. They hope to bring together photographers of all skills to produce a community weekend of arts and hospitality and are looking for professional photographers, keen amateurs, camera clubs and simple “point and clickers” to take part.
Throughout the weekend of the 27–29th April 2012, the church building will house an amazing array of photographs under the theme of “What a wonderful world”. You can now register your photos – either online or by picking up a form from the church.
The weekend will also consist of a photo walk from the Church around the Stormont estate, sessions of various workshops on different topics and other events. Funds raised from this weekend will be donated to a team of parishioners who are heading to Zambia in July to work with the Anglican Church there. A minimum donation of £3 is requested for each photo registered and for £5 there is the option of selling your image and getting back 85% of the asking price. The event is being publicised far and wide – setting it up as a “unique web challenge” to see if the wider community could help reach the target. It is hoped to have 1,000 photos on display from a complete range of ages, backgrounds and experiences. Speaking about the weekend, Festival Co–ordinator Revd Robert Ferris said: “Everyone who has a camera has taken those photos which they think are good – we hope to provide a canvas upon which to display them. We also hope that the £5 option will be of interest to professional photographers to sell their work. The festival is an exciting new venture for the parish which I hope will appeal to all the family”
Photos can be of any size, however it would be great to have large photos around A4/A3 size which can be mounted on board rather than in frames.
To register your photos, make a donatation and for more information check out the website.
If you require any more information please contact – info@thephotofest.net.
Photos and cheques, made payable to ‘St Columba’s Parish Church’, can be sent to Revd Robert Ferris c/o The Curatage, 3 Sandown
Park South, Belfast, BT5 6HE.
The event can also be found on facebook.com/thephotofest and twitter@thephotofest.
Cashel Institution
The Revd Arthur Minion has been appointed incumbent of Wexford and Kilscoran Union and will be instituted on Friday 20th April at St Iberius, Wexford.
Classical Music in Delgany
An evening of classical music will take place in Christ Church, Delgany on 28th April, in aid of the Old Schoolhouse renovation fund. The concert will feature Geraldine O’Doherty on harp, David O’Doherty on violin, Moya O’Grady on Cello and Edel O’Brien, mezzo–soprano. The concert gets underway at 8.00 pm. €10
Catholic Church remains biggest child in playground
Irish Independent – The Catholic Church in Ireland has long since ceased to spell out Catholic teaching in schools, perhaps because it fears that parents will walk away. Children attending are not taught Church teaching on homosexuality for instance: that it is a misfortune to be born homosexual, but gravely sinful to indulge your freakish nature. Homosexual practice condemns the sinner to hell.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/emer-okelly-catholic-church-remains-biggest-child-in-playground-3081136.html
Closure of Vatican embassy will not be reversed ‘in the immediate term’
The Journal.ie – Labour has cited savings of €845,000 stemming from the closure of the Embassy of the Holy See in Ireland, and says that it will not be reopened in the immediate future.
http://www.thejournal.ie/closure-of-vatican-embassy-will-not-be-reversed-in-the-immediate-term-418413-Apr2012/
Vatican and voices of dissent
Irish Times – Correspondence – If you are basically happy with Catholicism but want a church that allows married and women priests, has a less authoritarian attitude and doesn’t bow and scrape to Rome on every issue, it would be easier to move to the Church of Ireland, …
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2012/0416/1224314761927.html
Vatican ‘not totalitarian state’: ACP
Examiner – The Association of Catholic Priests has said the Vatican should remember that “it is not a totalitarian state dealing with dissidents” but a Church that needs to re-find its way. Fr Brendan Hoban’s comments come after it emerged that all copies of a theology book written by a leading Marist, 84-year-old Fr Sean Fagan, were bought up by his religious order after an anonymous complaint was made to Rome.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/vatican-not-totalitarian-state-acp-190692.html#ixzz1sETGMixE