12.10.2012
St Patrick’s Choisters to Release New CD
The Choristers of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, are preparing to launch a new CD in November. The cathedral choir has made a number of recordings over the years but this is the first to feature solely the choristers, who are all aged between eight and 13 years. They are directed by Stuart Nicholson and in the new recording they are accompanied by Victoria Green on guitar, Diane Marshall on harp and David Leigh and Harry Meehan on the organ.
Entitled In Dublin’s Fair City – Anthems, Cockles & Mussels from St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the CD has been recorded by Regent Records and will be released on November 16. The music has been specifically chosen to appeal to a very wide market – including those 300,000 visitors that cross the threshold each year.
Many of the tracks have special links with the Cathedral – four were either written or arranged by past and current Cathedral musicians. Other tracks have much older links, in particular How beautiful are the feet from Handel’s Messiah which was first performed by members of both St Patrick’s and Christ Church Cathedral Choirs in 1742 and there is always the title track, just in case there was any doubt as to where this recording originated.
The aim of the recording is to raise the profile of the choristers – it will act as a very useful recruitment tool over the coming years helping us ensure the survival of Ireland’s oldest choral foundation.
Boys’ choirs are rare in Ireland but what makes Saint Patrick’s even more unique is the fact that they are tutored at the one remaining choir school in the country. They sing daily services – an average of eight to 10 each week – alongside their school timetable.
The CD launch will take place in St Patrick’s Cathedral on Friday November 16 at 6.00 pm. The boys will perform a number of tracks in a free concert. Further details of the launch and the CD itself are on the website: www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/In_Dublins_Fair_City.aspx.