11.06.2014
Christ Church Cathedral Prepares for First Dublin Garden Festival
The transformation of Christ Church Cathedral has begun with designers taking over to ‘bring the outside inside’ for the Dublin Garden Festival. The festival gets underway at 9.00 am on Friday morning, June 13, and continues all weekend until 7.00 pm on Sunday evening. Throughout the weekend the cathedral will be overflowing with stunning classical and contemporary floral arrangements designed by talented and award winning florists.
Among those taking part will be Christopher White who will be displaying his creation ‘Twisted and Tangled’ that won a Silver medal at Chelsea. This tropical display will include the use of Vanda Orchids, Anthurium Previa, roses, Calla Lillies and Carnations. They will be on a pedestal on an iron stand in the Chancel.
Adonis flowers will have a tree–lined avenue in the nave of the cathedral to create a formal garden. The display will also include a 20 foot tall dried tree that has been decorated by the owner, Paul Berry.
Third class of St Audoen’s National School have created innovative and original gardens by themselves and these wonderful designs can be viewed in the niches in the North Ambulatory.
Among the many other wonderful displays will be works by the Mothers’ Union, the Friends of Christ Church, the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland and the ICA to name but a few.
Throughout the weekend there will be music to add to the atmosphere. On Friday the Norwegian Choir Kolbotn Koret will perform a selection of pieces on both English And Norwegian. There will also be jazz on Friday evening with piano and sax duo Nathalia Astramowicz–McGough and Barbara Dunne.
Christ Church Cathedral Choir will perform a special concert at 3.30 pm on Sunday June 15 with Benjamin Britten’s beautiful unaccompanied work Flower Songs. There will also be a flower themed organ recital performed by Richard Gowers in the evening. The festival will close with Evensong, sung by the Cathedral Choir. There will also be live music in the grounds during the festival.
A market will be held over the weekend in the grounds and the crypt and there will be many activities for children to enjoy.