Sing Mozart's Requiem in 2023!

If you love singing and want a challenge, Galway Choral Association wants to hear from you!    The Association is a mixed-voice community choir and has vacancies for men and women who want to sing fabulous music from the classical choral repertoire.

Entering its 25th year, the association is working towards a performance of Mozart's Requiem in early 2023.

The choir especially welcomes enquiries from former members and people who want to return to choral singing.  “We welcome everyone! Singing with a group is great for health and well-being,” says chairperson Carol Duffy.  “Choral experience and ability to read music are helpful, but not necessary, as we provide comprehensive learning-tools.   New members often include people who last sang with a choir years ago, but we welcome all adult singers.”

“As an established choir, we have a structure and relationship in the community”, Carol said.  “We have expertise in organising major concerts, and we receive invitations to take part in choral and community events.  Our Choral Director, Norman Duffy, and accompanist, Dympna O'Byrne, are accomplished musicians, whose high standards enable us to perform challenging choral works, while raising funds for local charities.”

“I’m delighted to be doing the Mozart Requiem” said Norman Duffy.  “It is the perfect tribute to the loved ones we lost during the Covid pandemic.  And as we hopefully leave the difficult times behind us, Mozart’s wonderful music offers an optimism that will inspire us for the future.”

The new season starts on 4 September 2022.  The choir rehearses on Sunday from 7.30 - 9.30 pm in St. Patrick’s Band Hall, from September to June.  New members are accepted in September and February.  Prospective members may attend three rehearsals, to see if it’s the right choir for them.

For more information, see www.GalwayChoral.ie or www.facebook.com/GalwayChoralAssociation/, email admin@galwaychoral.ie, or phone Norman Duffy on 085-144-1614.

Galway Choral Association new season launch at St Patrick’s Band-hall:  Norman-Duffy-Craig-Steven, Mary Curtin, Michael O’Hare.   Photographer:   Eoin Finnegan

Our March 2022 Concert, Springing into Song

 Below are a selection of photos, followed by the programme, from our March 2022 Concert, Springing into Song.

We had a fabulous evening, with a full-house audience.  Many thanks to the choirs who took part, Cór na dTreabh, BRAVO Belles Galway Simon Community Music Project and the Galway Baytones. Thanks to St Augustine's Church, Galway, to Lacha Design for poster and ticket creation, to Snap Galway who did publicity printing, to Opus 2 Galway who obtained scores for us, to Galway City Council for their Arts Grant sponsorship - and to the many choir members whose behind-the-scenes organisation helped make the evening such a success.

Background information about the concert.

Full house at St Augustine's Church, Galway

Galway Baytones

Galway Simon Community Music Project

Karen Golden, Brian Hickey and Ciarán Connolly - Galway Simon Music Project

BRAVO Belles

Cór na dTreabh

Cór na dTreabh with Shane Farrell

Concert Programme

Concert Poster

Springing into Song for the Red Cross - May 20022

A unique concert later this month will bring together five Galway choirs to raise funds for the Red Cross’ Ukraine relief work.

Spearheaded by Galway Choral Association, the event will include performances by the Galway Simon Community Music Project, Loughrea-based three-part women’s choir Bravo Belles, the city’s first mental wellness community support choir, Cór na dTreabh, and Galway’s premier male voice a cappella group, the Galway Baytones.

“We are delighted to bring together such a diverse range of choirs” says Carol Duffy, Chairperson of Galway Choral Association. “We worked with Galway Simon Music Project in our last community-focussed concert in 2019, and it’s a fantastic to see community members experience the joy of coming together to make music. And we’re delighted to showcase the range of choral music opportunities available in Galway – a city which really does have a choir for every level of music experience.”

“Our last concert was a performance of Haydn’s Nelson Mass in March 2020, days before the choral world closed down” says director Norman Duffy. “While we tried working on-line, nothing replaces the experience of singing together as we to learn choral works. It has been challenging getting back in shape for public performances. While our long-term goal is a performance of Mozart’s Requiem in early 2023, in this concert, we will present a taster of the Requiem, along with lighter works by John Rutter, Thomas Morley and James E Moore.”

The concert is at 8pm on Saturday 28 May in the Augustinian Church in Middle St. Tickets are €15 and are available from Eventbrite, choir members or at the door.

It’s time to sing together again!

“It’s time to sing together again”

This is the phrase inspiring Galway Choral Association as we plan to re-commence in-person rehearsals.

“It’s been incredibly difficult deciding when to start again”, says musical director Norman Duffy. “Our plan is to begin rehearsals on Sunday 13 February. We hope to host a light collaborative concert in May/June 2022. Our main goal is a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, with orchestra and soloists, in January 2023. We may have to adapt to public-health circumstances – but this is the type of music that we want to perform, and it is so important to look to the future positively.”

“To start with, we’re going to work on getting the choir into singing fitness”, says Norman. “This will include both individual breathing and vocal techniques, and also working to make a good choral sound. Our accompanist, Dympna O'Byrne will be a great help during this period, and as we start to work on more challenging pieces.”

“As a choir, we were incredibly lucky,” says Carol Duffy, Chairperson of Galway Choral Association. “Our last concert was a performance of Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis in early March 2020. The memory of that night and the fabulous music we were able to make together has sustained us through dark days and difficult attempts at being a virtual choir and rehearsing on-line.”

Our plans are, of course, subject to public health guidelines. We rehearse in St Patrick’s Bandhall and have been consulting with their committee about the protocols for using the hall, and using the screens and other features which have been added.

“New members are welcome during the first three weeks of our season”, says Norman Duffy. Please contact us, either through Facebook or by emailing admin@galwaychoral.ie to meet me for a vocal assessment.

Singing Haydn in March 2020

Choir status, July 2021

 The following announcement was made in July 2021, when it appeared as thought in-person rehearsals may be possible.  However the public health situation means we were not able to progress these plans, and the choir remained in recess until February 2022.

Our rehearsals were suspended in mid-March 2020, in light of the Corona-19 situation.

In mid 2021, the choir's Board of Directors met to discuss the guidelines and protocols that need to be put in place for a safe return to choir.

We are currently hoping to return to in-person rehearsals in September 2021, as our membership should have had the opportunity to be fully vaccinated by then.  We will, of course, follow all public-health guidelines and also the protocols put in place by the Band Hall. So exact details are to be advised.

As we have not been singing for quite a while, the programme initially be an easier and more familiar repertoire to ease us back, with the hope of a performance (however that may be!) in the first half of 2022.

Current members are being contacted by their Section Leaders. Previous members are also welcome - please contact either your section leader or admin@galwaychoral.ie

Prospective new members are also very welcome: Please email admin@galwaychoral.ie to be added to our contact list. The membership process will be worked out in detail during August/September.

Please watch our Facebook page  (you can see it even if you don't use Facebook yourself) for updates about our plans.

St Patrick's Bandhall - July 2021