October 2008... Tullamore Gospel Choir takes top Fesitavl prize in Sligo

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:34:00 -0500

In their first-ever Competition, Tullamore Gospel Choir swept the boards and took top prize and the Flannery Car Sales Crystal Trophy at the 21st Annual Sligo International Choral Festival on October 18th 2008.

The Festival attracted the cream of musical talent from all over Ireland as well as a number of international Choirs from Germany, Poland, Norway, Latvia and Lithuania.

The Adjudicators for the Gospel Choirs section of the competition were the Honorary Music Graduate, soprano and lifetime member of the British Royal Society of the Arts, Dr. Vivien Pyke, and the Musical Director of the Irish Youth Choir, Greg Beardsell. So impressed were they with the performance of the two songs chosen by Tullamore Gospel Choir that they requested them to return to the stage in the Sligo Institute of Technology to sing three additional songs to a capacity audience.

The Tullamore Choir sang “Thou Oh Lord” by Lisa Ireland and “High and Lifted Up” by Joseph Pace 11 for the competition, and they selected three additional songs, including an original composition “Friendship Song” by their Musical Director and internationally-renowned singer/songwriter, Brendan Keeley, for their encore in the Aula Maxima at Sligo Institute of Technology on Saturday afternoon.

In their comments, the Adjudicators for the Gospel Choirs Section of the Festival praised the “heartfelt expression” and accuracy of the harmonies in the performance by Tullamore Gospel Choir. They also went on to praise the “very strong rhythmic feel” of the two pieces, and added that “the Choir projected their enjoyment and communicated the message (of being “High and Lifted Up”). it was a very relaxed presentation and a strong message to us all.”

After the competition, the Musical Director of the Choir, Brendan Keeley, praised the “hard work and sheer dedication” of every member of the Choir over the past number of months as they prepared for their participation in the Sligo International Choral Festival. That dedication resulted in Choir members coming in for Wednesday night rehearsals up to an hour early, and also saw rehearsals taking place during the traditional two-month summer break of the Choir.

Despite their big win in Sligo, however, rehearsals for members of Tullamore Gospel Choir resume as normal in the Day Chapel of the Church of the Assumption tonight (Wednesday) at 8pm, and the Choir remain heavily committed to their work in the Parish and their enhancement of the Liturgy at the 1pm Mass on the second and fourth Sunday of every calendar month.

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October 2008... Tullamore Gospel Choir takes top Fesitavl prize in Sligo