Choir recruits and promotions

Members of the St. Columb's Cathedral choir who took part in a Festal Choral Evensong for Thanksgiving for the Blessings of Harvest on Sunday evening. Included are Dr Martin Neary, guest organist, Dean William Morton and Canon David Crooks. INLS4015-151KM

At Sunday’s service last week a new Chorister, Elliott McClintock was installed after a probationary period, by the Dean of Derry, Very Rev Dr William Morton, together with two new Corner Boys, Luke Doherty and Leo Collins, and two Deputy Head Choristers, Richard Moore and Shea Porter, as well as two new Head Choristers, Dara Collins and Ross Duncan.

As part of the project to replace junior members who have moved up into more senior ranks, a glossy colour brochure has been produced about the Choir and it’s Choristers. The drive to get new young members is being spearheaded by former Choir member and the current assistant organist at St Columb’s, Nicholas Morton.

In addition, there have been two school visits in the past week, to Ebrington Primary School and to Lisnagelvin Primary School, as well as various media appeals.

“We began the process of going round the schools on Wednesday and we also went to Mrs Ray McGinley, a music teacher on Northland Road.

“Lisnagelvin has since rung to request another 100 brochures from us, which is good as they are anxious to publicise it.

“It is very heartening as Dean to see such a good uptake for places and interest in the choir and to hear during the past week from young people as young as 19 or into their early 20s saying ‘this for me is the only type of worship that I am interested in and that I feel at home with’ is a wonderful vote of confidence in what we are doing,” he said.

Also highly popular with the younger generation of singers and churchgoers is the Cathedral Chamber Choir: “The Chamber choir is an amalgamation of the men of the Cathedral Choir in the back rows, with some sopranos and the tendency is that they will sing on one of the Sundays a month, usually at Evensong.

“So, we thought when Dr Neary was here for his residential last week that we would combine them. But that choir is showing very encouraging signs as well and the members are immensely interested in the whole thing.

“To qualify for the Chamber Choir is to have an interest in Anglican Choral music and it does help if you sing. The Chamber Choir might particularly interest those who sang in a choir in school,” he said.

For further information contact Dr Derek Collins, acting Organist and Master of the Choristers at the Cathedral on 02871 267313.