Local youth choir set for St. Patrick’s performance
A youth choir from Rostrevor will travel to London this week to perform as part of the city’s St Patrick’s celebrations, with appearances at two major public events.
Forty five singers, aged between seven and 14 from Cór na nÓg Caisleán Ruairí, will take to the main stage at the St Patrick’s Day Festival in Trafalgar Square at 1.30pm on Sunday, March 15, performing at one of the largest Irish cultural celebrations outside Ireland.
During their visit, the choir will also perform at Cardinal Place in Westminster on Monday, March 16, where they will sing a programme of Irish music while raising funds for The Passage, a charity that supports people experiencing homelessness in London, including many within the Irish diaspora.
The trip has been organised by Cultúrlann Caisleán Ruairí, which works to promote the Irish language and the shared culture heritage of Rostrevor and the surrounding areas.
The choir brings together children from schools across the Rostrevor area, continuing a proud tradition of children’s choral singing in the village.
Cór na nÓg is an inclusive, non-audition choir, ensuring that children of all abilities have the opportunity to take part in music-making.
The choir was originally established more than 30 years ago by teacher, writer and musician, Siubhán Ó Dubháin, who founded the choir while teaching locally and who later took young singers from Rostrevor to perform across Europe.
Today, the tradition continues with a new generation of singers led by Siubhán’s daughter, choir director Rós Ní Dhubháin, working alongside her mother, as well as Eibhlís Farrell, composer and member of Aosdána, and soprano and music teacher Niamh Corless.
Rós said the invitation to perform in London had been an exciting opportunity for the young singers. “It has been wonderful preparing the children for this trip,” she said. “We have been learning a lot of new repertoire over the past number of months and the children have embraced it with great enthusiasm.
“Performing in London, especially as part of the St Patrick’s Day Festival in Trafalgar Square, is a very special opportunity for them.
“It’s a chance for them to showcase the rich musical tradition of our area, while also supporting an important charity.”
The choir wished to thank the Mayor of London’s office for the invitation to perform, and Gary Dunne and Adam Rooney, of Head the Ball, for their support with organising the trip.
The visit has been made possible thanks to fundraising by choir members and their families and the generous support of the Rostrevor community. The choir acknowledges the support of Community Relations Council and Newry Mourne and Down District Council, along with the support of businesses and individuals, including BMC Accountants, Mourne Hydraulics, Bawnless Recruitment, CMK Ceilings, Jigsaw Financial Associates, Therese’s Hairpiece Boutique, Ann and Danny Hughes, MCode Solutions, The Wok Way, Marietta Farrell, Katie Farrell, Sarah & Sam Bottell and Rosanna Emerson.