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Birr Festival of Music is proud to support this afternoon of choral and modern classics with the fabulous Ballymore Connect Choir and their special guests the Virtuoso Chamber Choir.

 

​Founded in 2019, Ballymore Connect Choir is one of the largest community choirs in Kildare with a current membership of close to 100 voices. 70 members will be in Birr. 

 

They perform a broad repertoire of music include popular, Irish & sacred songs as well as selections from stage and screen.  

 

Under the musical direction of Owen C Lynch, the choir performs regularly in concert and enjoys fundraising for various local charities. 

 

They are delighted to visit Birr and are very much looking forward to singing in the beautiful surroundings of St. Brendan's Church of Ireland. Their programme of music will include Owen's special arrangements of "Red Is The Rose", "What A Wonderful World", "Rainbow Connection", "Song Sung Blue", "World In Union", and some familiar classics from musicals.

 

They are delighted to be joined by local vocal ensemble Virtuoso Chamber choir for what promised to be a very special and memorable afternoon.

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Funds raised will go towards the Church of Ireland Restoration Fund and Offaly Hospice.

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Tickets €15 + booking fee (Children €5)

Tickets available on the door
Please note: cash only.

Saturday 1 February

Church of Ireland, Oxmantown Mall
4pm
Tickets available on the door
Please note: cash only.
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Ballymore Connect Choir.jpeg

Winter
Song

"This is a very special concert for me and I am thrilled that the choir’s first “tour” is to my hometown. We are all very excited about the performance. I was delighted to be able to ask my long-time friends and the group I used to sing with many years ago, the wonderful Virtuoso Chamber Choir, to perform as special guest artists on the day. I want to say a sincere thank you to Reverend Arthur Minion who very kindly offered the church to us as a venue. A special word of thanks also to Maureen de Forge and the Birr Festival of Music team for doing such a fabulous job and taking all of the organisation out of our hands. This promises to be a fabulous concert and we hope to see you there."

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Aoife Garry

Birr native and member of the Ballymore Connect Choir

Virtuoso Chamber Choir

Virtuoso is a group of vocalists and instrumentalists who have been performing together in various forms since childhood. Based in Birr, Virtuoso has gained wide recognition both locally and beyond for their stunning contributions to weddings, concerts, religious services, and a variety of other events.

 

The group is comprised of ten members: Lorraine Brophy, Lynn McGillicuddy (nee Brophy), Denise Clancy, Nicole Gallagher, Elisabeth MacCartáin, Jennifer Purcell, Fiona Rigney, Derval Scully, Miriam Smyth, and Louise Smyth.

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For Winter Song, Virtuoso will be joined by local singer-songwriter Emmet Scully on guitar. Emmet, who is married to group member Derval Scully, is also a childhood friend of several members of the group and has collaborated with them on numerous occasions.

 

Although the members of Virtuoso are now scattered across Offaly , Tipperary, Galway, Laois, Longford, Clare, and even Switzerland, they are thrilled to reunite and perform in their hometown of Birr for this special event. It is particularly meaningful to them as their childhood friend Aoife Garry, who once sang alongside them in their children’s choir days, has extended this invitation. Virtuoso is honoured to bring their music to this concert and share in the joy of ‘Winter Song’.

Virtuoso Chamber Choir

"The current phase of restoration work on the fabric of the church is to address the ingress of water along the lead valley taking the water from the roof on the north side of the church. A lead valley runs inside the parapet along the length of the walls of both the north and south sides of the church.  The evidence of the problems can be seen at various points at the top of the walls inside the church where the plasterwork and paint work is compromised."

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Reverend Arthur Minion

Speaking about the vital work needed to the Church of Ireland

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