Singing from the rooftops
A CASCADING cacophony of musical notes greeted the audience members as they entered the Ashdown Park Hotel recently for the inaugural Festival of Choirs, as groups were rehearsing everywhere they looked.
The singers in the six choirs came together for a special concert in aid of the North Wexford Hospice Nursing Trust. The ballroom was filled to capacity for the show which featured choirs and performers from across Wexford and Wicklow.
Congratulations went to festival organiser Paul Brown, a Dublin native who lives in Donaghmore.
As they entered the venue, the guests were treated to the melodic tones of Wicklow-based barber shop group ‘Beating Times’. The festival then featured performances by the Bella Voce Choir, Ballygarrett; the Silvertones, Enniscorthy; Enniscorthy Choral Society; Gorey Men’s Choir; Inver Ladies Choir, Arklow; and Gorey Choral Group. There were also per- formances by soloist Stephanie Furlong; and Gorey Community School duo Sean O’Callaghan and Niall Loughran.
All 180 performers joined in the finale piece, ‘You Raise me Up’ accompanied by Yvonne Collier on the piano, Siobhan Lynch on the cello, and conducted by Eithne Corrigan, and they all received a well-deserved standing ovation.
A very impressive €6,500 was raised for the good cause and thanks went to all who supported and took part.