The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Killarney carols mark Christmas countdown!
There’s nothing quite like being prepared... It may only be January but these Killarney & Killorglin choirs are busy recording a special CD for Christmas 2019!
THE decorations may be back in the attics and Christmas jumpers folded away – but the spirit of Christmas was alive and well in Killarney this week.
Anyone passing by St Mary’s Church may have bent an inquisitive ear in its direction as the dulcet tones of St Oliver’s NS Choir, Killarney Golf Club Male Voice Choir, and Killorglin Gospel Choir rang out on Monday.
The choirs combined to record over 30 Christmas favourites that will form part of a new CD for Christmas 2019.
TO be prepared is half the battle in any task, but recording Christmas songs in mid-January takes preparedness to a whole new level. St Mary’s Church in Killarney provided the setting on Monday for the dulcet tones of St Oliver’s Choir, Killarney Golf Club Male Voice Choir, and Killorglin Gospel Choir, who, combined, recorded over 30 Christmas favourites that will form part of a new CD for Christmas 2019.
For the past few years St Mary’s has hosted a special concert involving all three choirs. But this gave Noel O’Sullivan an idea to record the event.
“It’s always busy before Christmas, so I met with Tony Flaherty and he was available to record us in January. We decided that while it was still fresh we’d go ahead and record a Christmas CD,” said Noel, a teacher at St Oliver’s National School.
The day long recording session involved over 140 people that started in the morning with the children’s choir; the golf club took their cue in the middle session, while the Killorglin choir filled the evening slot.
“There was a lot of bemused people in the school during our rehearsals to say the least. A producer from RTÉ was in the school doing a documentary on one of our students. She also happens to be a producer on The Late Late Toy Show. When she passed by we were singing Christmas songs, so we told her she was getting an audition in January for this year’s Toy Show!”
The songs have now been recorded and all that remains is for some editing and the design of a new CD cover. Needless to say they have left themselves with ample time to get this done.
Noel O’Sullivan, Noreen Coffey and Bernard Collins started the gold club choir over 11 years ago. Noel said huge thanks is also owed to Russ Browne, who is the current musical director of the Killarney Golf Club Choir. Russ has also done amazing work with the Killorglin Ladies Choir, while Josephine Doncel is director of the St Oliver’s Choir.
“We’ve had great craic with it and the children have been singing Christmas songs for the month of January. While the parents are delighted with the enthusiasm, they’ll be delighted to see the back of it as well. My own two-year-old is going around the house singing ‘Christmas in Killarney’, so that’ll tell you,” Noel said.