O"Keeffe to kick off summer organ series

The eleventh annual series of the Tullamore International Summer Organ concerts gets underway on Tuesday next, June 23, in the Church of the Assumption with a performance by John O"Keeffe with the Tullamore Academy of Music Chamber Choir. This annual series is supported byAn Chomhairle Ealaion (The Arts Council), Offaly County Council and Tullamore Court Hotel Bishop of Meath Michael Smith, who is patron of the series, said: 'This music of this year"s series rightly celebrates significant anniversaries of two iconic composers, George Frederic Handel and Felix Mendelssohn. Once again it is fitting to acknowledge the generosity of the Lutheran Church of Copenhagen in giving this magnificent organ to our beautiful Church in Tullamore some fifteen years ago. Two years ago the organ had its first major "make over" since its installation in 1995. We are reminded that we have here a world-class instrument of which we are truly proud, and this series of summer concerts gives the wider public an opportunity to experience its grandeur in the hands of some of Europe"s finest organists. It is my wish that this eleventh annual series of concerts will bring as much enjoyment and refreshment as in previous years to all who participate and listen.' The Frobenius Organ was built by one of the world"s leading organ building firms, Th. Frobenius of Lyngby (Copenhagen), in 1965 for the great cathedral church of Denmark"s capital city. It is a sizeable mechanical-action instrument, consisting of 53 speaking stops, three manuals and pedals, and 3,916 pipes. By 1993 the cathedral felt it needed a much bigger organ to fill its great space with adequate sound, and so it was decided to dispose of the existing organ in favour of an entirely new instrument. Instead of selling the existing organ for the considerable sum it would undoubtedly have fetched, the cathedral board generously decided to donate it to an appropriate church. Tullamore"s requirements for an organ at that time and their request to me to assist them in securing an instrument, together with my recital visit to Copenhagen to play one of the last recitals on the "old" cathedral organ and my subsequent discussions with the cathedral"s organist, Niels Henrik Nielsen, constituted a remarkable series of coincidences which resulted in the organ"s transference to Tullamore in the latter months of 1994. The organ was inaugurated in a gala concert on 10 May, 1995. Gerard Gillen, Artistic Director said: 'This, the eleventh year of the international series of concerts here on the splendid Frobenius organ of the Church of the Assumption in Tullamore, sees the series well and truly established as part of the national summer cultural calendar.' John O"Keeffe is Director of Sacred Music at the National Seminary of St Patrick"s College Maynooth, and director of choral groups at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. Previous musical appointments saw him occupy the positions of organist and choirmaster at St Mel"s Cathedral, Longford, and of organ scholar at Westminster Cathedral and Dublin"s Pro-Cathedral, and his organ teachers have included Rev Frank McNamara, David Sanger, Ben Van Oosten and Gerard Gillen. He has appeared as a guest soloist with the National Chamber Choir and the NSO and he contributes regularly to recital series throughout the country. He holds Master"s degrees in Organ (NUIM) and Chant Performance (UL) and was recently awarded a doctorate by the NUI for his thesis on the liturgical output of Seán and Peadar Ó Riada. In 2004 he was invited to direct the Belgian Académie de Chant Grégorien Summer Course at Warnach, and in 2005 he was Guest Director at the Irish Church Music Summer School, held at Maynooth. He is involved in the administration of postgraduate and diploma courses in liturgical music and chant at both St Patrick"s College and NUI Maynooth, where, in collaboration with Professor Gerard Gillen, he helped establish the Maynooth Chamber Choir (1987) and, more recently, the Maynooth Schola Gregoriana (2001). The Academy Chamber Choir was founded in September 2008 as part of a performing groups" initiative undertaken by The Academy of Music in Tullamore. Each choral scholar is an advanced student of voice with The Academy and has a different and wide-ranging background in solo, operatic and competitive performance, which enhances this young choir"s ability to undertake some of the more challenging choral works, and contributes to their fresh and unique sound. Although barely nine months in existence, the choir won second place in the Chamber Choirs Competition in the "Navan Choral Festival" and were awarded a certificate of Distinction for Choral Excellence in the "Bord Na Mona National Choir of the Year 2009" competition. 'This young choir is a wonderful and exciting new addition to the midland regions'. The founder and director of the choir is Ciarán Brady, an Honours graduate in Music from NUI Maynooth, where he also completed his Masters degree in Vocal Performance, and undertook further advanced vocal studies in Freiburg in Germany. Ciaran"s vast choral experience started at the age of 10 as a boy treble and Head Chorister of the Palestrina Choir in Dublin. While studying Ciaran was director of the Maynooth University Chamber Choir in many acclaimed concerts, winning the International Competition at Limerick Choral festival in 1991. Ciaran is now full time vocal instructor with The Academy of Music, Tullamore where he is channelling all his energies into high calibre performing ensembles, of which The Academy Chamber Choir is proving to be a flagship and an emerging force in choral excellence in the midland regions.