Jeffrey Howard Biog

City Choir leads “Celtic Festival of Song”

An eighty strong party from Dunvant Male Choir maintained it’s unofficial motto “Have Music, will Travel” when it returned from a short tour to Co. Kerry in support of the county’s charity fundraisers in aid of Parkinson’s Disease. The tour had been well supported by publicity in “The Kerryman” and exposure on “Radio Kerry”

Jonathan Rogers, the choir’s Musical Director conducted and compered both concerts the evening’s proceedings, and the accompanist was Hywel Evans. The supporting artistes in both events were Marina Cassidy** (Harp & Voice) and Miriam O’Sullivan (Flute).

The first concert was in the well-appointed ballroom of the Kirby Lanterns Hotel in Tarbert with a seating capacity of 400. Many of the audience had traveled from Tralee having failed to obtain tickets for the following nights concert in that towns National Folk Theatre

The choir’s programme was a mix of Welsh, sacred and secular items that many of the audience complimented at the end of the concert. The choir’s rendition of “Sit down you’re rocking the Boat” and the joint item, and arrangement for Soprano and Choir by the conductor of “I Believe/Ave Maria” were particular favourites. One Welsh exile mouthed every word of the three Welsh hymns that the choir sung. The selected items by Marina and Miriam were very well received, as they performed both sensitive blended duets and Harp and Voice items.

The second concert was held in the 350+ capacity Siamsa Tire National Folk Theatre in Tralee. A warm capacity audience enjoyed every moment of this varied concert. Jonathan Rogers inserted three prayers with great effect into this Sunday Evening Concert: Gweddi Affricanaidd (African Prayer) - Eric Jones; The Lord’s Prayer - Mallotte and the Prayer from Wagner’s Lohengrin.

Part of the organising Kerry Parkinson’s Committee and former Dunvant Chorister, Bryn McDonnell joined the choir for the encore, Welsh Hymn “Rachie” which he still recalled after many years as a Co. Kerry resident.

Every member of the touring party were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm and the hospitality received at all times on this short tour, many friends were made and there was a warm earnest invitation for the choir to return to Co. Kerry in the not too distant future.

**Marina Cassidy is the mother of Jessie, one of the Irish competitors still in the BBC “I’d Do Anything – Nancy Contestants”, so Marina was quite concerned after the Saturday concert to know how her daughter, to whom she gives singing lessons, had performed. Jessie was successful, (both last weekend and this weekend) and is still in the running to change her name to “Nancy”. Jessie has four younger sisters and lives with them and her parents in Killarney, Co. Kerry.

The choir has previously supported Connie Fisher in her successful bid in the BBC’s “Can anyone solve a problem like Maria” after winning the choir’s annual Young Welsh Theatre Singer of the Year Competition 2006 and the £1000 prize.