Niamh O'Donoghue, 16 Aug
The 2024 Kildare Choral and Organ Festival, which takes place in St
Brigid’s Cathedral up to August 28, marks the 1500th anniversary of the
death of St Brigid with a range of performances from acclaimed women
musicians in Ireland.
The annual festival, this year explores the theme, ‘Women in music
honouring Brigid 1500’. It began on Wednesday August 14, 7.30pm, with
an organ recital from Dr Carole O’Connor, organist and choir director
of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Whitefriar Street, Dublin.
The second night of the Festival, Friday August 23, will feature a
choral performance from the celebrated Irish female vocal ensemble,
Dulciana. Since its very inception, part of Dulciana’s mission has been
the promotion of music by female composers, both those neglected by
history, and those currently making history. They are particularly firm
supporters of contemporary female Irish composers.
The closing night of the Festival, Wednesday, August 28 will feature
Tatiana Konina on organ and Aoise O’Dwyer on viola. Tatiana is the
Director of Music and Organist of Christ Church, Bray and Aoise is a
violist, music educator and orchestral musician from Tullamore, Co.
Offaly.
Commenting on the Festival, the Dean of St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare,
Very Rev Isobel Jackson said, “Last year’s Festival marked the 800th
anniversary of the construction of St Brigid’s Cathedral, so this year
we wanted to celebrate the founder of our ancient hilltop site, St
Brigid herself. She is strongly associated with the arts, so it is
wonderful to think that 1500 years after her death, glorious sacred
music continues to reverberate on the site she founded”.
Tickets are €15 per concert or €40 for the whole festival. They can be
purchased online on Eventbrite (see links below) or at the door on the
night of the concerts.
Ticket links:
Dulciana (23 August):
https://www.eventbrite.ie/.../kildare-choral-and-organ...
Tatiana Konina and Aoise O’Dwyer (28 August):
https://www.eventbrite.ie/.../kildare-choral-and-organ...
For more information, see https://stbrigidscathedral.com/