Concert Choir performs in, tours Ireland
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UW-L's Concert Choir held its first impromptu concert of its performance tour in Ireland in Cobh. |
Submitted by Gary Walth, music
Monday, May 18
Forty members of the UW-L Concert Choir recently completed an extremely successful 11-day performance tour in Ireland. The students, along with four “companions” and conductor UW-L professor Gary Walth, began the tour on Monday, May 18, with a flight from Chicago to Dublin.
After arriving in Dublin, the choir headed south to visit the site of the monastic settlement of Glendalough in the beautiful mountains of County Wicklow.
The choir spent its first night in the coastal city of Waterford.
Traveling to the town of New Ross, the choir began its second full day with a tour of a replica of the “famine ship” Dunbrody, which carried Irish immigrants to the U.S. and Canada during the Great Famine. The choir spent the afternoon in Cobh, enjoying lunch and visiting the town’s Heritage Centre, which honored Irish immigrants between 1848 and 1950. Also included were detailed displays of the tragic sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania, both ships that docked in Cobh. This was also the site of the first impromptu mini-concerts by the choir, at the above-mentioned Heritage Center and at St. Colman’s Church, which stands majestically at the top of the city, sloping up from the sea.
These unscheduled performances were received enthusiastically by the gathered audiences and set the tone for several outstanding performances by the choir.
After arriving in Cork City, the choir enjoyed an evening in the heart of Ireland’s third largest city.
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| Some of the choir members are pictured here by the St. Multose Church in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. Front row, from left: Vic Scheller, Jordan Jaeger, Anna Erickson, Joey Munns, Carolyn Temanson, Christine Walth, Trinity Carlson, Kjersti Olson and Nick Brandt. Back row, from left: Mark Champa, David Kieffer, Nate Cousins, Lauren Bannon, Clare Malinowski and Brady Langer. |
Thursday, May 21
Thursday, May 21, began with a tour and rehearsal at the very impressive and state-of-the-art Cork School of Music, completed in 2007. The school is the home for music and theatre students from ages five to graduate students. The choir then traveled to the historic city of Kinsale, for a rehearsal and its first scheduled performance. A small but appreciative crowd heard the choir sing a one hour and fifteen minute concert in St. Multose’s Church in Kinsale. The church’s wonderful acoustic space lent itself beautifully to the choir’s repertoire. The choir received its first standing ovation here.
After a second evening in Cork City, the choir and friends traveled to one of Ireland’s most famous tourist attractions, Blarney Castle. A third impromptu performance for shoppers at the Blarney Woolen Mills gave the students a chance to meet several American tourists visiting Ireland.
After a casual lunch, the choir headed for the town of Bantry, La Crosse’s sister city in Ireland. Located at the head of Bantry Bay, Bantry is a picturesque market town and fishing port. Dinner at the Maritime Hotel was followed by a reception hosted by the mayor of Bantry, where a plaque with the Bantry coat of arms was presented to the choir. The choir was entertained at this “ceili" by local Irish traditional musicians and dancers. The choir sang several songs in culmination of a wonderful evening of cultural and musical exchanges.
Saturday, May 23
Saturday morning marked another day of touring with a drive along the coast to the historic town of Kenmare and then a ferry ride to the splendid gardens on Garnish Island in the harbor of Glengarriff in Bantry Bay. The day ended with the choir singing a concert in the church of St. Brendan the Navigator, in Bantry. Standing ovations signaled the warmth and gratitude of the audience, and the choir was not allowed to leave until the students sang their entire repertoire. Many audience members stayed to personally greet choir members after the performance.
The choir’s longest day began with an early breakfast and departure from Bantry for a three-hour drive to sing at mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Charleville, in County Limerick. The choir was graciously welcomed by Father Sean Cotter and sang at four different times during the mass. The entire congregation of 500+ parishioners stayed after the mass had ended to hear the choir sing several pieces in the splendid neo-Gothic sanctuary. The choir was presented with a plaque commemorating the performance. Many congregation members greeted the choir after the performance.
After lunch in Limerick, the motor coach headed for the Cliffs of Moher. The mist and the rain added to the power and majesty of the six miles of rough-hewn cliffs on Ireland’s rugged west coast. Many tour members enjoyed the fresh sea air and the panoramic views after several hours on the motor coach. Heading north along the coast the choir finally arrived in Galway, western Ireland’s seaport and university town. Traffic was thick due to the arrival of the sailing ships in Galway Bay participating in the Volvo Open Ocean Race. The choir’s hotel was about ¾ mile from the harbor and many members saw the sleek sailing vessels docked there.
After a relaxing evening, the group traveled the next day to the beautiful Benedictine-run school on the grounds of the former Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway. Built as a private home for a wealthy politician/landowner, the grounds are now the setting for a boarding school known as Kylemore Abbey. The choir sang in the Gothic Church to a “packed house” of tourists and local visitors. The response from the audience was wonderfully enthusiastic. Here, the choir met several visitors from the Midwest, including Wisconsin and Minnesota. A return to the Galway after the concert for a pleasant and relaxing evening was appreciated.
Tuesday, May 26
On Tuesday, May 26, plans included a stop at the site of the Medieval monastery of Clonmacnoise and lunch in the town of Athlone, in County Meath, on the way to Dublin. Before checking into our hotel in Dublin, guide Liam Finnegan hosted a city tour of Dublin and a stop at "The World of Guiness," the world’s largest brewery. After dinner, students were free to take a light rail train to the centre of Dublin.
Wednesday, May 27
The last full day of the tour, Wednesday, May 27, began with a guided tour of Dublin’s Georgian squares and drive through the neighborhoods along the River Liffey. Next came a visit to Trinity College and the famous “Book of Kells.” After lunch, the choir proceeded to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to rehearse and then perform in the church’s magnificent sanctuary. The choir sang brilliantly in its final performance, attracting a large and appreciative audience. As with the other concerts, many people introduced themselves to the choir members asking about UW-L and the tour.
The choir ended its final day with an evening dinner at the hotel including special recognition for our guide, Liam Finnegan, and tour administrator, Tammy Jo Sutton, from Gateway Festival Tours. Choir members expressed their individual gratitude and satisfaction for being able to participate in such an outstandingly memorable tour.
Thursday, May 28
The choir parted ways at Dublin Airport on the morning of Thursday, May 28, with 13 of the 45-member group (choir members + companions) traveling to destinations such as London, France, Norway, Croatia and Germany.
For more information on the May 2009 Tour, contact Walth at walth.gary@uwlax.edu or 785.8414. For more on UW-L's Concert Choir, visit www.uwlax.edu/music/concertchoir.html.
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