THE P RTAL
International Eucharistic Congress Supplement Page iv
The Palestrina Choir
Each day at the Mass there was a choir , or choirs , some days , just one choir , others two , three or even four ... all were wonderful , but the one that caught our eye ( or ear !) was The Palestrina Choir
The Palestrina Choir was formed in the 1890 ’ s by Dr Vincent O ’ Brien . It was at a performance of Palestrina ’ s Missa Papae Marcelli at St . Teresa ’ s Carmelite Church in Clarendon Street in 1898 that this choir , and its gifted director , first came to the attention of Edward Martyn .
Martyn was interested in establishing a national theatre in Ireland , and had interest in the reform of liturgical music in Ireland . He was determined that the Catholic Church in Ireland should have music of the highest standard .
the music of Palestrina
In particular , he wished to promote the music of Palestrina , espoused by Pope Pius X as the standard to which all liturgical music should aspire . Between 1898 and 1902 , Martyn worked tirelessly to establish the choir at St . Mary ’ s Pro-Cathedral , Dublin . The official beginning was on 1st January 1903 .
Since then the Choir has had only seven directors , Ms Blanaid Murphy being the current one .
As well as their liturgical duties at Saint Mary ’ s Pro- Cathedral in Dublin , the choir performs at concerts , on TV and radio . The choir even represented Ireland at the close of the country ’ s presidency of the European Union .
Dublin , London and Germany
In 2007 the Choir continued its busy schedule performing at the Bach Cantata series in Dublin and at the Dun Laoghaire Organ Festival . The Choir also toured London with performances at Westminster Cathedral , the Brompton Oratory and Worth Abbey . In 2008 they toured to Germany singing in Limburg and Köln Cathedral while 2009 saw an extensive tour to the north of England .
There are currently over 40 boys in the Choir , and there is huge competition for annual entry . If nothing else , this confirms the current strength and positive future of the Palestrina Choir into its second century at the Pro-Cathedral .
There are rehearsals three times a week with the gentlemen of the choir . Since 2009 the Pro-Cathedral has enjoyed the services of a Girls Choir . Blanaid Murphy and others set about giving girls the same opportunity as the boys for singing excellence . There are now thirty girls in the girls choir . At the IEC both choirs sang together .
he who sings , prays twice
This initiative , now over one hundred years old , is to be commended . In England , the standard of church music is , shall we say , variable . It was a real joy to listen to the Palestrina Choir at the IEC in Dublin . It was Saint Augustine who said he who sings , prays twice , yet so often that singing is trivial and even trite . This is not a criticism that could be levelled at the Palestrina Choir .
One hopes and prays that some in England note the achievement of the Palestrina Choir and set about doing something similar .