News 2013-2014
May 2014
Confirmation ceremonies in St Mary's Church took place on May 25, with music led by the Schola from St Joseph's Secondary School. Over 360 boys and girls from local primary schools were confirmed in the two ceremonies. Owing to recuperation from illness, Bishop Smith was unable to attend, and so the services were presided over by Msgr Dermot Farrell and Msgr Sean Heaney, Vicars General from the diocese.
Music for the ceremonies was drawn from the Schola's increasing repertoire of sacred music, from Gregorian chant at the Kyrie and Agnus Dei, to the strong responsorial psalm Send Forth Your Spirit by English composer Andrew Wright, to the luscious I Am the Holy Vine by John Ireland. The Communion Rite featured the ethereal Be Still and Know that I Am God by Chris Walker. The substantial repertoire needed for the day allowed many of the girls in the group to act as soloist, psalmist, or conductor, a happy luxury given the increasing numbers in schola this year. The long day was broken with a filling lunch in Eddie Rockets.
Confirmation ceremonies in St Mary's Church took place on May 25, with music led by the Schola from St Joseph's Secondary School. Over 360 boys and girls from local primary schools were confirmed in the two ceremonies. Owing to recuperation from illness, Bishop Smith was unable to attend, and so the services were presided over by Msgr Dermot Farrell and Msgr Sean Heaney, Vicars General from the diocese.
Music for the ceremonies was drawn from the Schola's increasing repertoire of sacred music, from Gregorian chant at the Kyrie and Agnus Dei, to the strong responsorial psalm Send Forth Your Spirit by English composer Andrew Wright, to the luscious I Am the Holy Vine by John Ireland. The Communion Rite featured the ethereal Be Still and Know that I Am God by Chris Walker. The substantial repertoire needed for the day allowed many of the girls in the group to act as soloist, psalmist, or conductor, a happy luxury given the increasing numbers in schola this year. The long day was broken with a filling lunch in Eddie Rockets.
May 2014
Two choirs from St Joseph’s Secondary School – the All-School Choir and the Schola – joined forces with Credo, a vocal ensemble from Trim, to present an evening of sacred music in the beautiful setting of St Mary’s Church of Ireland, Navan on Wednesday 7 May. The concert marked the beginning of this year’s Navan Choral Festival.
The All-School Choir began the concert with Lacrymosa from Mozart’s Requiem - Mozart died leaving only eight bars of this movement completed – the version in this concert was by Richard Maunder who reconstructed the movement using recently-discovered sketches and notes by the composer. This was followed by two pieces by French Impressionist composers: the flowing Ave Maria by Camille Saint-Saens and the In Paradisum from the Requiem by Gabriel Fauré. The choir was directed by Aideen O Sullivan and accompanied by Ephrem Feeley.
The next group to feature was the Schola, accompanied and directed by Ephrem Feeley. They sang a rich repertoire spanning a thousand years, starting with the Veni Creator chant and the French medieval pilgrimage song Alle Psallite Cum Luya. They then sang the haunting I Am the Holy Vine by 20th century composer John Ireland, with Laura McDonnell and Kinga Piotrowska as soloists; after this they sang a new setting of Panis Angelicus by Irish composer Donal Hurley, with its surprising harmonic twists, and finished their programme with the stately God is Love by Michael Joncas.
The final group to perform were Credo, an ensemble of twelve singers from the Trim area, who were directed by Aideen O Sullivan. They started their programme with the sinuous motet Ave Verum by Byrd, and a stunning SATB arrangement of Holy Ground by Gerald Moore and Geron Davis. This was followed by a selection of Taizé chants, which allowed various members of the choir to sing solo above each hypnotic ostinato refrain.
To conclude, the entire church stood and sang together the hymn O Trinity of Blessed Light. The concert was presented by Rebecca Scanlan, Nessa Farrelly, Andrea Moloney and Emma Keegan, all sixth years and members of the All School Choir.
Two choirs from St Joseph’s Secondary School – the All-School Choir and the Schola – joined forces with Credo, a vocal ensemble from Trim, to present an evening of sacred music in the beautiful setting of St Mary’s Church of Ireland, Navan on Wednesday 7 May. The concert marked the beginning of this year’s Navan Choral Festival.
The All-School Choir began the concert with Lacrymosa from Mozart’s Requiem - Mozart died leaving only eight bars of this movement completed – the version in this concert was by Richard Maunder who reconstructed the movement using recently-discovered sketches and notes by the composer. This was followed by two pieces by French Impressionist composers: the flowing Ave Maria by Camille Saint-Saens and the In Paradisum from the Requiem by Gabriel Fauré. The choir was directed by Aideen O Sullivan and accompanied by Ephrem Feeley.
The next group to feature was the Schola, accompanied and directed by Ephrem Feeley. They sang a rich repertoire spanning a thousand years, starting with the Veni Creator chant and the French medieval pilgrimage song Alle Psallite Cum Luya. They then sang the haunting I Am the Holy Vine by 20th century composer John Ireland, with Laura McDonnell and Kinga Piotrowska as soloists; after this they sang a new setting of Panis Angelicus by Irish composer Donal Hurley, with its surprising harmonic twists, and finished their programme with the stately God is Love by Michael Joncas.
The final group to perform were Credo, an ensemble of twelve singers from the Trim area, who were directed by Aideen O Sullivan. They started their programme with the sinuous motet Ave Verum by Byrd, and a stunning SATB arrangement of Holy Ground by Gerald Moore and Geron Davis. This was followed by a selection of Taizé chants, which allowed various members of the choir to sing solo above each hypnotic ostinato refrain.
To conclude, the entire church stood and sang together the hymn O Trinity of Blessed Light. The concert was presented by Rebecca Scanlan, Nessa Farrelly, Andrea Moloney and Emma Keegan, all sixth years and members of the All School Choir.
January 2014
To celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, St Joseph's Secondary School community joined with the parish community of Navan and other local schools in St Mary's Church. The music was led by the Schola, and the celebrant was Fr Kevin Heery. Over a thousand people attended, singing music befitting the feast, such as The First Nowell, We Three Kings, and O Come, All Ye Faithful. The psalm, All Nations Shall Bow Down, was sung by Aodhamair O' Reilly and Nastasya Farrelly, while Amy McHugh was cantor for the Gospel Acclamation. The Schola sang What Child is This at the Offertory and the chant Ecce Nomen Domini as the communion antiphon. On the Epiphany of the Lord, after the Gospel, a Deacon or cantor, in keeping with an ancient practice of Holy Church, announces from the ambo the moveable feasts of the current year; this Announcement of the Dates was sung by Mr Mahady, and provided us with the opportunity to locate the Nativity of the Lord in the context of his Passion and Resurrection. |
December 2013
"Passing on the Light" was the theme of this year's carol service, which took place in St Mary's Church on Tuesday December 10. Preparations with every choir and religion class in the school took place over the three weeks prior to the event. Four readers explored how the light of God has been passed on, from the creation of the world, to Adam and Eve, through Abraham and the prophets, to the Light blazing into the world in the person of Jesus, and passed on in the Church through the ages. Students from all year groups received lit candles, and these were passed on to others, representing the light passed on through the generations.
Carols for the occasion were sung by the congregation, the All-School Choir and the Schola, and ranged from well-known traditional carols such as O Come All Ye Faithful and The First Nowell to less-well known but haunting arrangements of Don Oiche Ud i mBeithil and What Child is This, and the Gregorian chant Ecce Nomen Domini, Emmanuel. To conclude the service, members of Transition Year carried up the hampers for the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, our own offerings mirroring those of the Magi to the Infant Christ. The school Christmas CD, A Little Child was Born, was available for sale afterwards, with all proceeds going this year to relief work in the Philippines. This very beautiful and powerful service was attended by over 800 people: students and staff of Mercy Navan, members of the Mercy Order, parents, families and friends, and parishioners.
"Passing on the Light" was the theme of this year's carol service, which took place in St Mary's Church on Tuesday December 10. Preparations with every choir and religion class in the school took place over the three weeks prior to the event. Four readers explored how the light of God has been passed on, from the creation of the world, to Adam and Eve, through Abraham and the prophets, to the Light blazing into the world in the person of Jesus, and passed on in the Church through the ages. Students from all year groups received lit candles, and these were passed on to others, representing the light passed on through the generations.
Carols for the occasion were sung by the congregation, the All-School Choir and the Schola, and ranged from well-known traditional carols such as O Come All Ye Faithful and The First Nowell to less-well known but haunting arrangements of Don Oiche Ud i mBeithil and What Child is This, and the Gregorian chant Ecce Nomen Domini, Emmanuel. To conclude the service, members of Transition Year carried up the hampers for the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, our own offerings mirroring those of the Magi to the Infant Christ. The school Christmas CD, A Little Child was Born, was available for sale afterwards, with all proceeds going this year to relief work in the Philippines. This very beautiful and powerful service was attended by over 800 people: students and staff of Mercy Navan, members of the Mercy Order, parents, families and friends, and parishioners.
December 2013
Music for the 1pm mass on the First Sunday in Advent in St Mary's Church was provided by the Schola from St Joseph's Mercy Secondary School. The Entrance Hymn was the great Advent chant, O Come Emmanuel, followed by the simple but effective Penitential Act from Lourdes. Alison Pentony confidently led the psalm I Rejoiced when I Heard Them Say, and Olivia Murtagh and Aodhamair Kellett were cantors for the Gospel Acclamation. The Offertory Hymn was the paraphrased setting of Psalm 85, Let Your Mercy be On Us, by Marty Haugen, referring to the communion antiphon. Along with mass parts from Mass of Creation and the missal tones, the Schola also sang the communion hymn Come, Receive Christ, and the traditional German hymn Behold a Virgin Bearing Him as a Recessional. This year, the Schola has once again grown in numbers, now with twenty-one girls from Second to Sixth Year. The celebrant for the mass was Fr Louis Illah, whose infectious enthusiasm for the faith encouraged the congregation to join with the girls in praise and song. |
November 2013
The All School Choir travelled west for the Sligo International Choral Festival, the first outing of the year for the choir, and their first visit to this esteemed festival. The morning's activities included participation in a choral workshop led by Greg Beardsell, director of the Irish Youth Choir. This workshop was attended by all the school choirs in the competition - around 450 participants. In The afternoon they sang well in their competition with a vivacious rendition of Yulishka Under the Lilac Tree and Br Ben Hanlon's Caife Gaelach, directed by Ms O'Sullivan and accompanied by Mr Feeley. Although the girls sang very well, they were not placed in the top two. An enjoyable trip to Sligo was had by all.
The All School Choir travelled west for the Sligo International Choral Festival, the first outing of the year for the choir, and their first visit to this esteemed festival. The morning's activities included participation in a choral workshop led by Greg Beardsell, director of the Irish Youth Choir. This workshop was attended by all the school choirs in the competition - around 450 participants. In The afternoon they sang well in their competition with a vivacious rendition of Yulishka Under the Lilac Tree and Br Ben Hanlon's Caife Gaelach, directed by Ms O'Sullivan and accompanied by Mr Feeley. Although the girls sang very well, they were not placed in the top two. An enjoyable trip to Sligo was had by all.
September 2013
St Joseph's Secondary School celebrated their annual Mercy Day on September 24 with a special Eucharist in St Mary's Church. The theme of the mass, inspired by 2013: The Gathering, was "We are Gathered" as each day we gather as a Catholic school community; music, art and readings combined to reflect this theme. Each member of the school community made a figurine representing themselves, which was added to a class collage, and these displays were carried up in the Entrance Procession, while the hymn Here in Christ we Gather was sung.
Music throughout was sung by the entire assembly, conducted by Ms McCabe and Ms O' Sullivan, accompanied by Mr Feeley on organ. Mr Mahady stepped into Mr Burke's shoes, playing the piano and conducting the Schola, who led a number of pieces. The Kyrie was sung by Eimer Finn and Fern Kelly. The Responsorial Psalm - Let Your Mercy be on Us, by Marty Haugen - was sung by Brionna Meagher and Adele Crilly, and the Gospel Acclamation was sung by Olivia Murtagh and Aodhamair Reilly. The Offertory motet Always Do What is Right was sung by the schola, and was written to reflect the life of St Joseph, who in the words of Matthew's Gospel, "was a man who always did what is right." The Communion Hymns were Come, Receive Christ and the charming Italianate Mary, Most Holy, and the Recessional Hymn was the rousing anthem Thanks be to God by English composer Stephen Dean.
The mass was extremely well attended, with the full student and staff body of the school, as well as members of the Mercy Order, parents and past pupils.
St Joseph's Secondary School celebrated their annual Mercy Day on September 24 with a special Eucharist in St Mary's Church. The theme of the mass, inspired by 2013: The Gathering, was "We are Gathered" as each day we gather as a Catholic school community; music, art and readings combined to reflect this theme. Each member of the school community made a figurine representing themselves, which was added to a class collage, and these displays were carried up in the Entrance Procession, while the hymn Here in Christ we Gather was sung.
Music throughout was sung by the entire assembly, conducted by Ms McCabe and Ms O' Sullivan, accompanied by Mr Feeley on organ. Mr Mahady stepped into Mr Burke's shoes, playing the piano and conducting the Schola, who led a number of pieces. The Kyrie was sung by Eimer Finn and Fern Kelly. The Responsorial Psalm - Let Your Mercy be on Us, by Marty Haugen - was sung by Brionna Meagher and Adele Crilly, and the Gospel Acclamation was sung by Olivia Murtagh and Aodhamair Reilly. The Offertory motet Always Do What is Right was sung by the schola, and was written to reflect the life of St Joseph, who in the words of Matthew's Gospel, "was a man who always did what is right." The Communion Hymns were Come, Receive Christ and the charming Italianate Mary, Most Holy, and the Recessional Hymn was the rousing anthem Thanks be to God by English composer Stephen Dean.
The mass was extremely well attended, with the full student and staff body of the school, as well as members of the Mercy Order, parents and past pupils.