One of Northern Ireland’s best known and longest established choirs, the Priory Singers, is celebrating 40 years of music in an anniversary concert to be held in Saint Mark’s Church, Dundela, on Saturday 17 October. The choir, which sang at the service in Saint Anne’s Cathedral, attended by the King following the death of his mother, is also calling for former members to join them for parts of the concert.
“We have had a long history of making music not just in Northern Ireland, but also across the UK,” said Philip Bolton, the choir’s Director, who sang with the choir for more than 35 years before taking over as director just two weeks before being called on to conduct at the service attended by the King. “The choir has sung in dozens of cathedrals across the country from Truro to Canterbury, and from Saint Sulpice in Paris to St George’s Chapel Windsor, where we were singing this summer. We have even sung in King’s College Cambridge, an honour not afforded to many choirs. It will be wonderful to celebrate decades of music making not just with cathedral music but with some secular pieces and some great instrumentalists.”
The Priory Singers
The concert will reflect music sung over the decades by the group and will include many familiar pieces by composers such as Howells, Stanford and Vaughan Williams.
Gwynneth Cockcroft who is part of the organising committee and a member since 1986 commented: “There are a few of us who have sung with the choir since it was founded by the late Dr Harry Grindle, one of the most respected musicians and choir directors ever to come out of Ireland. It will be lovely to see old friends and get the chance to sing with them again as we are asking former choir members to join us for a few select pieces, including something which has always been a Priory favourite: Parry’s, I Was Glad.”
Former members who would like to join the concert should contact the choir by email at [email protected] and follow the choir on facebook and instagram.
