Big stage gig for Coláiste Muire Orchestra

THE girls of Coláiste Muire Orchestra will play alongside The School next month when they perform at one of the country’s most prestigious venues.
The Coláiste Muire, Ennis, pupils are busy rehearsing for their collaboration with St Peter’s College Orchestra from Dunboyne next month.
Musicians from both schools take to the National Concert Hall stage as part of the annual Festival of Irish Youth Orchestras. The combined orchestra is one of eight ensembles selected to perform in two concerts on February 13 at the prestigious event.
St Peter’s College recently featured in the TV documentary The School. Principal Eamonn Gaffney, after his recent appearance on The Tubridy Show said he “welcomed Coláiste Muire Orchestra to share the platform at this wonderful venue and he was looking forward to hearing the programme”.
The two ensembles previously met when they participated in a workshop at the 2008 festival. Parent and freelance music teacher Cathy Desmond forged the relationship between St Peter’s and Coláiste Muire. She is the founder director of St Peter’s College Orchestra. Ms Desmond, who now lives in Ennis, has worked with the Coláiste Muire Orchestra in the past and is looking forward to the group playing in Dublin for the first time in 30 years.
“I am delighted to work with director Michael Hennessy and CMO again on this very special project. The pupils are really looking forward to representing the Banner County at the Festival,” she stated.
Musicians from both ensembles meet in Loughrea this week for a full day of rehearsals to prepare the lively programme. The programme features film themes, a Mozart favourite and a lively Latin American samba. Cathy Desmond said the programme will showcase the strengths of both groups.
“St Peter’s has a great brass section and Coláiste Muire has a very strong string section. Investment by the board of management in double bass and cellos has paid dividends with the section going from strength to strength.
The schools are quite different, in that Coláiste has a very long-established tradition going back to their foundation, whereas St Peter’s is a very new school. What both schools share is a musical ethos and work hard to actively promote a culture of musical activity within their schools with firm support from their board of managements and principals, Eamonn Gaffney and Jean Pound,” Cathy concluded.