Cormac chosen for Irish Youth Choir

A TALENTED Ennis singer has been chosen to sing in the Irish Youth Choir and is currently involved in the choir’s annual summer programme of rehearsals and concerts.
Cormac Hennessy, 18, from Drumcliffe Road, Ennis, is the only Clare representative in the choir. He is already known in music circles in the county, through his involvement with up-and-coming local band Elastic Band and Ennis Youth Choir, which is directed by his father, Michael.
Cormac has never had formal singing lessons. He also plays bass guitar and piano. He completed his Leaving Certificate earlier this month and has already applied and been accepted to study music at the Cork School of Music, from the end of September.
His father, Michael, was very involved for a number of years with Ennis Cathedral Choir and is a music teacher of Coláiste Muire, Ennis.
The Irish Youth Choir has 92 singers, all aged between 18 and 28 years and are handpicked following a competitive auditioning process.
This week, Cormac and the Irish Youth Choir celebrating its 29th anniversary, are involved with a residential programme, which began last Saturday and will culminate in concerts at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, Wexford Opera House and The National Concert Hall, Dublin.
Their performance programme includes Brahms’ Requiem and Barber’s Prayers of Kierkegaard, with artistic director Greg Beardsell and soloists Cara O’Sullivan and Limerick’s Owen Gilhooly. The alto choir members will be ably tutored by Máire Keary Scanlon, a highly regarded Limerick conductor.
“All members of the choir were chosen following nationwide auditions. The choir performs with up to 50 instrumentalists of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland. Currently, they are all benefitting from the summer residential programme of training, rehearsals and concerts in the University of Limerick, all of which take place in an environment which develops teamwork, respect and leadership. The Irish Youth Choir also offers opportunities for young conductors to develop their skills through the Conductor in Training initiative, run in conjunction with the National Chamber Choir, and offering masterclass opportunities during the IYC week,” a spokesperson for the choir said.
Speaking about the programme in UL, Liz Powell, CEO of the Irish Youth Choir said, “We’re really delighted that the Irish Youth Choir is in UL for the third year in-a-row for the rehearsals in the run up to our national tour. It’s particularly exciting that we will be joined by the National Youth Orchestra in our new home in the University Concert Hall for this historic and symbolic collaboration.”
The Irish Youth Choir was founded in 1982 to provide an opportunity for young Irish singers to increase their musical skills, to sing together under the direction of professional conductors and tutors and to perform demanding and rewarding choral works to the highest possible standard. Since its foundation, over 1,000 singers have performed with the Irish Youth Choir. IYC members have gone on to form the backbone of musical life in this country and beyond as conductors, choir founders, singers, teachers and musicians. They include singer, Julie Feeney, soloists, Mairéad Buicke and Bridget Knowles and  conductors Bernie Sherlock and Niall Crowley, to name but a few.
The Irish Youth Choir and National Youth Orchestra of Ireland perform in the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in St Finbarr’s Church, Bantry, this Friday, at 7.30pm, in the Wexford Opera House this Saturday at 8pm and in the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Sunday at 8pm.