5^th & 6^th class sang in the ‘National Children’s Choir Regional Concert’ in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght on Tuesday the 5^th of April 2011. The children had been learning the repertoire of 16 songs in school since the beginning of the school year as part of their music curriculum. There were approximately 500 primary school children from all over Dublin singing as one choir, conducted by Anne Purcell (one of the National Children’s Choirs Musical Directors) and accompanied by a professional orchestra.

The standard of singing & choral music was exceptionally high. You couldn’t sit in the audience and not be moved by the wonderful, sweet and beautiful singing of the children on stage. The children deserve great praise & credit for how well they behaved and preformed on the night. They kept their eyes firmly glued to the conductor and followed her every direction moving from loud to soft, fast to slow.

As a young child of 8 I attended my first choral recital and came away from the concert wanting nothing more than to sing in a choir. Last night as I sat listening to the children singing I now understand how attending that concert would have made me feel that way about it and my hope is that some of the children who have had the opportunity to sing in the National Children’s Choir will get as much pleasure out of choral singing in the future as I have.   

Song Programme      2010/2011

1.       We Sail the Ocean Blue               Gilbert / Sullivan

2.       Mo Ghile Mear                              Traidisiúnta

3.       Nozone

4.       Earth Song                                      Michael Jackson

5.       Finiculi Finicula

6.       Over the Rainbow                         Arlen / Harburg

7.       Toreador Song                               Carmen le Bizet

8.       Beidh Aonach Amárach               Traidisiúnta

9.       A Clare Benediction                     John Rutter

10.    Ag Críost an Síol                            S. Ó Riada

11.    Do Bhíosa Lá i bPortláirge           P. Ó Ceallaigh

12.    Down by the River to Pray          Traidisiúnta

13.    Ave Verum                                     Mozart

14.    Songs of Ireland                            Traidisiúnta            

A Song for Ireland

Carrick Fergus

The Fields of Athenry

Limerick You’re a Lady

Dublin Sounter

15.    Adiemus                                         Karl Jenkins

16.    Speed Your Journey                     Verdi

About the National Children’s Choir

The National Children’s Choir is a school-based choral experience for primary school children. Affiliated pupils from 4th, 5th or 6th classes in Irish Primary Schools learn a common repertoire of songs in Irish, English or Latin that more than satisfies many objectives of the music programme at the senior end of the primary school. The repertoire challenges the pupils to perform a broad programme from Mozart to Michael Jackson. The choir enables young people to experience the sheer joy of involvement in music and song.

Formed by Seán Creamer (then a music inspector with the Department of Education) in 1985 to celebrate ‘European Music Year’, the choir has enjoyed tremendous success to date. This year’s concerts (2011) will be the fourteenth in a series of bi-annual concerts.

The aims of the National Children’s Choir are

§  To foster a love of choral singing among primary school pupils

§  To enhance the musical education of those involved

Since 1985 over 100,000 children have enjoyed the experience of singing with the National Children’s Choir at a local level. This is a tribute to the dedication and commitment of teachers all over the country. The National Children’s Choir is a voluntary non-profit organisation run by primary school teachers for primary school children. Teachers who have a great love of music and want to give the children under their care the opportunity to experience & enjoy participation in music and choral singing.

For more Information go to:  www.nationalchildrenschoir.org