The Irish Church Music Association Summer School will take place from 2-5 July 2015 in Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Co Kildare on the theme Pilgrims for Christ. This year’s guest director is Andrew Reid. The Summer School provides musicians from around the country and beyond with an opportunity to sing and pray together, learning the best music of past and present.
Background to the theme for 2015 – Pilgrims for Christ
Each year the summer school focuses on a special theme and develops its liturgies, together with its music around it. This year’s theme is Pilgrims for Christ. We are a pilgrim people! Some may be on a journey of physical travel to a holy place or shrine as an exercise of penance and faith. Others may be on a spiritual journey travelling from a bleak place to healing and reconciliation. Whatever our mode of travel – we are all on a pilgrim journey through life to Christ. This year’s repertoire will nourish all pilgrims at all stages of their journey through school and parish as active participants in Liturgy. Music has been selected from a number of modern Irish Church music composers in addition to traditional pieces to enhance Eucharist, celebration of Sacraments and Liturgy of the Hours for school, parish and cathedral liturgical celebrations.
The Music Director Team for 2015
Guest Director Andrew Reid was an organ scholar at St. Matthew’s, Northampton, at St. Catherine’s and Robinson Colleges, Cambridge and at Westminster Cathedral, before becoming Assistant Master of Music at Westminster Abbey where he was Sub Organist and played at many national services. In 2004 he became Director of Music at Peterborough Cathedral and also ran activities in the surrounding community such as ‘Sing Up’ workshops for schools. His career as an organist has included recordings of works by Widor, Kodaly, MacMillan and others and he has given recitals in the UK, USA and Europe. He became Director of the Royal School of Church Music in 2012.
Father Paul Kenny is a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin for 37 years and has for all of that time been a member of the ICMA and has led workshops and directed the Summer School. In 2012 he was the director of music for the International Eucharistic Congress and has been involved in the promotion and development of a large number of music collections over the years.
Marian Gaynor has been a very popular workshop presenter over the years at Summer School. Her vitality and musical interest are always at the core of her classes. She is the Director of Music in Carlow Cathedral. Marian is a graduate of NUI Maynooth. Her professional development has encompassed the study of voice and choral conducting with the CME Institute (USA); ABCD. London; CNC, Ireland, and the Estill Voice System, UK. Marian specialises as a Music Educator for young children, designing and facilitating music education programs for primary schools, community events and festivals, while also facilitating Department of Education “In-service Teaching Training” courses for primary teachers.
Ciaran Coll is originally from Donegal and is a Secondary School teacher in Dublin at Saint Mary’s Holy Faith School. He conducts a Youth Choir in Our Lady of Victories Church also in Dublin. He led the New Generation Youth Choir at Summer School last year. He also was a recent presenter at the Religious Education Congress in Mater Dei. Over the past few years he has begun composing Liturgical Music.
Ian Callanan has been involved with liturgical music his entire life and has been composing music for over 20 years. Published by GIA Publications, he is an accomplished composer, arranger, score editor and workshop leader. He holds an honours masters degree in Religion and Culture from Mater Dei, Dublin and an honours degree in Music from NUI Maynooth. He has been a very popular workshop presenter over the years at Summer School and is also the director of the “Emmanuel” programme, for the Dublin Diocese, and “Seinn” for Limerick and Killaloe Dioceses, both of which involve over 3,000 secondary (high school) students, learning new liturgical music, culminating in a celebration concert.
Workshops at the Summer School
Workshops at this year’s Summer School will cover music for Advent and Christmas, Music for Lent and Reconciliation, Music for the Easter Season and Music for the Sacraments. Details:
W01 – A Light has Shone (Music for Advent & Christmas) – Paul Kenny Advent and Christmas is a wonderful time for re-focusing ourselves both as adults and children alike. In this workshop we will explore repertoire for the season and reflect on the different character of each Sunday of Advent. We will also look at how we can face the challenge of providing a musical welcome for our “once-a-year” visitors at Christmas.
W02 – Hold Fast to Christ (Music for Lent and Reconciliation) – Ian Callanan Our 40 days of Lent prepare us for our 50 days of Easter celebration! We have a sacred tradition of always returning to this Lenten journey in order to renew our Christian identity with God and with one another. During this season the Church journeys with Christ through the desert and to the Cross of Calvary through the celebration of the sacred liturgy. This workshop will explore the mysteries of this most solemn season through the lens of sung texts and chants.
W03 – From Darkness to Light (Music for the Easter Season) – Marian Gaynor This is the season which is the centre of our faith. It is the Paschal mystery that we celebrate every time we gather for Eucharist. The Easter Triduum and season hold a special place of power in the Church’s year. They are a time for deepening faith and welcoming new and returning Christians. Each celebration has its own power to convert us all. This workshop will carefully explore the richness the rites give us for musical involvement.
W04 – Singing Through the Sacraments (Music for the Sacraments) – Ciaran Coll This workshop will explore the sacramental nature of liturgy and life. It will include musical and ritual examples for each of the sacraments.
For more information on the Summer School and to download the brochure and booking form please click here.
