This article is from page 19 of the 2009-03-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
THE world-famous London Sym- phony Chorus will make it first ever Irish appearance this year when they perform as special guests of the Lis- morahaun Singers in Ennistymon.
More than 200 singers and musi- cians from the London Symphony Chorus, the Lismorahaun Singers and the City of Dublin Concert Orchestra will perform Mozart’s ‘Great Mass in C Minor’ in honour of north Clare author and poet John O’ Donohue.
The author, who passed away in early 2008, was born just beside the townland of Lismourahaun in Lis- doonvarna and was the man respon- sible for naming the choir.
The concert also marks the tenth anniversary of the Lismorahaun NTIS ESE
“This is the London Symphony Chorus’ first ever visit to Ireland and they are not going to Dublin or Bel- fast or Cork or Limerick – they are coming to north Clare,” said Archie Simpson, founder of the Lismoura- haun Singers.
“They are so excited about the prospect of singing with us – about the prospect of performing with real people and in front of a real commu- nity. I think the fact that they have decided to make Ennistymon their first ever port of call says a lot about both choirs.”
The London Symphony Chorus is one of the world’s premier choral en- sembles and already has more than
100 recordings to its name.
The Lismorahaun Singers will wel- come back some of its most high- profile exports for this concert, in- cluding Naomi O’Connell who is currently studying at the Juilliard School of Music in New York and Peter O’Donohue, nephew of the late John O’Donohue.
“John has meant a lot to the choir personally over the years. He was al- ways So supportive of us and indeed it was him who first gave us our name,” continued Archie. “When we sang in the early days, we didn’t have a name but John invited us to sing at one of his Masses and introduced us as the Lismorahaun Singers. The name just stuck after that.”
The concert will take place on April 17 in the Church of Saint Michael in Ennistymon.
Tickets, at a cost of €40, will be available from March 6 at Scéal Eile in Ennis, Crosbies in Ennistymon, Jordans in Lisdoonvarna and Moon- eys in Ballyvaughan. For credit card bookings, contact the Burren Col- lege of Art in Ballyvaughan on 065 7077200.