Carlow Voices strike the perfect note for Christmas

A RELAXING, festive mood descended on St Mary’s Church, recently when the wonderful Carlow Voices struck the perfect note for the Christmas season.

The local choir hosted Wintersong, their annual Christmas concert, with well-known seasonal favourites such as Gordon Lightfoot’s Song for a Winter’s Night and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas as part of their varied repertoire.

Led by musical director Marian Gaynor, the choir was accompanied by wonderful musicians, including Maeve Lyons on piano, Emma Picovici on cello, John Gladney on percussion and Niall Kelly on bass.

The concert also featured a number of soloists from the choir, including Aoibhinn Foley, Antonia Westerholt, Philippa Jennings and James Brennan, who added enormously to the special event.

The concert also had a charitable element, with all proceeds from the raffle going to the worthy local charity Éist Cancer Support Centre.

The choir was welcomed to St Mary’s Church by Rev Paul Fitzpatrick, who spoke of the long association St Mary’s has with Carlow Voices and also offered a warm welcome to everyone to enjoy a wonderful evening of music.

Chair of Carlow Voices, Catherine Moloney, thanked everyone who supported Wintersong, including Rev Fitzpatrick and the team at St Mary’s, the wonderful musicians, in particular, Maeve Lyons, who works with the choir each week, local businesses and individuals who sponsored raffle prizes, the front-of-house team and all those who helped to make the event possible.

She also offered a warm welcome to Anne-Marie Peters of Éist Cancer Support Centre and spoke of how the choir was delighted to support such a worthy charity.

Catherine offered her heartfelt thanks to Marian for her extraordinary vision and creativity and the enormous commitment and dedication she shows to the choir. Small presentations of thanks were made to Marian and Maeve on behalf of the choir by members Ruth Coffey and Mary Cowan.