St Joseph's girls did county proud in national choir final
by Paul Neilan Updated: Wednesday, 16th November, 2011 4:53pm
St Joseph's Mercy School choir celebrate their recent regional final victory in Castlebar which saw them make the All-Ireland final in Derry last weekend.
The St Joseph's Mercy Secondary School choir has returned home to Navan with their heads held high after a fantastic performance at the All-Ireland School Choir Competition in Derry at the weekend.
Around 100 students, staff and teachers made the trek north to support the 40 girls who did the school proud at the Millenium Forum Theatre. However, they were pipped at the post by Wesley College, Ballinteer, Dublin, who won the competition.
St Joseph's, under choir director Aideen O'Sullivan, made the national final four after winning their regional heat in Castlebar last month and did the county proud with a fabulous performance, broadcast live on RTÉ Television on Sunday evening.
"It was such an honour preparing for this with the girls. They're so dedicated," said O'Sullivan. "They came in on weekends and did three-hour sessions, they came in for a few days during their mid-term break; they're incredibly dedicated.
"We're a contemporary choir and we did two difficult pieces that would take months to learn. They learned it in a week. Very obviously, I'm delighted by their performance in Derry," she added.
"Everyone in the school is proud of them and Navan should be proud of them. The girls looked so beautifully expressive, too.
"Every last one was fully committed to the music and I don't think the camera knew where to look it was because everyone performed to an A1 standard," Ms O'Sullivan added.
"There's been such excitement around the school for them and they deserve it for working incredibly hard," she said.
Principal Mary Mulligan said the girls, who were accompanied by pianist David Burke, were "absolutely fabulous" and delivered a "beautiful performance", worthy of their place in the country's top four school choirs.
The two "ambitious" songs performed in front of President Michael D Higgins and other dignitaries - 'Kungala' by Australian Stephen Leek, and Danish composer Michael Bojesen's 'Eternity' - were chosen to challenge the girls and to keep the choir's contemporary sound.
Anyone who missed the performance by the St Joseph's Mercy Choir can catch up with the original broadcast which can be viewed on the RTÉ Player page under category A. Alternatively, look out for the choir at upcoming performances at Navan Town Centre for the arrival of Santa Claus.
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