‘Our personalities shine through when we sing and when we perform’

AINE FAHERTY

The sound of music was brought back to Kilmessan village 11 years ago when the spirited Lisa Rooney Smith re-introduced the church choir to the village and with it a strong sense of community, which she encourages in young and old: “We have to have a sense of belonging,” she says,

And what better way to do this, then through music: “Our personalities shine through when we sing and when we perform. Music is an escapism,” she says. “And you don’t have to be brilliant. I wasn’t the most amazing piano player or singer growing up, but I have always loved singing. And I think music has always brought so much joy out in people, which is the important thing to remember.”

Unsurprisingly, music plays a huge part in Lisa’s life, teaching piano and choir to both children and adults and advocates that everyone blossoms when it is their time and we are never to old to start anything. “We all think that our kids have to be ballerinas by the age of four. I didn’t start the piano until I was 11. We’re all in this big race, which doesn’t have to be the case “

Lisa who is originally from Dublin but moved to Moynalvey with her family at age 11, first bought a house in Navan before building her forever home 12 years ago on the outskirts of Kilmessan village with husband Jack, who hails from the area. Before long Lisa set about reviving the old Kilmessan choir, which had been disbanded some time previously. “The first night I had seven people and now we have 70.”

“I wanted everyone to come onboard and sing with us. I didn’t want anybody to have to audition. I wanted everybody to feel that they had a place that they could come to that would be fun and that everybody would have a sense of humour and we could laugh at ourselves, sometimes life can be so serious.”

“People of my mother’s age were told when they went to school, to sit down that they couldn’t sing, even though they would have liked music, so I have this generation of women who weren’t given the opportunity to sing because of their school environment.”

Despite a tough two years with the pandemic, Lisa and her troops persevered via Zoom and a private Youtube channel where up to 270 people from the parish of Kilmessan and Dunsany showcased their talents weekly online.

The choir has had some big occasions through the years like at Christmas Eve Mass that was televised on RTE from Kilmessan in 2017. They have travelled widely together including to Lourdes with the Meath diocese. A project that they are currently preparing for is an “uplifting” concert on Sunday 20th March in the Ardboyne Hotel to commemorate people who fell victim to Covid-19 and who helped with proceeds from €10 entry going to Temple Street Children’s Hospital

Music has always been in Lisa’s life. She featured in the pages of this newspaper almost 30 years ago at aged 18 when she was fundraising to join US based travelling performance company ‘Up with People’ which she subsequently spent a year with, visiting 41 US states in nine months and three months travelling throughout Europe, followed by a year as a PR rep for the group in Europe, before returning home. “I was very homesick,” she recalls but so grateful for the opportunity and the amazing experience that shaped her.

Following this, Lisa had planned to go to college but instead a summer job with Aer Lingus turned into a 17-year long career.

“I absolutely loved it,” she says. “I never had a bad day.” The songstress decided to leave her role there however when her youngest son Leo was born eight weeks premature and with some difficulties that led to him losing his left arm and requiring additional care. Since then, Leo has thrived and along with brother Jack and sister Lily-Jane embraces life to the fullest with involvement in hurling, camogie, rugby, swimming, Irish dancing and soccer between them.

While remaining committed to the choir, Lisa has also been involved in other projects along the way that put her at the very heart of Kilmessan’s friendly society. Lisa’s most recent challenge is in Kilmessan Hurling Club’s ‘Every Step Counts’ challenge – where everyone involved has to walk 4,000 miles collectively over five weeks.

With the slowdown in music during lockdowns, the industrious, versatile and infectiously enthusiastic musician, became a part-time carer and says it has in fact been her most rewarding job to date. As always, Lisa has found the wonderment of music here too with its ability to help and sooth people with memory issues and dementia.

“They always remember music whether it’s a holy song or one from school or Joe Dolan or whoever that they listened to years ago... That has been a really powerful thing for me,” she says. “Again the power of music!”