Navan Community Singers 10th anniversary Solstice Show

Navan Community Singers will be performing in The Solstice Arts Centre, Navan this Saturday (20th June) to celebrate the choir’s 10th anniversary.

The group has worked hard over the last year in preparation for the show, which is a culmination of the work done over the last 10 years to make the choir, the wonderful group it is today.

In 2012 Margaret McKeown the HCL teacher in St Oliver’s NS ran a six-week course singing course for parents and we formed a choir.

Many of that first group along with Margaret then joined a local gospel choir. When that choir disbanded in 2016, 24 members formed NCS under the musical direction of Eileen Foley. "Since then, we have sung every Monday from September until June with a hiatus for Covid", said Margaret.

Leading men... Frank Corbally, Joe McCarthy, John Leahy, Larry McEvoy, John Carroll, Dave Cahill, John Homan and Colm McGuirk.
The Lady Tenors are Karen O’Reilly, Leah Cooney, Elaine Uí Ghéaráin (Musical Director), Frances Browne and Tricia Murray.
Sopranos... Rosaleen McEnroe, Caoimhe Uí Loinsigh, Libby Butler, Bernie Leavey, Joanne O’Brien, Eimear McCormack, Margaret Kelly, Emma O’Hara ,Cliodhna Fox, Georgina Malone, Lorraine Sheridan, Dee Griffin, Lena Sheld, Louise Doyle, Alison Strauss and Niamh Crisham.
Altos... Maeve O’Connor, Sharon Stapleton, Úna Howard, Catherine Lyons, Carmel McEvoy, Niamh Davis, Deirdre Sheridan, Laura Lynch, Áine Browne, Jackie Conlon, Mary Heidelmann, Fiona Rochford.

"Presently we have about 50 members, with some having to take some time off for life and/health reasons, we usually have between 35-40 at practice each week.

"Over the years our current Musical Director Elaine Uí Ghéaráin has challenged the choir with increasingly difficult and complicated pieces, and the members have risen to the challenge.

"In the earlier years, we were a limited to songs with mainly three-part arrangements because we only had one or two men in the choir. Now that we have eight guys, it has really expanded our sound. Many of our newer pieces have 7 or 8 parts in them, said Elaine.

"Our repertoire of music is quite wide, a lot of pop, Pink, Coldplay, Elton John, Musicals like greatest showman and Dear Evan Hanson, some gospel music and arrangements and of course like most choirs, a lot of Christmas music.

"We hope that our choir is a place of friendship, joy, kindness and support, performing at local events, fundraising and supporting groups and charities and spreading joy and happiness, one song at a time."

- Tickets available via Solstice Arts Centre