St Mary’s College crowned School Choir of the Year at Feis Ceoil 2024

There was music there in the Dublin air when Derry’s St Mary’s College choir triumphed at the prestigious Feis Ceoil 2024.

The choir won the Folens Publishers’ School Choir of the Year award and trophy, and celebrated by singing the exuberant Undertones anthem Teenage Kicks on stage.

St Mary's College choir members with accompanist Trevor Burnside and musical director Emma-Jayne Kelly. 

In addition it scooped the Youth Choir - Two Part competition and was awarded the Patricia McCarry Trophy.

It also placed second in the Alice Yoakley Cup and has been invited to perform at the Feis Ceoil Gala concert in the National Concert Hall in Dublin on April 17.

The choral competitions, which took place last week in the magnificent RDS Concert Hall, were adjudicated by Peter Broadbent.

Speaking to Derry News in advance of a special celebratory school assembly on Friday morning, Ms Emma-Jayne Kelly, who directs and conducts the choir, said everyone was ecstatic when the result was announced.

“I don’t think we have come down to earth yet,” she smiled. “When our name was called we were euphoric and excited. The whole audience was behind us.

“Taking part in Feis Ceoil was a fantastic experience. It was great for our girls to see the dedication of all the choirs taking part.

“The experience in the rehearsal room itself was something they will never forget. There were even people rehearsing on the grass outside. In every single corner of the rehearsal room, everyone was giving it lilty. It was like something out of ‘Pitch Perfect’.

“ It was great for the girls to see that everyone was so enthusiastic and determined.

“What I liked about the competition was that all the choirs were very complimentary and encouraging of us. They were lovely. They approached the girls and cheered, even  after rehearsals and things. It was a lovely experience.”

Emma-Jayne revealed that the choir had been rehearsing non-stop since the turn of the year in preparation for Feis Ceoil.

She explained: “The first competition was a set piece. We started the set material in January and then we pulled out an old favourite ‘Cabaret’, which the junior members of the choir had to learn from scratch.

“There were a lot of intensive rehearsals. The Year Eights were wee troupers. They were rehearsing nearly seven days a week. Really, when you think of it, they were only out of Primary Seven and they were at choir rehearsals five lunchtimes a week and two days after school.”

Coming back to Derry after Feis Ceoil, Emma-Jayne the girls sang all the way home on the bus.

They also face-timed St Mary’s Principal, Brendan McGinn, to tell him the brilliant news.

A clearly delighted Brendan said: “As Principal, I stand on the side line and cheer the choir on.

“The one advantage I would have is I taught music before I came to St Mary’s, so I would have a fair idea of the amount of work that Emma-Jayne puts into it and the commitment of the girls.

“To get to the level they have got to is amazing. I am not sure if the girls have really realised what they have achieved because we have never taken part in Feis Ceoil before and we were really dipping our toes in the water,” he said.

Emma-Jayne paid particular tribute to the choir’s accompanist, Trevor Burnside.

“Trevor was with us for the long haul. He was brilliant.

“His words to me were, ‘I have never been as pampered in my life. Those girls are a crowd of mothering hens’.

“I would also like to thank the mammys and daddys and the people who travelled with us, not to mention all the teachers who let the girls out of class to rehearse. The whole school was really behind us and we appreciated that.”