Tipperary schools participate in Songs of Praise event

St Mary’s Church, Irishtown, was the place to be on  Thursday evening, April 18th, for Songs of Praise featuring over 100 pupils from five local schools – Presentation Primary School, Sisters of Charity NS, St Mary’s CBS, Ss. Peter and Paul’s CBS and St Oliver’s NS.

The project involved teaching 5th class pupils many of the old familiar hymns that their parents and grandparents learnt when they were growing up. The children rehearsed the hymns in their own schools under the guidance of their class teachers over the previous eight weeks. Recordings of the 16 hymns selected for the Songs of Praise ceremony were provided to the schools to ensure consistency of delivery.

The children embraced the project with great enthusiasm and teachers noted their confidence growing each week. 

As their knowledge increased they looked forward with excitement to the opportunity to sing with the massed choir on April 18th.

Their one and only joint rehearsal took place in St. Mary’s Church on the morning of the event. Teachers were very impressed with how easily the children from all the different schools could sing in unison. 

The children were delighted to meet Siobhán Hennessy, soloist and Mairéad Dempsey, accompanist who had recorded all the hymns for them as well as Eileen Murray, organist. 

Many children were hearing the church organ for the very first time and were hugely impressed with the sound when the stops were pulled out! 

That evening people began to gather in the church at 7pm for the ceremony at 7:30pm. There was a hum of excitement as the children took their places in the front pews and the church began to fill. The St. Mary’s Folk Group led by Mairead Conway and Senior Choir led by Mary Adamson joined the children and added immensely to the occasion.

The opening chords of “Praise to the Lord” signalled the start of the ceremony which was led by Charlotte Keane. Charlotte had selected a range of appropriate prayers and reflections to link the sections of the ceremony and to give everyone pause for thought.

The children relished their opportunity to impress their parents and family members. 

Led by conductors Mary Adamson and Yvonne Moran they were both word and note perfect throughout the evening. 

The boys and girls thoroughly enjoyed the support of the choirs and congregation in singing some of the hymns but were also very happy to sing several hymns themselves. The opportunity to listen to beautiful renditions of The Communion Song (Folk Group) and Ave Maria (Senior Choir) added an extra dimension to the evening.

Towards the end of the ceremony the children took their places on the altar to sing the final hymns. Seeing them all stand together in their different school uniforms emphasised the ability of music to bring people together. They sang their hearts out with “Seek ye first” and a most joyful rendition of “Give me joy in my heart”. Charlotte Keane congratulated the children and thanked them for bringing such joy and hope to the community. She also thanked the principals (past and present) and staff of the schools involved in the project, Fr. Billy Meehan and the many other people who had contributed to the success of the evening.

The evening concluded with a rousing rendition of How great thou art by the children, choirs and congregation. 

One of the pupils was heard to remark as he stepped down from the altar, “I think my parents will be so proud of me”….and I’m sure they were! If you missed Songs of Praise it can be viewed on churchservicestv.