Judges for Clontarf Choral Competition announced

The judges of the 2019 Clontarf Choral Competition have been announced.

The judging panel will be chaired by the Rev. Dr. Anne-Marie O’Farrell, renowned composer and harpist. Anne-Marie has performed all over the world as a solo artist, accompanist and in ensembles, and is regularly broadcast on radio and television. She completed a PhD in composition with Piers Hellawell at Queen’s University Belfast and lectures in composition at the TU Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin.

Her compositional output includes an extensive body of orchestral, choral, vocal, chamber and instrumental works, and her music is used on examination syllabuses around the world. Her choral works have been performed by Chamber Choir Ireland, the BBC Singers, Cantique, Trinity Chapel Choir, and Christ Church Cathedral Choir. She is particularly interested in the role of sacred music in concert settings, and explores theological expression in her composition. 

www.annemarieofarrell.com

photograph of Reverend Doctor Anne-Marie O'Farrell
Rev’d Dr Anne-Marie O’Farrell

            Anne-Marie will be joined on the panel by Bishop Trevor Williams and his wife Joyce. Trevor and Joyce both come from Dublin and moved to Belfast when Trevor became a Chaplain at Queens University Belfast. After Queen’s, Trevor was a Producer with BBC Northern Ireland where one of his responsibilities was to Produce Choral Evensong from Irish Cathedrals for BBC Radio 3. Following that, Trevor was Rector of several Parishes in Northern Ireland, a Canon of St Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin, and Leader for 10 years of Corrymeela- an ecumenical community committed to Reconciliation in Northern Ireland. He became Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe in 2008, and retired in 2014.

Photograph of Mrs Joyce Williams and Bishop Trevor Willians
Joyce Williams & Bishop Trevor Williams

            Joyce was born in Clontarf where she lived until she married Trevor and moved to UK (Her piano teacher was on Castle Avenue!). She enjoys music of all sorts. Her eldest son sings in the choir at St Martin in the Fields in London.  Another son is a jazz guitarist in Newcastle on Tyne.  A talented singer in her own right, Joyce is currently Chairperson of Voices Together Community Choir in Belfast.

            The competition, which aims to encourage the performance and enjoyment of hymnody and religious songs, takes place in the Church of St. John the Baptist, Seafield Road, Clontarf, on Sunday 3rd March. The junior competition, to which admission is free, is at 3pm, with the senior competition beginning at 7pm – admission €5. Choirs from around Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Tipperary have entered and will each perform two pieces – one from a set list and the other a choice of their own.

Youth Club

This Sunday, 17th February, 4:30-6pm in the Parish Centre, for all secondary school age young people. There’ll be pizza!

NB Parents/Guardians of first time attendees must fill out a registration form on drop-offN

Ecumenical Bible Study resumes

An exploration of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians resumes on 30th January in
St John’s (RC) Parish Centre on Clontarf Road, and continues on 6th February (Seafield Road), 20th February (Clontarf Road), 27th February (Seafield Road), 13th March (Clontarf Road), and 20th March (Seafield Road),

Lighting Up Advent – Saturday 1st December

Join us for our tree-lighting ceremony on Saturday 1st December. There will be lantern making for the children – bring a jam jar! – as well as goodies, face painting, and a movie. We’ll have mulled wine & gur cake for the adults.

There’ll be lots of fun for all the family, with cash donations in aid of the Simon Community being gladly accepted

Ecumenical Bible Study for Advent

Another series of our Ecumenical Bible Study, alternating between our Parish Centre on Seafield Road and St John’s (RC) Parish Centre on Clontarf Road, begins on Wednesday 21st November (Clontarf Road), and continues on 28th November (Seafield Road), 5th December (Clontarf Road), and 12th December (Seafield Road),

We will be beginning an exploration of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.

Clontarf Ecumenical Conference 10am-4pm 13th October 2018

Ecumenism: Reimagining the Future of the Irish Church.

  • Rev Lorraine Kennedy Ritchie: Seeing Beauty In Diversity.
  • Rt Rev Kenneth Kearon: Building an Ecumenical Barn -What’s happening in the Ecumenical Movement?
  • Canon Patrick Comerford: The Virgin Mary and the Saints in Anglican Tradition.
  • Fr. Gerry O’Hanlon SJ: A Synodal Catholic Church in Ireland.
    Cover charge €10.
    10am to 4pm in the Church of St John the Baptist, Seafield Road West, Clontarf, Dublin 3.

Harvest Thanksgiving & Soup Lunch on 7th October

On Sunday 7th October 2018 our 10:30 service is our annual Harvest Thanksgiving, followed by our Harvest Lunch of Soup & Sandwiches.

The Preacher will be our new curate, The Rev. Prof. Anne Lodge, and the service will be followed immediately by lunch at which donations will gladly be accepted in aid of Bishops’ Appeal, the Church of Ireland World Aid and Development programme. Please give as generously as you can.

Volunteers are needed to help decorate the church on Saturday morning @ 10.30.

Pizza, Praise & Prayer

Dublin & Glendalough Youth Council invite young people of secondary school age to Pizza, Praise & Prayer on Friday 28th September, 7:00pm-9:00pm in Christ Church Cathedral

Transport and supervision can be arranged -contact the Rector for more details.