Members Directory

Choral Con Fusion was established in late 2010. From the beginning the choir has aimed not only to make musical progress but also to be a bridge between communities and to be an organisation that would welcome everyone equally, regardless of musical experience, sexual orientation, gender or background. As such, the choir has modelled itself variously as “Inclusive” and “LGBTS” in an effort to convey this philosophy. The choir has grown consistently since its first rehearsal and has performed in a wide variety of venues and contexts. Rehearsals are every Wednesday night from 6.30pm in the city centre. New members are welcome in September and January.

The choir’s musical history includes many competitive successes in local and international competitions. Appearances include Middlesbrough, Teeside and the International Eisteddfod at Llangallen, North Wales. We have also appeared on stage in Londons Royal Albert Hall with other leading choirs in A Night of a Thousand Voices. The choir have been successful in competitions having won the male voice section in the Cork International Choral Festival in 2009 and 2010. As ambassadors for Cork and Ireland, the choir has travelled far afield. The farthest we have gone is New York in 2004. We have also sung in Prague, Budapest, and Barcelona.

In 2014 they performed at Kenmare Choral Festival and were awarded the Luxembourg Shield for best seasonal presentation. Since then, the choir has performed at numerous concerts and events. The repertoire is varied, ranging from traditional pieces to musical numbers and more contemporary songs. The group meets for practice every Wednesday at 8pm during school term in the Clonakilty Parish Centre. There is a strong emphasis on fun and enjoyment among the group, with social nights forming an important part of the calendar! Current membership is more than thirty and new members are always welcome. An ability to read music is not required.

The choir travels regularly and most recently performed at the Tuscany International Choral Festival.

The choir has collaborated with the Fleischmann Choir, the East Cork Choral Society, the Belfast Philharmonic Choir, Cantari Mhuscari, Kerry Choral Union and Tallaght Choral Society. A highlight for the choir is singing Christmas Eve Midnight mass in the Honan Chapel UCC each year.

The choir marks it’s 30th anniversary as they participate in the 66th Cork International Choral Festival performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

It was founded in 2009 by its musical director Betty Fitzgerald (BMus, Dip CSM, ALCM). Its varied and uplifting repertoire includes Irish, sacred, popular, jazz, classical and contemporary music. Cór Geal has become renowned for its exciting and popular choral concert productions presented every two years. Over the last 10 years, Cór Geal has raised thousands for charity and has enjoyed much success in choral competition. Activities carried out in the choir include rehearsing, performing, travelling, and generally having a good time together. Cór Geal adds to the diversity and social inclusion of community life, provides musical education for members, and is happy to sing anywhere from the local church to the City Hall. Entry is by audition to assess voice type and music reading is not a requirement.

Our inaugural performance took place in October 2016 at the Sacred Heart Church in Western Road, Cork, where we sang at the memorial service for infants and pregnancy loss.Since then, we have competed in Feis Maitiu and the Cork International Choral Festival and were awarded first place in both. We have also travelled to Sligo Choral Festival, AIMS New Ross and Limerick Choral Festivals and were awarded 2nd place in those festivals. We would be interested in collaboration with other choirs for future events and concerts. We hope to spread our wings further afield in the near future with a trip abroad.

The repertoire is varied including modern, traditional and established pieces. The choir has given performances abroad (St Mark’s Church, Croatia) and all over Cork City and county including the Cork Opera House, Honan Chapel UCC, The Crawford Art Gallery, Cork Courthouse, Triskel Christchurch, Blackrock Castle Observatory, St. Peter’s Church (Bandon), St. Anne’s Church (Shandon), St. Luke’s Church, Fota House, Civic Trust House and Rosscarbery.

Rehearsals are held generally fortnightly on Sunday mornings in Cork City. Members of Cork Chamber Choir are expected to have a level of musicianship consistent with learning music outside rehearsals and performing to a high standard. Admission is by audition. If you would be interested in joining this dynamic ensemble we would be delighted to hear from you.

We will be performing, for instance, some of the most 20th century influential choral composers such as Poulenc, Bairstow, Elgar, Part, and some innovative and exciting 21st century choral composers too: Javier Busto, Frank La Rocca, Michael McGlynn, Gonçalo Lourenço, M. Lauridsen, and others. In addition, this choir will also offer a space and opportunity for young and emerging or contemporary established composers, from Ireland or abroad, to compose music for this choir.

It is in the nature of this choir to participate in choral competitions, in Ireland or even abroad, perform up to four concerts per year, organize choral related events such as conducting masterclasses, Come and Sing.

In recent years it has performed Beethoven’s Mass in C, Berlioz’s Grande messe des morts[Requiem] (in both Wales and Ireland) and Te Deum, Borodin’s “Polovtsian Dances” from Prince Igor, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem & Nänie, Bruckner’s Te Deum, Angel Climent’s Missa solemne & Motet: Caro mea, Dvorák’s Mass (in both Germany and Ireland), Fauré’s Requiem, Fleischmann’s Clare’s Dragoons & Song of the Provinces and Grieg’s Incidental Music for Peer Gynt.

In 2008-2009 season the choir gave the first complete performances in Cork of Haydn’s The Seasons with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and a team of internationally-renowned soloists. Membership is open to enthusiastic and committed choral singers; auditions are held if the number of applications exceeds the number of vacancies for any given section. Rehearsals take place on Monday evenings 7.30 - 10.00pm.

Highlights of the choir’s experience in recent years, include a recording of a CD and three performances of a specially commissioned Mass for Peace, a performance for the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese on the occasion of her official visit to the School in 2008, in 2011 participation in the CSM performance of Ralph Vaughan William’s Hodie. In March 2011, the CSM Junior Choir hosted a visit and shared a concert with the Capitol City Children’s Chorus from South Dakota and in 2012, facilitated workshops given for choral conductors in the CSM by Dr Brent Gault, Indiana University. Auditions are held regularly. All applications are welcome.