Summer organ concerts kick off in Tullamore

The 20th annual series of summer organ concerts are about to get underway at the Church of the Assumption in Tullamore starting on Tuesday, July 3.

The concerts are a particularly festive range of weekly events, with each one involving other instruments and choirs with organ, and there is also a fifth and additional concert to celebrate this jubilee year.

Starting on Tuesday, July 3, the acclaimed Dublin Bach Singers, directed by Blánaid Murphy, with a return visit by Dublin-based organist Sionhán Kilkelly.

One week later, on Tuesday, July 10, Offaly's Charles Marshall will be partnered by the amazing Bulgarian violinist and leader of the Contempo String Quartet, Bogdan Sofei, and a female vocal quartet from the Choir of St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street. A wonderful combination of diverse talents!

The third concert on Tuesday, July 17 will be a ‘first’ featuring Waterford-based organist and composer Eric Sweeney, and Kilkenny-based prize-winning poet, Mark Roper, in a poetry and music programme. This promises to be a novel and most enjoyable evening.

The fourth concert on Tuesday July 24 will be given by the two immensely talented young organ scholars from King’s College, Cambridge, - one of whom is Irish, 19-year-old Donal McCann from Belfast, with his colleague, Henry Websdale from Yorkshire in England. They are two of the most brilliant organists of the younger generation, and they will perform to us both individually and as a duo, using four hands and four feet!

For the final and additional concert we will have Gerard Gillen, artistic-director of the 20-year old series, in partnership with the NSO’s co-principal trumpeter, Colm Byrne. They will present a programme of easy-listening festive trumpet and organ music.

As in previous years, a big screen projection from the organ gallery, will be set up for the nave of the church and added audience enjoyment.

Further details on the www.tisos.org website.