A special performance by Ceoltóirí Chualann agus Cór Cúil Aodha at the National Concert Hall. Founded by legendary Irish composer Séan Ó Riada in 1963 and continued after his death in 1971 to this day by his son Peadar – Cór Chúil Aodha (The Coolea Men’s Choir) occupies an iconic place in Irish music and embodies the spirit of an area that is historically rich in both poetry and music.
The Cúil Aodha Choir was founded in 1964 by Seán Ó Riada and his friend an t-Athair Donnacha Ó Concubhair. From that date until his death in 1971, Seán Ó Riada composed two masses and arranged many lay and liturgical texts for this choir. In this period, both Latin and the Irish language were being used. This was an exciting time in church-music as the Second Vatican Council had just finished and same radical new changes to liturgy were being implemented as well as the vernacular language being re-introduced. Peadar Ó Riada is in charge of the choir since the first Sunday of September 1971. He has many liturgical and lay texts set to music for the choir since then. The choir fulfils its weekly obligations to the community of Cúil Aodha with the Sunday Mass at 10am and any funerals weddings etc that may take place there. They recorded on many albums but have released four albums of their own. They have sung for State and other high profile national Funerals as well as high profile commemorative events in the course of their sixty year existence. They have been the subject in films and tv programs here and abroad. They also perform concerts, recitals and liturgical and ecumenical services in Ireland, Scotland, England, Europe and around Ireland.
Fathers bring their sons along in their arms and when they are about two to three years of age, place them with the other younger boys at the front and they, in turn, grow up learning the culture of the choir. The choir does not sing in English nor do they perform other people’s work. Their repertoire exceeds two hundred pieces between lay and liturgical settings.
Presented by NCH
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