St Canice’s Instrumental Music Programme currently has two orchestras, Senior and Junior, Two Jazz Bands Senior and Junior, a beginner ensemble for clarinets and saxophones, a recorder ensemble, an adult ensemble “The Gateway Orchestra” and a number of chamber music ensembles.
Junior Orchestra
The Junior Orchestra plays under the directorship of Margaret O’Faoláin de Bhroithe. Musicians from Second Class up to Sixth Class (depending on years of playing as wind and brass instruments are generally only begun in Third Class) play in the Junior Orchestra, who rehearse on a Wednesday after school from 2.45pm until 4.00pm.
The Junior Orchestra is supported by a fantastic group of orchestra managers (volunteer parents) so if you would like to help out please come along and we would be delighted!
See our Junior Orchestra performing at the Feis Ceoil 2013 here.
Senior Orchestra
The Senior Orchestra plays under the directorship of Ruth O’Leary. Musicians from Fourth Class up to Sixth Class play in the Senior Orchestra, who rehearse on a Monday after school from 2.45pm until 4.15pm.
The Senior Orchestra is supported by a fantastic group of orchestra managers (volunteer parents) so if you would like to help out please come along and we would be delighted!
See our Senior Orchestra performing at the Feis Ceoil 2013 here.
The St Canice’s Cubs
This ensemble consists of our beginner clarinets and saxophones and is directed by Eamon Cahill. It offers a fantastic introduction to playing fun and modern music with others for these young musicians. The cubs practice once a week and are supported by a fantastic group of band managers, so if you would like to help out please come along and we would be delighted!
Junior Jazz Band
The Junior Jazz Band plays under the directorship of Eamon Cahill. They become “to cool for school” when they wow audiences with their swinging beats in the Cream of Kilkenny Cats Concert bi-annually. The Junior Jazz band rehearse on Fridays from 2.45pm until 3.30pm and are supported by a fantastic group of band managers (volunteer parents) so if you would like to help out please come along and we would be delighted!
Senior Jazz Band
The Senior Jazz Band plays under the directorship of Eamon Cahill. They are award-winners at the Wesley College Inter Schools Music Festival and fund-rasiers with their annual performance at the Lions Club Concert in the Watergate Theatre. They too show their wild side when they get feet tapping at the Cream of Kilkenny Cats Concert bi-annually. The Senior Jazz band rehearse on Thursdays from 2.45pm until 3.45pm and are supported by a fantastic group of band managers (volunteer parents) so if you would like to help out please come along and we would be delighted! See the Jazz Band performing at the 30th Anniversary Concert here.
The Recorder Ensemble
The recorder ensemble consists of those recorder players that play with the Junior and Senior Orchestras. They play under the directorship of Monica Lowe and rehearse once a week. They support local charities when they perform annually at the Lions Club Concert in the Watergate Theatre.
The Gateway Orchestra
This orchestra of parents and adults, most of whom have taken up a string instrument in the last five years and learned it through the adult arm of the instrumental programme. The opportunity to learn an instrument has been a wonderful experience for many of these adults and has fulfilled a childhood dream, as well as providing a great insight and ability to help and support a child in the same position. The orchestra and instrumental lessons also provide a wonderful opportunity for adults to meet, gain friendship with and socialise with individuals they may not have had an opportunity to under normal circumstances.
Regina O’Leary has gathered these musicians and some woodwind and brass players who played during their youth and some who have admitted to having not opened their instrument since (!) together to form the Gateway Orchestra. The Gateway Orchestra rehearse once a month and graced the stage with their debut performance at the 30th Anniversary concert in June 2013, see the performance here.
Chamber Ensembles
Heather Cassidy’s arrival into the music programme in 2008 to teach the violin, also heralded a welcome initiative to develop a chamber music programme within the music programme to encourage our players to practice and perform as quartets, octets and small ensembles. This work has been continued to date by Ruth O’Leary who returned to the school as a teacher and become whole-heartedly involved in the music programme in 2010. The good work done by Heather and Ruth has inspired many groups of young musicians to play together and we currently have several working chamber groups in the school. Over the last two to three years these groups have performed on local and national radio and television and have had successes in the Kilkenny Music Festival. We have also seen an increase in the number of our young musicians that attend IAYO organised chamber group courses, summer schools and workshops, which they relish musically and socially! You can see many of our instrumental chamber groups in the Kilkenny Music Festival 2013 Gallery here.