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The choir returned to the National Concert Hall in Dublin last Thursday evening, December 8th, for our traditional Christmas concert. after an absence of three years due to Covid19 restrictions.  The concert was especially enjoyable because of that, for performers and audience alike.

As well as taking part in a performance of the first part of JS Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and a cantata by Johann Kuhnau (Bach’s predecessor as director of music in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig), we sang a selection of European carols, including a beautiful carol from the Ukraine.  We were joined by the wonderful vocal soloists Ami Hewitt, Sharon Carty, Gavan Ring and Rory Dunne, and the virtuosic David Leigh on organ, all under the magnificent direction of our musical director John Dexter.

Go to the Gallery page on our website for some photos of the evening.

Unfortunately, due to the serious increase in Covid infection rates in Ireland and the government advice to reduce social interaction, we have decided to cancel our planned Christmas concert on December 6th 2021 in the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

In the light of medical and other advice we determined that it would be too risky for choir members to continue with rehearsals in preparation for the concert and that it would also be unsafe for choir members and audience members alike in the concert itself.  We have therefore very reluctantly decided that it would be in everyone’s best interests to cancel the concert this year.   The National Concert Hall has informed us that the cost of any tickets purchased from them will be refunded in full to the account from which the online purchase was made.

We’d like to apologise to all who were looking forward to hearing us singing, but hopefully we will be able to perform live again as soon as possible in 2022.

Following the easing of Covid19 restrictions in September and October we are delighted to announce that the Goethe Choir is planning to return to weekly in-person rehearsals starting on Tuesday Oct 5th.  These will take place in our usual rehearsal venue in the Lutherhaus, St. Finian’s Church, Adelaide Road, Dublin 2.  We will need to implement a range of procedures in order to ensure the safety of all concerned, including the wearing of masks during singing, maintaining physical separation between singers, ensuring adequate ventilation during the rehearsal and cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces after use.  This means that we will be unable to accommodate a full choir at each rehearsal, so it is planned to divide the membership in two and allow each group to rehearse in alternate weeks.  Rehearsals will be available to be viewed live remotely by members during the weeks in which they are not attending.

We are planning to hold our usual Christmas concert in the National Concert Hall once more this year in December, if conditions permit, and will be rehearsing an exciting programme in preparation for that.  We are keen to attract new members to the choir following our resumption after a long lay-off, so if you are not currently a choir member and would like to join us in these rehearsals as a choir member, please contact us via our ‘Join Us‘ webpage.