Category: News

Like people all over the world, members of the Goethe Choir have been shocked and appalled by the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine.  During our rehearsal on 1^st March, the members of the choir, directed by John Dexter, decided to learn and record Mykola Lysenko’s Prayer for Ukraine as a sign of solidarity with Ukrainian friends and colleagues, and all the Ukrainian people under siege in their own country. You can view a video of the recording here.

Please remember the suffering of the people of Ukraine when you listen to it and share with friends.

Many thanks to choir member Brian McIvor for producing the recording and the video.

 

Despite our disappointment in having to cancel rehearsals and our annual Christmas concert in early December due to the increasing Covid infection rates, some members of the Goethe Choir met on Sunday December 19th to sing a piece of seasonal music which was due to be sung by the choir in the cancelled concert, as it is in our Christmas concert every year – ‘Stille Nacht’ with verses in English, Irish and German.

The choir gathered in the open air on the steps of the 1937 Reading Room in Trinity College in Dublin, suitably attired for the December weather and wearing masks as a cautionary measure, which may have had an impact on the visual appearance of the choristers but in no way affected the clarity and quality of the singing.   The performance can be seen and heard at https://youtu.be/qdMYGT9qtxA.

We hope to be able to perform again for an audience as soon as possible in 2022.  In the meantime, happy Christmas from the Goethe Choir!

Nollaig shona!  Nadolig llawen!  Frohe Weihnachten!

 

 

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.

 

After having to cancel our annual Christmas concert last year due to Covid19 restrictions, we’re delighted to be able to announce that we’ll be returning to the National Concert Hall in Dublin at 8pm on Monday December 6th this year for our Christmas concert.  We will still be subject to restrictions in terms of physical separation of choir members during the concert and will be performing with organ and a number of individual instrumentalists instead of our usual orchestral accompaniment, but it will be great to be back singing to a live audience once again.  We are now back in full rehearsals working hard in preparation for the concert.

The programme will consist of Part 1 of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and a selection of other works by composers including Handel, Purcell and Fauré.  For more details go to our Events page.

Tickets will be available for ordering online from 10am on Friday 12 November via the National Concert Hall website at www.nch.ie.

We are delighted and honoured to have again been invited to sing by the German Embassy on Remembrance Day – Sunday 14th of November – at the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation. The service is always very moving and the location of course very beautiful. Can’t wait!

After a long time in what sometimes seemed like a musical desert, choir rehearsals start up again from 5th October. Sooooo exciting. Can’t wait to see you all again 🙂  Sophia