We were delighted to make our first-ever appearance at the Charles Wood Festival, which closed our 2021-22 season.

Under the direction of Matthew Quinn, we performed perform alongside the exhilarating local ensemble, Insieme Brass, in the glorious setting of St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral.

Choral works included Duruflé’s Quatre Motets, Áine Mallon’s Dum Transisset Sabbatum and Cecilia McDowall’s I Know That My Redeemer Liveth. Brass flourishes will focus on music associated with Charles Wood, from a new arrangement of his Hail Gladdening Light, to Stanford’s Beati Quorum Via.

FULL PROGRAMME:

Insieme Brass (with organist Joshua Simões):

Arthur Bliss - Fanfares
Charles Villiers Stanford - Beati Quorum Via
Charles Wood - Hail Gladdening Light
Ralph Vaughan Williams - Prelude on 49th Parallel

Cappella Caeciliana:

Anton Bruckner - Kyrie from Mass No. 2 in E Minor (accompanied by Insieme Brass)
Maurice Duruflé - Quatre Motets:
(1) Ubi caritas
(2) Tota Pulchra es
(3) Tu es Petrus
(4) Tantum ergo
Olivier Messiaen - O Sacrum Convivium
William Byrd - Terra Tremuit
Josquin des Prez - Gaude Virgo
Anton Bruckner - Christus Factus Est
Cecilia McDowall - I know that my Redeemer liveth
Áine Mallon - Dum transisset Sabbatum
Charles Wood - O Thou the Central Orb (organist - Joshua Simões)

We were very pleased to present our second concert under new Musical Director Matthew Quinn.

We made our first-ever visit to Carlisle Memorial Church, partially restored from a derelict state by Belfast Buildings Trust for use as a performance and event space.

We performed a wide range of gloriously rich and sonorous music including (to a standing ovation) Bruckner's Mass Number 2 in E Minor which was written for the dedication of Linz Cathedral, and has been itself described as being a "Cathedral of Sound". The Mass was performed with a wind and brass orchestra made up of 15 professional players. The programme also included the ever-popular "Cantique de Jean Racine" by Gabriel Fauré and a cello solo ('Louange' by Messiaen) played by David McCann.

Full programme details are available here.

A promotional video recorded in Carlisle Memorial is available here and a video extract from the performance of the Bruckner Mass can be viewed here.

Photographs from the concert are available here.

Cappella Caeciliana was delighted to present its inaugural performance under the choir's newly-appointed Musical Director Matthew Quinn.

We marked Palm Sunday with a programme of Lenten music, including two great settings of the 'Miserere' separated by four centuries - by Allegri and James MacMillan.

Programme details are available here and the full programme booklet (including texts and translations) is available here.

Cappella Caeciliana presented a sold out concert in the sumptuous Throne Room at Hillsborough Castle. The choir was conducted by guest Musical Director Paul McCusker, winner of the 2018 Feis Ceoil Conducting Prize.

The programme is available here.

Cappella Caeciliana made its full return to concert performance, this being its first indoor appearance in Belfast since 2019.

In this concert the choir bid farewell to Donal McCrisken, its Musical Director since 1999. The programme details are available here.

Full covid-19 precautions were applied, including 2 metre social distancing between family groups. Audience members were required to wear masks throughout their time in the church. People were advised not to attend if they felt ill, had recently tested positive for covid-19, or were required to isolate.