History of Limerick Choral Union

Limerick Choral Union was established in 1964 so that Limerick would have a choir to accompany the Radio Eireann Orchestra on its visits to the city and with the aim of bringing the best of choral music to Limerick. This initiative emanated from the Limerick Symphony Concerts Society and Radio Eireann and among those involved in the foundation of the Choral Union were its first Musical Director and Choir Master, Fr. Oliver O’Brien, S.J. (1964-65), Tibor Paul, distinguished Chief Conductor of the Radio Eireann Orchestra, Mrs. Frances Condell, Mayor of Limerick and Michael Allott, first honorary Life President of Limerick Choral Union. Fr. Cassian OFM led the choir in 1966 followed by Kieran O’Gorman (1966-1972).

Limerick Choral Union was founded with the intention of bringing together singers from church choirs of all denominations in Limerick and surrounding areas, and indeed the enthusiasm and support of Bishop Wyse Jackson of the clergy of St Mary’s Cathedral was invaluable in the launching of Limerick Choral Union with a gala performance of Mozart’s Requiem in the Cathedral on the 4th of May 1964 with Tibor Paul conducting, Soloists on that occasion were Veronica Dunne and Bernadette Greevy, and among the sopranos in the choir was the young Suzanne Murphy, who has since won such distinction in the world of international opera. A few survivors of the founding members are still associated with LCU, among them: Patrick Wallace, Tim Madden, and Margaret Murphy. In subsequent years, Limerick Choral Union has performed most of the major choral works, several of which marking their first Irish performances. Including Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, the great Mass in D (1967), Janacek’s renowned Glagolithic Mass (1968) and Haydn’s Missa Sancti Bernardi (1978) has been widely recognised.

Tibor Paul was a great inspirational force, and many of the Choral Union’s performances at that time were broadcast on National Radio. At his farewell concert in a packed Savoy Cinema in 1967 following a standing ovation for LCU’s performance of the Missa Solemnis, he paid tribute to the Choral Union as the best amateur choir he had ever conducted, emphasising its superbly innovative spirit, pointing out that for five years he had tried to persuade many of the Dublin choirs to perform this work, considered to be the greatest challenge to any choir. Limerick Choral Union also made history by being the first choral group, with whom the RTE Singers had performed (in the Glagolithic Mass).

In the years following Tibor Paul’s departure from Ireland, the Choral Union performed with conductors of both national and international renown, including Ludovit Faijter (Czechoslovakia), Rene Liebowitz (Poland), Christopher Adey (England), James Furst (with the Ulster Orchestra), Colman Pearce, Andre Prieur, Professor Aloys Fleischmann and Albert Rosen.

From 1975, Limerick Choral Union was fortunate to work in close and fruitful association with Dr. Hans Waldemar Rosen, as Musical Director and Conductor. This was an especially rich period in the life of Limerick Choral Union, marked by memorable performances – some legendary – of great works like: Bruckner’s Mass in F Minor, Haydn’s Missa Sanch Bernardi, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, the Missa Brevis Sancti Joannes de Deo. The Limerick Choral Union paid tribute to their great and inspirational mentor on his 80th Birthday in the Limerick Choral Union’s Coming of Age Concert, of works by Bach, Handel & Britten. It paid tribute to him by joining in a Memorial Concert in Kenmare in 1995 (following his death in his ninetieth year in April 1994), which was attended by his daughter Jutta, who had travelled from Cologne for the occasion.

Limerick Choral Union later worked with Liam Fitzgerald (and the Dublin Baroque Orchestra) and Clem Garvey, who brought the young Non Nobis Domine singers to perform with the Limerick Choral Union. Other great joint ventures were performances with the Monks of Glenstal Abbey, in works like Palestrina’s Latin Mass, Assumpta Est Maria.

Historic events celebrated were the 1996 Commemorative Concert (1916), the Sieges of Limerick Concert (1991), and Limerick 800 with its first concert in the University Concert Hall in December 1997. Its twenty-first Birthday coincided with European Music Year, celebrated by Limerick Choral union in works by J. Bach and Handel, while its Silver Jubilee Concert was a superb concert of Tchaikovsky, Elgar, Kodaly, and fittingly, Haydn’s Te Deum, conducted by Clem Garvey.

Limerick Choral Union has attracted many top soloists over the years, including Bernadette Greevy, Veronica Dunne, Jennifer Vivian, Mary Sheridan de Bruin, Mattiwalda Dobbs, Franzita Whelan, Cara O’Sullivan and founding choir member Rene Madden.

Noted male soloists who performed with LCU have included, Frank Patterson, Finbarr Wright, Stephen O’Shea, Harry Howes, William Young, Paddy Ring, Joe Dalton and Seamus O’Reilly.

Handel’s Messiah enjoyed a special place in the repertoire of the Limerick Choral Union. In the seventies it performed Messiah in Advent each year, with Dr. Hans Rosen conducting the R.T.E. Symphony Orchestra, and later the Dublin Baroque Players, The Ulster Orchestra & the Testore Chamber Orchestra. A memorable “Messiah” was that of 1980 when Limerick Choral Union joined forces with Kerry Choral Union, performing in both Limerick and Tralee.

Limerick Choral Union performed Messiah in St. Canice’s, Kilkenny in 1985 to commemorate the anniversary of the foundation of the Cathedral in 1285, in 1990 in St Mary’s Cathedral Limerick, in aid of its Restoration Fund. They took part in “ Messiah For All” at Dublin’s Point Theatre, in 1992.an event organised by The Gay Byrne Show to help Goal & Concern fight famine in Somalia. A special performance of Handel’s Messiah also, was that in St. John’s Cathedral in 1994 as part of the Centenary celebrations of the Consecration of St. John’s. The Choral Union also marked the 250th Anniversary of the first performance of “Messiah” in an ecclesiastical building, when invited to join “Messiah For All” in St. Finbarre’s Cathedral Cork.

The nineties proved a time of significant growth and consolidation in LCU’s development. A special concert was held in St. Joseph’s Church (venue for so many years of its concerts) when the Choral Union performed Schubert’s Mass in G. In the second half of the decade,

Guided by a buoyant and dynamic committee, and led by its new and dedicated Musical Director, Malcolm Green, Limerick Choral Union presented a series of critically applauded concerts, both from its long established, and newly expanded, repertoires. These included a performance of Faure’s Requiem – aptly with a French choir, The Vent d’Est Singers from Paris, in St. Joseph’s Church, April 1997, and, Schubert’s Mass in C, the first of Limerick Choral Union’s performances in Limerick’s University Concert Hall in December 1997.

Limerick Choral Union marked the Millennium with a celebratory – Easter – performance of Haydn’s Creation. The first performance of this great work in Limerick in more than 50 years, English choir, the Marlow Singers, joined them. Again in December 2000, at the Limerick University Concert Hall, in a very special joint Millennium Celebration with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, in a concert of music by Vivaldi, including the spirited “Gloria”.

With expanding and enthusiastic audiences, a high note in the long musical history of LCU was struck on Good Friday 2001, with a triumphal rendering of Mozart’s “Requiem” for which the University Concert Hall was completely sold out.

In 2002, the Limerick Choral Union further extended its wide repertoire, with its first performance of Cherubini’s “Requiem”. Affording its loyal audience an opportunity to hear a rarely performed but very beautiful work, one much admired by other composers, including Beethoven, who was a contemporary of Cherubini.

On Good Friday, 2003 in the University Concert Hall in Limerick, Limerick Choral Union joined forces with the Mary Immaculate College Choral Society, under the guest direction of Dr. Gareth Cox, to present the first complete performance in Limerick of Mendelssohn's Elijah.

Recent noted performances have included:

(2004) Brahms Requiem. Plus works by Turner and Beethoven.

(2006) Karl Jenkins The Armed Man. First complete performance of this work.

(2008) Puccini Gloria . Rossini Stabat Mater and Haydn Creation.

(2009) Carmina Burana by Orff and Handel's Messiah.

Limerick Choral Union maintain our endeavours to encourage new talents to supplement our choir so that we can continue to present the best and most exciting Classical works to our loyal Patrons, Advertisers and regular supporters.