Lauren Coulter, Graeme Read and Ciara Timoney are all music students studying at the Ulster University Magee campus. As members of the Ulster University chamber choir they were proud to have been given the opportunity to sing as part of the chorus for the world premiere of Paul Mealor’s ‘Stabat Mater’ and ‘Jubilate Deo’ on Monday 15th Feburary in Carnegie Hall New York.
THREE talented singers from Fermanagh will be jetting off to the Big Apple later this week to take part in a musical world premiere.
The lucky trio of Lauren Coulter, Ballinamallard; Graeme Read, Pettigo and Ciara Timoney from Belcoo will have the chance to collaborate with composer Paul Mealor and perform in a world premiere of his music at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Dr James Jordan will conduct the New York premiere of Mealor’s Stabat Mater and the world premiere of Jubilate Deo at The Music of Paul Mealor on Monday next, February 15th.
Jubilate Deo features a stanza by Welsh poet Dr Grahame Davies, who is Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.
The friends are all music students studying at the Ulster University’s Magee campus. Ciara and Lauren are sopranos in their final year while Graeme is in second year and sings a tenor line.
Ciara told the Herald: “As members of the Ulster University chamber choir we are very privileged to have been given the opportunity to sing as part of the chorus for this world premiere. We all had to audition to go on the trip. When auditioning there were only 15 places avaliable and the three of us were lucky enough to have been chosen. The group has now been extended to 30 due to funding from the university.”
This invitation is a fantastic recognition of the high standard of Choral singing that the university’s choir has achieved in recent years under the direction of Dr. Shaun Ryan.
During the trip, the Irish Ambassador will also be putting on a reception in the American Irish Historical Society in New York. Lauren and her fellow soprano soloists, Kerry Stamp and Lisa Dawson will perform with the choir in works by Michael McGlynn, Bob Chilcott, Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre at this event.
The choir will spend five days and four nights in New York City in preparation for their concert which will include ten hours in rehearsals over their residency.
“Not all of the time will be spent in rehearsals, since there is so much history and culture to see in New York City. We are all very excited for the trip, and during our free time between rehearsals we look forward to doing some sightseeing! However, the performance is the primary purpose for our visit to the city,” Ciara added.