The Cathedral Choir
The main function of the choir is similar to that of other Anglican cathedral choirs: to adorn the daily offices with hymns, psalms, canticles and anthems. It sings two services daily during school terms: the only cathedral choir to do so in these islands.
The choir is well known for its annual broadcast of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve nationally on RTÉ and has also broadcast a special Saint Patrick’s Day service on several occasions. In 2008, the choir was featured twice on RTÉ’s early evening TV programme Capital D. In recent times the choir has appeared with Opera Ireland in Silver Tassie (2001) and Tosca (2004).
Touring has become an increasingly important aspect of the choir’s activities outside the regular service commitments, and places visited have included Coventry, Worcester and Norwich Cathedrals, Belfast (Saint George’s Church and Saint Ann’s Cathedral), Cork and Galway, Germany, and a trip to Paris, where the choir sang in the Sacre-Coeur, Notre Dame, the American Church and La Trinité.
In 2008 the choir visited Roskilde in Denmark as part of a special weekend of events to celebrate the safe return of the Sea Stallion (a replica of a Viking Ship) from Dublin.
Saint Patrick’s choir also joins with other choirs for events, and these have included a regular relationship with St David’s Cathedral, Wales and frequent joint services with other Dublin churches and cathedrals.
