About us

Cappella Caeciliana after a performance in the Church of S. Alfonso during our visit to Rome - Easter 2008.

Founded on the feast of St Cecilia in 1995, Cappella Caeciliana specialised from the start in singing great choral repertoire in its liturgical context.  Since this music has largely been lost from the weekly parish worship the choir has been in great demand for its successful revivals of a lost liturgical tradition.

Under the leadership of Donal McCrisken, performances have included Vivaldi's Gloria and Pergolesi's Magnificat with Belfast Baroque Consort as well as an increasingly broad a cappella repertoire ranging from plainchant to contemporary composers such as John Tavener.

In August 2000 Cappella Caeciliana undertook its first foreign tour giving concerts in Munich and Waging-am-See, Bavaria.  We sang Mass in St Maria Ramersdorf, Munich, and High Mass for the feast of the Assumption, 15th August, in St Rupert's Cathedral Salzburg.  In August 2001 Cappella Caeciliana made its radio debut singing the Daily Service for BBC Radio 4.  In October 2002, we took part in the Opening Concert of the 40th Belfast Festival at Queen's.   Together with the Ulster Orchestra, we premiered the composition "Albert's Clock" written by Elaine Agnew.  This also marked our debut on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Four Television.

In April 2004 we undertook our second international trip, to compete in the Montreux Choral Festival.  We were placed at the top of the "trè bien" category, making us 5th overall out of the 19 choirs selected to perform at the Festival.  (Over 50 choirs applied to perform.)

In March 2008 we travelled to Rome, performing in various churches and singing at a Papal Audience.

We undertook a tour to East Coast USA at Easter 2011.  Donations to support this tour will be gratefully received (eligible for Gift Aid in the UK).
 
 

First CD - "Cantate Domino"

On the feast of St Cecilia 2001 (22nd November), the choir released its first CD - Cantate Domino - Music of Celebration from Cappella Caeciliana.  The CD is on the prestigious Priory Records label.  The CD was launched at a concert at St Patrick's Church, Donegall Street, Belfast, in front of a capacity audience of over 500.

The CD also features the accomplished local musicians Cliona Doris (harp) and Neale Agnew (organ).

CD contents

1 Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni Cantate Domino ♫
2 Plainchant   Salve Regina ♫
3 Trad arr Mary Hayden  Deus Meus ♫
4 Seán Ó Riada arr Fintan O'Carroll   A Íosa bháin ♫
5 Henry Purcell   Thou knowest Lord ♫
6 William Byrd   Ave Verum Corpus ♫
7 Tomás Luis de Victoria O magnum misterium ♫
8 Giovanni Pierliugi da Palestrina Sicut cervus ♫
9 Lodovico Viadana   Exultate justi ♫
10 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  Ave Verum Corpus ♫
11 Gabriel Fauré  Cantique de Jean Racine ♫
12 Francis Poulenc  Salve Regina ♫
13 John Tavener   The Lamb ♫

14 Trad arr Cappella Caeciliana Gaudete ♫
15 Trad arr Martin Shaw  Wexford Carol ♫

16-21 Benjamin Britten   A Ceremony of Carols
16 Procession ♫ 17 There is no Rose ♫ 18 As dew in Aprille ♫ 19 Interlude ♫ 20 Deo Gracias ♫
21 Procession ♫
 
The CD is available for download from iTunes, Amazon Download Store and CD Baby.

The physical CD is on sale online, from the USA site CD Baby, from the DRC Bookshop in Belfast (Donegall Street) and by sending an email to info@caeciliana.org

Second CD - ''Sing for the Morning's Joy"

The choir's second CD - "Sing for the Morning's Joy" - was launched at a concert on 20th November 2005 in St Peter's Cathedral, Belfast.  The concert also marked the 10th anniversary of the formation of the choir.  We were joined by Philip Stopford (Director of Music at St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast) who, as well as providing organ accompaniment, gave the first public performance on the brand new organ, built by Kenneth Jones and Associates.

CD contents
 

1 Herbert Howells A hymn for St Cecilia ♫
2 Plainchant Rorate Caeli ♫ (soloist: Fr Martin O'Hagan)
3 Benjamin Britten A Hymn to the Virgin ♫
4 Southern Appalachian arr K J Dinham Jesus, Jesus rest your head ♫
5 Basque Traditional The Infant King ♫
6 Howard Goodall Love Divine ♫
7 Old Irish Melody Be Thou my vision ♫
8 Traditional Irish Melody St Patrick's Breastplate ♫
9 Bob Chilcott Irish Blessing ♫
10 Jachet van Berchem O Jesu Christe ♫
11 Maurice Duruflé Ubi caritas ♫
12 Maurice Duruflé Tantum ergo ♫
13 Andrea Gabrieli Hodie completi sunt ♫
14 Johann Sebastian Bach Jesu, joy of man's desiring ♫
15 Charles Villers Stanford Magnificat in G ♫ (soloist: Ciara Agnew)
16 Charles Villers Stanford Nunc Dimittis in G ♫ (soloist: Paul McQuillan)
17 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Laudate Dominum ♫ (soloist: Helena McCrisken)
18 Tomás Luis de Victoria O quam gloriosum ♫
19 Henry Purcell Hail! bright Cecilia ♫

The CD is available for download from iTunes, Amazon Download Store and CD Baby.

The physical CD is on sale online, from the USA site CD Baby, from the DRC Bookshop in Belfast (Donegall Street) and by sending an email to info@caeciliana.org
 

Third CD - "O Quam Gloriosum"

The choir's latest CD - "O Quam Gloriosum" - was launched at a concert on 21st November 2008 in St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh.  The CD marks the choir's visit to Rome at Easter that year and features music of Renaissance Italy.

CD contents

1 Tomas Luis De Victoria  Motet: O Quam Gloriosum ♫
2-7 Tomas Luis De Victoria   Mass: O Quam Gloriosum - Kyrie ♫, Gloria ♫, Credo ♫, Sanctus ♫, Benedictus ♫, Agnus Dei ♫
8 Tomas Luis De Victoria  O Magnum Mysterium ♫
9 Orlando di Lasso   Magnificat ♫ (soloist: Fr Eugene O'Hagan)
10 Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina   Ave Maria ♫
11 Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina  Sicut Cervus ♫
12 Jacob Arcadelt  Ave Maria
13 Andrea Gabrieli  Hodie Completi Sunt ♫
14 Claudio Monteverdi  Cantate Domino ♫

The CD is now available for download from iTunes, Amazon Download Store and CD Baby.

The physical CD is on sale online, from the USA site CD Baby, from the DRC Bookshop in Belfast (Donegall Street) and by sending an email to info@caeciliana.org

Support our work

Cappella Caeciliana is accepted as a charity by HM Revenue & Customs (reference XR75541).  If you are a UK taxpayer and support our work by making a credit or debit donation through BT MyDonate we will be able to reclaim tax through the Gift Aid scheme.

Last updated 15/1/12