Cappella Caeciliana is one of Northern Ireland's most original choirs

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Forthcoming events

We regularly sing at Masses and concerts in the diocese of Down and Connor and further afield.  We are currently on our Summer break.  Details of our next public appearances will appear here when available.


 

NOVEMBER 2008 - NEW CD - "O QUAM GLORIOSUM"

Our third CD has now been launched

 

It is available from the DRC Bookshop in Belfast (Donegall Street) or by post (send an email to info@caeciliana.org for details)

1 Tomas Luis De Victoria  Motet: O Quam Gloriosum
2-7 Tomas Luis De Victoria   Mass: O Quam Gloriosum
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 on sale at the Amazon Download Store.  Full download costs £5.99 and individual tracks cost 79p each.

 

 


 

APRIL 2008 - THE PRIESTS

Cappella Caeciliana congratulates
its members who have signed a recording deal with Sony BMG
(and have since had 13 weeks at the top of the UK classical album charts) -
Fr Eugene O'Hagan, Fr Martin O'Hagan and Fr David Delargy.

Photo courtesy of cinews.ie

 


EASTER 2008 - Cappella Caeciliana in Rome

 

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

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


About us

Choir photo - members as at January 2004 (46KB)

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.
 
 


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).

The title track of the CD is available online (MP3 format, 938 KB).
 

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
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
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
 
 


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

Cover of our 2nd CD - "Sing for the Morning's Joy", launched in November 2005 (131 KB)

The choir's second CD - "Sing for the Morning's Joy" - was launched at a concert on Sunday 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.

The final track of the CD is available online (MP3 format, 1,985 KB).
 

CD contents
 

1 Herbert Howells A hymn for St Cecilia
2 Plainchant Rorate Caeli
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 Durufl
é Ubi caritas
12 Maurice Durufl
é 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

 


 

Buy the CDs

All three of our CDs are now on sale for £10.00 in DRC Bookshop (Donegall Street, Belfast, beside St Patrick's Church).  You can also buy them through this website - please send an email to info@caeciliana.org for details.

 
 


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, debit or CAF charity card donation through CAF we will be able to reclaim tax through the Gift Aid scheme.

 

 

Last updated 28/5/09