St. Muredach’s Cathedral Choir, under the direction of Choral Director Regina Deacy will perform, for the first time in Ballina, Handel’s Messiah with guest orchestra and soloists.

A ticketed event, tickets will be released in September 2023.

 

St Muredach’s Cathedral Choir has been an institution at St Muredach’s Cathedral on the banks of the famous River Moy, since the mid- nineteenth century. The SATB choir has a membership of over forty choristers and is a successful blend of experienced and young voices. The repertoire of the choir includes liturgical music by Irish and International composers, plainchant and motets. The choir sing at 11am mass every Sunday in St Muredach’s Cathedral as well as at the usual liturgical highpoints in the seasons of the church year.

In 2010 the choir provided music for the 6pm mass on the Feast of Christ the King in Westminster Cathedral, London. In 2012, they led the singing at one of the masses of The Eucharistic Congress in Dublin and in 2014 the choir sang at the Mass of the Vatican Chapter in St Peter’s Basilica, Rome. They have also presented many concerts for charitable events in the community.

Regina Deacy is Organist in St Muredach’s Cathedral and Director of Sacred Music there, and in Killala Diocese. A graduate of UCC with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music, she also received a Diploma in Church Music and Liturgy from NUI Maynooth and from there completed a research Masters Degree in Sacred Music under Professor Gerard Gillen. She is an Associate of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in piano teaching. Regina is a member of the National Advisory Committee on Church Music to the Bishops an teaches music full-time in St Mary’s Secondary School Ballina where she also directs the school choir for school liturgies, concerts and competitions as well as directing an annual school musical.

She directs St Muredach’s Cathedral choir, trains cantors and organists in the parish and has conducted several workshops on sacred music in the diocese. Regina directed St Muredach’s Cathedral Choir in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and also in Westminster Cathedral in London where they performed at Masses. She also directed a massed choir at The Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 2012 and also in the RDS, Dublin at the World Meeting of Families in 2018. She has also been organ tutor at the Irish Church Music Association Summer School in Maynooth since 2003.