Welcome!
Welcome to the Meath Diocesan Choir! Founded in 1999, the choir provides liturgical music for diocesan parish liturgical celebrations. Their Director of Music is Jim Walsh
About the Meath Diocesan Choir
The first outing for the choir was singing with the Kildare and Leighlin Diocesan Choir at the first Mass of the New Millennium (1st January 2000), televised by RTÉ from St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
Each year the choir sings at various liturgical diocesan and parish celebrations: Diocesan Pilgrimage to Knock; Diocesan celebration of St. Oliver Plunkett in Loughcrew; Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes (in rotation with other choirs from the diocese); a Carol Service in one of the parishes; some diocesan celebrations in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar.
In addition, MDC has been invited many times to sing in other pilgrimages to Knock most notably The Vincentians, Association of Eucharistic Adoration, Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. The choir has also sung at Eucharistic celebrations in Rome (St. Peter’s Basilica; Basilica of St. Mary Major, Lateran Basilica), various shrines and places of pilgrimage in Italy and Poland.
In Ireland, MDC has been invited to sing at Eucharistic celebrations during the Eucharistic congress 2012; World Meeting of Families 2018; St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin; Patrician celebrations on the Hill of Slane; Pilgrimages to Lough Derg and Our Lady’s Island, Wexford.
Other events in which MDC have taken part include St. Patrick’s Festival in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, 2020; Concerts with Fr. Ray Kelly in The Olympia Theatre, Dublin and St. Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny and various charity fund-raising events.
Workshops have at various times been given to the choir by Fr. Liam Lawton, Tom Kendzia; Giovanna and Ephrem Feeley; Ian Callanan; Fr. Pat O’Donoghue and John O’Keeffe.
Currently there are 89 registered members. The choir members represent 38 different parishes/churches in the diocese, stretching from Moynalty to Tullamore and Ballymore to Kilcloon, as well as one member from Nenagh and one from Carrickmacross! Committees are in place to support the activities of the choir. Membership of the choir is open to all.
The Meath Diocesan Choir (MDC) began as part of Liturgy Support offered from Dowdstown Pastoral Centre (Director, Sr. Elma Peppard). The Centre initially provided Workshops and Training for Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. Later on similar services were provided for Ministers of Sacred Music.
The vision for Sacred Music Workshops was threefold:
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To give confidence and competence to Music Directors in smaller church throughout the Diocese
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To expand the repertoire and offer suitable material for use at Parish Liturgies, e.g. Mass settings, singing the Resposorial Psalms.
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The workshops were designed to enhance worship and performance.
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The vision was inspired by articles from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) from Vatican II, cf. 11, 30, 113, 114 and 118.
Many Parishes responded enthusiastically to the invitation to the first Workshop for Sacred Music which was led by Fr. Liam Lawton in autumn 1999. As a warm-up on this session Jane Lynch led the first hour. Arising from this, MDC was born and has followed the founding vision and continues to grow from strength to strength.
Jane Lynch was our Music Director until 2010 when she was succeeded by our current MD Jim Walsh. Jane and Sheila Ryan are our very competent accompanists.
Many MDC members are active members of the Irish Church Music Association and regularly attend its Annual Summer School and Regional Workshops. The focus of these gatherings is that members will become conversant with the Sacred Liturgy, Spirituality and competence in Church Music.
MDC rehearses in St. Anne’s, Navan and in St. Finian’s College, Mullingar.
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