'Fun, challenging...with lots of good singing. The choir has improved my confidence, and I'm always in a good mood when the class is over. Cathy great!'
– S. Macken

'I really enjoyed my teacher's humour and patient manner.'
– E. Bermingham

Ensemble singing is both highly enjoyable and excellent training for any aspiring singer, improving ear training, phrasing, the use of dynamics, rhythm and timing. In this gospel and contemporary choir, adults and older teens will have the opportunity to sing alongside others who are taking singing lessons and/or simply looking for the experience of singing in a choir to develop their skills in the area of vocal harmony.

Focusing mainly on a capella (singing without accompaniment) repertoire, with a vocal warm-up at the start of each session, the Waltons Gospel Choir is a wonderful, uplifting ‘work-out’ for your voice and a great way to train your ear! Full choral arrangements will be supplied by the choir director, and opportunities will also be provided for members to improvise, take solos in the ‘call and response’ tradition of gospel music, and develop their own harmonies. Music reading is not required to join the choir, which is particularly suitable for those who haven’t much previous singing experience and are drawn by the ‘safety in numbers’ aspect of singing with a group.

Last year the Gospel Choir worked on such gospel favourites as 'By the Rivers of Babylon' and 'Oh Happy Day', as well as lesser-known world music songs such as Soweto Gospel Choir’s 'Seteng Sediba' and The Tokens' 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. Join us this year and make more great music!

Students concurrently enrolled for private or group lessons at the New School receive a 50% discount off the fee for this ensemble.

2012-2013 Schedule & Fees

Thursdays 6.30 – 8 pm

Full Year: 4 October 2012 – 20 June 2013
First Term: 4 October – 13 December 2012
Second Term: 10 January – 21 March 2032
Third Term: 11 April – 20 June 2013

Tuition Fee (First Term – 10 weeks)
Choir alone: €160
Students also enrolled for private or group lessons: €80

Tuition Fee (Full Year – 32 weeks)
Choir alone: €450
Students also enrolled for private or group lessons: €225

Tuition Fee (Second Term – 11 weeks)
Choir alone: €175
Students also enrolled for private or group lessons: €88

Tuition Fee (Second & Third Terms – 22 weeks)
Choir alone: €327
Students also enrolled for private or group lessons: €164

Tuition Fee (Third Term – 11 weeks)
Not offered in Third Term

(Payment plan options are also available – see Enrolment & Fees for details.)

Late Enrolment
Students wishing to join this ensemble may do so at any time. Tuition fees for late-enrolling students are pro-rated and depend on the starting week. Go to the appropriate week under Enrolment & Fees for more information.

Cathy McEvoy & Solomon Ijigade, Directors

Cathy is a full-time musician, arranger and composer with extensive gospel and choir experience. She holds an honours Music degree from Trinity College Dublin and a Masters in Composition from N.U.I. Maynooth. She is currently musical director of The Gospel Project, and she has directed choirs as diverse as the Forever Young Chorus (Finglas), the Lambay Singers, Ballymun Gospel Choir, Rathgar Gospel Choir and Gardiner Street Gospel Choir. She has also worked as a vocal/singing coach for the Abbey Theatre and RTÉ Radio Drama. In addition, Cathy maintains a busy schedule as a freelance fiddle player, performing with a great number of traditional, roots and bluegrass bands, as well as the Dublin Symphony Orchestra, among others. Well-known artists with whom she has performed include the Manic Street Preachers, Mary Coughlan, Eleanor McEvoy and Ronan Hardiman (Lord of the Dance)

Solomon learned his drumming and singing from relations and family friends when growing up in Nigeria. Since he moved to Ireland in 2000, he has been performing with the award-winning African musical group Adun Oyin. With them he has also given workshops and performances to schools, colleges and community groups around Dublin. In 2003, Solomon played St. Patrick in Mixing It on the Mountain – a musical co-produced by Calypso and Tower of Babel – at the Samuel Beckett Centre. He also played a leading role in The Gods Are Not to Blame, an Arambe/Project co-production at the Project Theatre as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival. Solomon is a soloist with the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir and has performed on RTÉ radio on Rattlebag and Tonight with Vincent Browne as well as on RTÉ Television, on the Late Late Show, Mono and Would You Believe?.

Enrolment

Enrolment for the Waltons Gospel Choir requires a completed enrolment form and full payment of tuition fees or payment plan arrangement. (Go to Enrolment & Booking Form Downloads for a 2012-2013 General Enrolment Form.)

Purchasing this course as a gift? Go to Enrolment & Booking Form Downloads for a Gift Certificate Booking Form.

Back to top