Personnel
Blánaid Murphy - Director
Blánaid Murphy studied music at Cambridge University where she also held an organ scholarship. Subsequently she furthered her studies with Professor Konrad Richter at the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart over four years. Blánaid has extensive experience as a conductor and vocal coach in Germany and throughout Europe.
Since 1993, Blánaid has been based in Dublin where she is in great demand as a conductor. Amongst her appointments has been as Choral Director of the RTÈ Children's Choir Cór na nÓg and she is currently Director of Canzona Chamber Choir, the Carlow Choral Society and the Dublin Bach Singers as well as Choral Director at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Blánaid also appears as Choral Director of the Irish Philharmonic Chorus on the record-breaking Faith of Our Fathers recording while her own CD Cór - choral arrangements of Irish melodies by David Mooney - is currently available on the on the ARSIS label.
2010 sees Blánaid involved in performances of several Bach Cantatas, the St Matthew Passion and a US tour alongside her daily commitment to the musical life of St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, the city of Dublin and greater Ireland.
David Grealy - Assistant Director
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A native of Galway city and organ scholarship holder at Galway Cathedral for three years, David Grealy was organ scholar at the Pro-Cathedral from 2006 to 2008 and organist on the Palestrina Choir European tours over 2007-2009. He is now assistant musical director of the choir. A first class honours music and history graduate of NUI Maynooth (where he studied organ performance under Professor Gerard Gillen) David is also a former organ scholar at Westminster Cathedral. In demand as an accompanist David has also featured on RTÉ broadcasts (The Late Late Show, Easter and Christmas liturgies) and won numerous prizes for organ including the Stanford Prize and Advanced organ prize at the Dublin Feis Ceoil.
Germaine Carlos - Choir Manager
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With an established teaching background in Primary education (particularly in the area of Special Needs), Germaine Carlos has been Manager of the Palestrina Choir since 2008. Germaine’s musical background began with early study in voice (with the Lindsay Singers) and piano, furthered later at the College of Music, Dublin (now DIT) and recognised with success as a prize-winner at Feis Ceoil. Now, as Choir Manager of the Palestrina Choir and the St Mary’s Girls’ Choir, her essential roles extend from tour management and fund raising to, most importantly, the care and welfare of every boy and girl within the choral family at the Pro-Cathedral. Germaine’s great love of children —and a passionate commitment to musical excellence — has found her at the heart of Dublin’s best-loved choir.
Darren Magee - Organ Scholar
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Beginning as organ scholar at the Pro-Cathedral in September 2009, Darren Magee has also been involved in the RCSM training of choristers and accompanying the choir at various liturgies, as well as occasional conductor of the Men’s and Girls’ choirs. He recently completed an undergraduate Music Education degree at Trinity College, Dublin and DIT Conservatory and while at TCD he was organ scholar for two successive years. Darren currently studies with Una Russell and Professor Gerard Gillen at the Pro-Cathedral.
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