Live from Galway is a concert of choral music presented by Galway City Chamber Choir, Galway City Children's Choir and Dublin Brass Ensemble. The choirs are conducted by Stephen Carroll, and David Grealy plays the organ.
The concert begins at 8:00pm. Tickets are available from Eventbrite.
Galway City Chamber Choir
The Galway City Youth Choir was established in 2016 for ages 16-22. In 2019 it became the Galway City Chamber Choir. In the choir's short history it has performed all over Ireland. The group was set to compete internationally in Berlin in June 2020; this was unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic, and so the choir looks forward to its first international tour in 2022. The choir specialises in contemporary choral music and celebrates Irish music. So far this year the choir has undertaken a residency at the Irish Institute of Music and Song where they worked with Ireland’s top choral directors and also performed at various concerts in Galway.
Galway City Children's Choir
The Galway City Children's Choir was established in January 2021 during the beginning of one of the world's longest lockdowns. Since then, the Children’s Choir has produced two virtual choir productions which gained great reach online. In 2021, Galway City Children’s Choir saw over 150 children come through its virtual and physical doors. The choir's directors believe children who foster a love for choral singing in their early years are more likely to sing, be involved in creative communities and develop better personal skills when they get older. The pedagogy is based upon the gamification of fundamental musicianship and vocal technique and the instilling of confidence in every child. It is focused on building the country’s biggest children’s choir which will see its members grow into high-quality musicians and people who love to sing.
Dublin Brass Ensemble
Dublin Brass Ensemble is Ireland’s leading brass ensemble. Since its establishment in 2005, the group has performed on many occasions ranging from weddings, charity concerts and church services to graduation ceremonies and recitals in venues such as the John Field Room in the National Concert Hall. The size of the ensemble ranges from 1 to 15 players and is determined by the repertoire being performed. The players in the group have formidable experience on the concert platform, in recording studios and in theatres. Some of the groups that members of the ensemble have worked with include: Camarata Ireland, the Ulster Orchestra, the Irish Film Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Halle Orchestra, English National Opera, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the RTE National Symphony Orchestra and the RTE Concert Orchestra.
David Grealy, Organ
David Grealy, a native of Salthill, is Organist at St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, having previously held positions at Westminster Cathedral, St. Bartholomew's Church, Dublin, and Galway Cathedral. In 2017 he completed a Masters in organ performance at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, Cologne, during which time he was also an organist in the church of St. Peter & Paul, Ratingen, where he studied improvisation with Ansgar Wallenhorst. He is a first-class honours graduate of Maynooth University (2008), where he studied organ under Prof Gerard Gillen, and where he currently works as a tutor. He was also recently made a fellow of the Royal College of Organists. David is in regular demand as an accompanist, both in Ireland and abroad, and has featured in broadcasts for RTÉ and WDR (Germany).
Stephen Carroll, Director
Stephen Carroll is a Conductor from Galway city. He graduated from NUI Maynooth with a BMus in 2018 and he is currently studying for his Masters in Choral Conducting at California State University, Los Angeles. Caroll founded the Claddagh School of Music in September 2019, facilitating multiple choirs throughout Galway including the Galway City Children’s Choir, Galway City Youth Choir, and the Galway City Chamber Choir. Caroll holds a conductor's residency in Galway city which is supported by the Galway City Arts office. He also directs Microsoft Ireland Choir, Microsoft Global Choir and the award-winning SOLAS Workplace Choir, and was appointed director of NUI Galway Choral Society in 2019. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience with Ireland’s top ensembles, including the Palestrina Choir, Anuna, Celtic Woman, New Dublin Voices and many more. Caroll has also directed a range of other groups for productions for television, viral videos on YouTube and has appeared on broadcasts by RTE, BBC and Virgin Media and he has appeared on the History Channel’s hit series “Vikings”. In recent years Stephen Caroll has toured extensively throughout Europe, America and Asia. He is a regular attendee of international conferences and workshops and travels to places such as London and New York for continuous professional development and development of his programmes. In early 2022 he will travel to Los Angeles to lead workshops in Irish choral music and meet with choral leaders from right across the globe. Caroll’s career focuses on building a world-class choral programme in Galway, training budding choral directors and educating as many people as possible in the art.