In late August of 2016 I joined the Tenor line of Dolce. On the day of my audition I got caught up in chaotic traffic and barely made it on time. At the time I was thinking how bad it would look to turn up late, so I ran like mad. As it turned out I must have made a reasonable impression and was delighted to be accepted into the choir. A friend of mine had recommended the choir to me, insisting that I would find it challenging, great fun and professionally run. He wasn’t wrong.
We began September with our preparation for a performance in Dublin City Hall on Culture Night. Most of the pieces were new to me but learning beautiful music makes the task so much easier and pleasurable. I was particularly taken with two of the songs. The Long Day Closes and The Bluebird. The people listening were certainly very appreciative. I felt happy enough with my own contribution. There were no obvious ‘Clangers’ that I could recall afterwards. I had survived my first ‘outing’.
As we moved into October, it was time to prepare for Christmas – the most wonderful time of the year for music. With a Christmas Concert on the 14th of December only a couple of months away, it was time to get carolling. The programme has covered all the ‘old favourites’ plus Mozart and Karl Jenkins. December has now arrived and it’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas.
When I consider the amount of new music I have learnt since September last, I am pleasantly surprised. I put it down to what makes this choir special. From my first night I was made to feel entirely welcome by everyone. I was immediately included in everything. Deirdre, our Musical Director, has that great ability of getting through two hours of tough practice with an abundance of good humour and fun. Celine, our accompanist is patient and extremely talented. We have a committee that covers every detail in its running of the choir.
A good choir will always attract new members. A great choir will have the ability to hold onto them. I think I’m in a really great choir.
Kevin McCarthy
I joined Dolce as a new member this term and was struck immediately by the warmth and collegiality of the other members. I was made feel very welcome and felt part of things very quickly.
The choir is a well-oiled machine, with all the finer details superbly organised and orchestrated by the Dolce internal committee. The choir embodies charm, fun, professionalism and commitment as demonstrated by Deirdre our Choir master. Deirdre balances hard work with a fun-filled approach to learning. Thursday nights are always a flurry of activity, great singing and fun!
I’m looking forward to my first Christmas performance with Dolce onDecember 14th!
Nickola, Dec 2016
