John Doyle, Music Director
John Doyle is one of Ireland's most exciting and innovative conductors.
After graduating from Trinity College Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy of Music with first class honours, John studied with figures such as George Hurst, (UK) Atso Almila (Finland), Rodolfo Saglimbeni (Venezuela), Benjamin Zander (USA) and Robert Houlihan (Ireland.) He now divides his time equally between choral and orchestral conducting, appearing in venues as varied as Dublin’s NCH, Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall, the Scottish National Events Centre, Aberdeen's King's Hall, the Marketplace Armagh, Waterfront Belfast and the Guildhall Derry, across a wide range of repertoires and genres.
John is a passionate advocate of new music. He has been Artistic Director of Co-Orch Dublin since 2011 where his work focuses on 20th century and contemporary repertoire. He has commissioned new works for the orchestra by award winning young composers such as Sam Perkin, Bryan Pepper, Ena Brennan, Elis Czerniak, Luke Duffy, Amy Rooney and Tom Lane as well as giving the Irish premieres of works by internationally recognised composers such as Max Richter. He appears regularly with groups such as the Dublin Symphony Orchestra, Dublin Baroque Players (City of Dublin Chamber Orchestra) and the Orchestra of St. Luke. Recent collaborations with nationally and internationally acclaimed soloists include Patrick Rafter (Prokofiev Violin Concerto no. 1), Alexander Bernstein (Gershwin Piano Concerto), Ailbhe McDonagh (Elgar and Shostakovich Cello Concertos), Roisin Walters (Bach A minor and Sibelius Violin Concertos) and Colm O’ Braoin (Richter’s Four Seasons recomposed.) Notable recent projects include ‘A Midsummer Rights Theme’ and and Concert for Paris. ‘A Midsummer Rights Theme', performed on International Music Day, was a groundbreaking re-imagining of Beethoven 9 which saw this seminal piece performed alongside four world premieres representing Ireland’s most exciting young composers’ responses to Beethoven’s epic Choral Symphony. Concert for Paris, a performance of Faure's Requiem by musicians from all parts of the island of Ireland, was recorded and broadcast by RTE.
John is Music Director of Mount Anville Choral Society and conducts the multi award winning Dublin Concert Band. Recent DCB Projects have included HARP, A River Cantata, as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival in collaboration with Ulysses Opera Theater and a residency at the prestigious La Croix Valmer festival in the South of France. He was named as Music Director of Caintairi Avondale in September 2017.
John is immensely proud to have been chosen as the sixth Music Director of Dun Laoghaire Choral Society with effect from October 2017, and is looking forward to furthering the rich tradition of choral singing upon which the choir is built.
Fergal Caulfield, Accompanist
Fergal Caulfield obtained his academic credentials from Trinity College Dublin, graduating with BA and PhD degrees in music. His doctoral thesis explored compositional procedures in Stravinsky's late serial music based on examination of archival material now housed at the Paul Sacher Stiftung, Basel, Switzerland. As a performer, Fergal studied piano with Peter Dains at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and the organ privately with Professor Gerard Gillen at the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, and holds performance and teaching diplomas in both instruments. He additionally attended various scholarship masterclasses in the UK and Belgium.
As well as many performances abroad he has given solo organ recitals at most of the major venues in Ireland including the National Concert Hall, the Wexford and Galway Arts Festivals, St Michael's Church, Dun Laoghaire, the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, and Trinity College Chapel. He has additionally appeared as soloist in concert performances with a number of ensembles including the National Symphony Orchestra (with which he has performed the organ symphonies of Camille Saint-Saëns, Marcel Dupré and Aaron Copland) and is a former prize-winner at the Dublin International Organ Festival. He is also widely in demand as a vocal and instrumental accompanist.
As a chamber musician, Fergal plays particularly as a member of the Clarion Trio (consisting of piano, violin and clarinet). He works regularly as a keyboard player with the RTE National Symphony and RTE Concert Orchestras and is repetiteur for the RTE Philharmonic Choir, in addition to his long-standing association with Dún Laoghaire Choral Society.
Sopranos
Roisín Adams
Deirdre Carroll
Judy Casey
Seibh Conroy
Una Corr
Grainne Doyle
Ursula Fowler
Gail Gilliland
Niamh Gordon
Marion Gaskin
Linda Hackett
Irene Hickey
Lucy Kelleher
Mary Kelly
Robyn Kenner
Maureen Junker Kenny
Eithne Lalor
Michi Maharry-Eidt
Carolina Maldona Solis
Fionnuala Monks
Davida Nolan
Elaine Noonan
Polly O’Loughlainn
Aileen O'Reilly
Clíona O'Rourke
Margo O'Sullivan
Jean Rice
Louise Sabella
Elizabeth Shanley
Julie O'Brien
Lucia Shelly
Altos
Sandra Bedlow
Miriam Byrne
Rhoda Mary Bowell
Trish Caren
Evelyn Cockburn
Helen Coghlan
Denise Cooney
Ann Fleeton
Hazel Graves
Orla Halpenny
Anne-Marie Healy
Joan Hick
Carmel Keogh
Dorothy Kidd
Caroline Lenehan
Sophie Lewis
Angela O Broin
Jill Malcolm
Margaret McCormack
Sue Maguire
Maire Mulcahy
Joyce Mulligan
Julie Nyhan
Christine O’Rourke
Molly O’Shea
Kelly Price
Elaine Smyth
Joan Staunton
Margaret Woods
Tenors
Kieran Clancy
Pat Connolly
Harry Croxon
Martin Cuppage
Ned Dempsey
Stephen Dowling
Katherina Fay
Jim Flavin
Fintan Lalor
Rory McIvor
Michael McAuliffe
Michael O'Brien
Paraic O'Lochlainn
Ian Robertson
Piaras Sweeney
Basses
Mel Boyd
Noel Cassidy
Andrew Doody
Nick Dunning
John Hess
Tony Fahy
Andrew O'Kelly
Hugh Quigley
Brian McMahon
Bobby McDonagh
Adam Ralph
Ken Reid
Chris Stillman
Joe Swan
Hans Vogel
Dennis Woods
Stephen Wynne