Music at the Church of the Ascension

Following the Psalmist’s charge to praise the Lord, music plays an important role in the liturgical life of the Church of the Ascension and is prominent in  three of the Sunday services: the 10am Family Mass features our Youth Choir  providing a friendly environment in which children  participate in a fun yet meaningful celebration; at  the 11:30am Mass our Adult Choir  provides a substantial music service drawing on a large body of classical repertoire; and at our 12:45pm Mass we offer a traditional cantor-led Mass  in which congregational participation forms the body of the musical backdrop.

Although contrasted in approach, our three groups are unified in their attempt to carry in music the words of worship by the People to God. In this way music plays a central role in building community and enriching the quality of the Sunday celebration of Word and Sacrament .

Hanley Wrinkle Memorial Organ

The Hanley Wrinkle Memorial Organ was designed and built in 1983 by Kenneth Jones and Associates in consultation with Professor Gerard Gillen. Funding for the organ was secured by Fr. Patrick Lyons from the Irish Ecumenical Movement in the form of a bequest from the Hanley and Wrinkle families, both members of the Church of Ireland.

This neo-baroque organ, which is located in the church gallery, employs tracker action keys and an entirely mechanical stop action. It has two manuals, great and choir, and a full pedal board. The pipes for the choir department overhang the gallery, forming a symbolic and acoustic link between the assembly both upstairs and down. It combines modern features such as the clean lines of the casing with stylish classic nuances like the hand-scripted stop labels. This beautifully constructed instrument serves to enhance the weekly liturgy of the parish.

Organ Specification:

Great

8ft Principal

8ft Rohrflute

4ft Octave

2ft Fifteenth

Mixture III-IV

Choir

8ft Gedeckt

4ft Flute

2ft Principal

Sesquialtera II

Pedals

16ft Bourdon

Couplers

Choir to Great

Choir to Pedal

Great to pedal

 The Organ

Maria Byrne

Maria is a native of Balally and has been parish organist at the Church of the Ascension since 1987. She has a long association with parish music, first as a member of the Sandyford Junior Choir, later as a member of Balally Parish Adult Choir and currently as parish organist. She holds a B.A. in Music and Irish, H.Dip. in Education and Diploma in Catechetics from U.C.D. She graduated from N.U.I. Maynooth in 2009 with a Diploma in Arts (Church Music). Maria studied organ with Una Russell and piano with Brent Parker at the D.I.T. Conservatory of Music and Drama where she received the Sydney Greig Memorial Prize for organ. She holds A.L.C.M., L.T.C.L. and L.G.S.M. diplomas in both teaching and performance. She is also a secondary school teacher at Maryfield College, Griffith Avenue.

The Adult Choir

The adult choir aims to enhance the Liturgy with music that both compliments and illuminates  the Word of God and “the breaking of the bread”. In addition to singing at the 11:30am  Mass each Sunday we also sing at the main Christmas services as well as forming an integral part of the liturgies during Easter week.

Consisting of approximately 25 voices, the choir sings a broad and expanding range of repertoire. Centered around the singing of a Mass setting and two motets each week, we also lead the congregation in the singing of well-known hymns and other parts of the service.

Our range of repertoire spans the entire period from plainchant to the present day, both a cappella and accompanied, providing both a challenging and rewarding experience for our choristers as well as bringing an artistic depth to our Sunday service.

We are always seeking new members. If you think you would like to try it out you are most welcome to attend a rehearsal to see if you’d be interested. Given the amount of repertoire the choir covers, some ability to read music is usually considered necessary. However, a keen ear and enthusiastic commitment would not leave those who don’t read music at a disadvantage. If you would like further information you can contact George on 086 8073197 or by email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

George Rice

A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, where he majored in composition and musicology, George has studied music since the age of 5 with initial studies in classical guitar, trombone and piano before developing a keen interest in composition and music history at Trinity College. In 1997 he was the first music student elected to the University’s coveted Foundation Scholarship. Subsequent studies in Music Theory at McGill University in Montreal led to further studies in conducting with Alexis Hauser and Michael Dumouchel. Having conducted several ensembles and choirs in and around the Montreal area, George returned to Ireland in 2004 where he pursues several areas of musical interest. He has been director of the Adult Choir in Balally since September 2007.