The 45th Irish Church Music Association Summer School will take place in Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth from Thursday 3 – Sunday 6 July 2014 on the theme ‘The Joy of the Gospel’. The Guest Director will be David Saint, Director of Music and Organist at Saint Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham, and a Professor in Birmingham City University. The Summer School provides musicians from around the country and beyond with an opportunity to sing and pray together, learning the best music of past and present.
Commenting on this year’s theme Father Turlough Baxter, Chair of the ICMA said: “Each year the summer school focuses on a special theme and develops its liturgies, together with its music around it. This year’s focus is on ‘Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel’ – Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation on the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world. As we launch out into a new era of the Irish Church Music Summer School, we will bring ‘a joy ever new, a joy which is shared’ through our sharing of the Word and singing our song. We are invited to a renewed and revitalised 45th Summer School just as Pope Francis has invited all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ.”
This year’s Summer School has a new format – beginning on a Thursday and finishing on a Sunday – which will hopefully enable more people who are working to attend.
Summer School Tutorials
Tutorials are taking on a new image this year and they will now be presented in the mornings and in the afternoon. They have been arranged in such a way so that each participant in the Summer School has the opportunity to attend four tutorials. Tutorials will cover:
- Parish Repertoire
- Linking School and Parish
- Liturgical Input
- Skills for Leading Liturgical Music
- Special Choir
- Psalms in the Liturgy
- Choir Skills
- Organ Tutorials
- New Generation Youth Choir
Summer School Brochure, Booking Form and Poster
For information on Summer School costs and to access the official booking form, please download the brochure.
Summer School Booking Form and Information Leaflet
Interview with Father Turlough Baxter
Listen to a short interview with Father Turlough Baxter, Chair of the ICMA in which he gives an overview of this year’s Summer School.
About the Irish Church Music Association
The Irish Church Music Association was founded in November 1969 to support the work of musicians working in the field of liturgical music in Ireland. Through training, publication and dissemination of information, the ICMA strives to improve standards and encourage musicians in their service of God and the community. The ICMA is supported by the Irish Bishops’ Conference and is based in the National Centre for Liturgy, St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
There is a membership of approximately 250 people. Membership is by the payment of a yearly subscription and is made up of a variety of people from choirs around the country and those interested in Church Music.
The Association has a Council which runs the association; this is governed by its constitution. The Council is elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting, with a certain number of the Council elected each year, for a term of 3 years. A small number may also be co-opted if necessary.
The objects of the Association are:
- To promote, encourage and support the understanding of music in the Church.
- To promote, encourage and support the use of music in the liturgical and daily life of the Church.
- To especially encourage and support Irish music and musicians.
- To work for the acceptance and implementation of good liturgical practices.
- To work in co-operation with the National Centre for Liturgy, in particular and with other similar bodies as appropriate.
- To be ecumenical in outlook.
For more information please see the website www.irishchurchmusicassociation.com
