This year has once again been a busy year for the CSN Trad Group. We now have over 30 members and we are sounding better than ever! Musicians from first to sixth year come together and play a variety of instruments from fiddles, cellos, banjo, concertina, tin whistle to trombone, guitars and bodhráns. All musical abilities are welcome and it is here that the best of friendships are made.
This year we performed on many occasions starting with the Open Night last September. This is always a busy night and there was standing room only on many occasions in the Library as sixth class pupils and their parents crowded in to listen to us. Beautiful singing from Callum Scanlon, Dylan Nowak and Samuel Okoye, and our World champion Irish dancer Pearse O’ Cróinín stole the show. A few weeks later we performed for the Lord Mayor Cllr Kieran Mc Carthy when he visited our school.
One of our favourite performances of the year is the launch of the SVP food appeal in December. Trad was replaced with Christmas carols, Christmas jumpers and the sound of bells. Once again our singers added to the occasion. This was a great morning and we were all in the Christmas spirit and singing Christmas Carols heading back to class.
A new gig for us this year was when we were asked to perform at the Parish Centre in Dennnehy’s Cross. Here we entertained parishioners while they enjoyed a coffee morning. They were a great crowd to play for and clapped and tapped along with us.
We also had some amazing individual success during the Year. Callum Scallan won Cork’s Teen Idol, Yannick Daly- Trillaud won the Cork School of Music Junior Recital Music Competition and Pearse Ó Cróinín took part in the World Irish Dancing Championships in Glasgow.
We would also like to congratulate sixth year Chris Furlong, who represented our school as a finalist in the Frank Maher Classical Music awards. He was one of the six musicians chosen for the final. Chris is an outstanding piano player and a member of our Trad Group for the past six years. He has accomplished so many accolades since starting the piano in 6th class. In recent years he has won the Feis Maitiú, Junior Music Concerto Competition with Cork School of Music, Dublin Feis Cheoil as well as performing with the National Youth Orchestra and the Irish Youth Ensemble. Chris has received a scholarship to study music with the Royal College of Music in London. We wish him well and no doubt we will see him on the big stage in years to come.
We send our good wishes also to sixth years Jack Keegan and Keanu Tan who will be leaving us this year and wish them well in the future.
Finally I would like to express my gratitude to all the members of our Trad Group for the fantastic effort they have all put in this year.
We look forward to next year with many more performances and welcome new musicians to join us.
Ms Denise Dorgan
Music Teacher
To read more about the Frank Maher Classical Music Awards please click here
