Goethe Choir to perform Grace O’Malley and Elizabeth I cantata in Mayo
World premiere of Greenwich Parley – An Elegy For Two Queens to bring historic 1593 meeting to life at Holy Trinity Church
The Goethe Choir will perform the world premiere of a new cantata telling the story of one of Ireland’s most famous historical encounters at Holy Trinity Church, Westport, later this month.
Greenwich Parley – An Elegy For Two Queens will be staged on Sunday, June 13 at 3pm and explores the historic meeting between Queen Elizabeth I and legendary Mayo figure Grace O’Malley, often described as Ireland’s Pirate Queen.
The cantata recounts the 1593 meeting between the two women, regarded as among the most powerful figures in the British Isles at the time. The performance will also feature a professionally narrated account of both women’s lives and the circumstances surrounding their famous meeting.
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Founded in 1965 at the request of the then director of the Goethe-Institute, the Goethe Choir was established to promote choral music among performers and audiences in Dublin. Under conductor John Dexter, who joined the choir in 1998 and now lives outside Westport, the ensemble has expanded significantly in size and diversity.
The Holy Trinity performance will blend classical Elizabethan choral music with traditional Irish compositions and works by composer Shaun Davey, with John Dexter conducting.
Audiences can also expect instrumental accompaniment featuring uilleann pipes, whistle and harp, while newly commissioned works by contemporary Irish composers Ciara McElholm, Jean AC Finch, Mary Kelly and Brian McIvor will form part of the programme.
Special guests for the concert series, which also includes performances in Galway and Dublin, include Éamonn Galldubh on whistle and uilleann pipes, alongside actors Niamh McAllister and Ashleigh Dorrell.
Admission to the Westport performance is free, although donations will be accepted in aid of the Holy Trinity Church Restoration Fund.