The Junior Choral Course  is a new feature of the musical year, taking place in Tullamore during the summer holidays, under the musical direction of Ciaran Brady and Aideen Byrne, and under the auspices of the Academy of Music.

Open to young people aged between 6 and 13, the 2012 course will be held

at Tullamore GAA Hall. We will cover a wide variety of music, from sacred to

secular and from serious to light.

As well as learning and enjoying music written for youthful voices, you will

have the opportunity to receive vocal training, sight singing, music theory

and sing with sheet music.

What sets The Junior Choral Course apart is that the staff are all established,

qualified and experienced vocal coaches and professional choral singers.

Ciaran Brady has been leading award winning choirs for adults and

young  people for many years,  As a professional voice coach at the Academy

of Music, and as Musical Director and Conductor of  “Moate Youth Choir” and

multi-award-winning “Academy Chamber Choir”  he has particular expertise

working with the age-group for whom The Junior Choral Course is designed.

His understanding of children of this age and the particular requirements of

their young voices enables him to conduct energetic, entertaining rehearsals

and produce performances of a consistently high standard.  Ciaran’s vast choral

experience started at the age of 10 as a boy treble and Head Chorister of the

famous “Palestrina Choir” with whom he sang through to university studies.

He was Director of the “Maynooth University Chamber Choir” and was also a

member of the “RTE Chamber Choir” and founder member of “The National

Chamber Choir”.  He also has extensive work as a soloist and has worked with

companies such as “National Opera” and “Opera Ireland”.  He holds an Honors Masters degree in Vocal Performance and studied  Advanced Vocal Technique with Prof. Markus Goritzky at the “Hochschule für Musik” in Freiburg, Germany.

Aideen Byrne, an Honour’s Masters Music Graduate from NUI Maynooth, is

currently teaching Piano at the Academy of Music and has extensive experience

as a choral singer. Her singing career began as a chorister with Carlow Young

Artists. She has also sung with NUI Maynooth Choral Society and Maynooth

Chamber Choir, and she is currently a member of the specialist group

“Schola Gregoriana”, specialising in singing Gregorian chant. She is well known

and respected for her work with children spanning from her current job as Director and Facilitator of the Academy’s outreach program for “Mother and Toddler Groups”, to her work with Musical Societies, a sample of which is her appointment as the Musical Director for the Maynooth University Musical Society.

The course will take place daily from 10am - 2pm in Tullamore GAA Hall from Monday 2nd July to Saturday 7th July

It will culminate in an end of course concert.