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07/06/2015

John Anderson hears from the Lourdes Pilgrimage Choir about the important work they do for sick pilgrims and joins the Belfast Philharmonic for their 140th anniversary.

30 minutes

Last on

Tue 9 Jun 2015 19:30

Music on this week's programme:

Open Arts Community Choir:

E Mālama - Trad Hawaiian

 

The Lourdes Pilgrimage Choir:

Salve Regina - Missale Romanum

Ave Maria de Lourdes - arr Jean-Paul Lécot

O Sacrum Convivium - Farrant

Tu Rex Gloria Christe - Gounod


Concentio:

Evening Prayer - Ola Gjeilo


Belfast Philharmonic Society:

Et Clamabant - Sean Doherty

Va Pensiero (Nabucco) - Verdi             

Songs Of The Fleet (excerpt) - Stanford


Northern Ireland Military Wives Choir:

Bring Him Home (les Misérables) - Boublil, Schönberg                               Stronger Together - Geoff Lawson, Gareth Malone

The Down and Connor Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage Choir

The Down and Connor Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage Choir

The choir was formed over thirty years ago by its first director Mr Raymond Lennon and is now directed by Louis McVeigh with Colum McGarry as accompanist and Deputy Director. The initial purpose of establishing the choir was to accompany the newly established Diocesan Pilgrimage. The choir has developed and produced a vast repertoire of sacred music. It is this sacred, spiritual and often inspiring music that touches the hearts of those who travel to Lourdes each July and who are, very often, suffering with grave illnesses.

The choir accompanies every aspect of the journey of the sick pilgrims.

Many sick pilgrims who travel to Lourdes, along with a large team of volunteers from the medical profession, stay at the Hospital of Our Lady of Lourdes.  The Down and Connor Choir even go to the hospital wards to sing for their pilgrims, many of whom spend much of their lives at home, housebound. 

Louis McVeigh

Louis McVeigh

Louis McVeigh is originally from the Ballymurphy Parish of Corpus Christi. He joined the parish children's choir at the age of eleven which sparked off a keen interest and love for liturgy and sacred music. By the age of eighteen Louis was made organist and Director of Music at Corpus Christi Parish and Assistant Organist at the renowned Church of the Most Holy Redeemer at Clonard Monastery, Belfast.

He studied theology at Queen's University Belfast and went on to Graduate from Queens with a Bachelor's Degree in Theology and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Ulster the following year. 

At the age of twenty-two Louis was appointed as Organist and Choir Director at St Patrick's R C Church in Lisburn.  Around this time he was also invited to become the accompanist for the Down and Connor Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage Choir and became  Director of Music for the Pilgrimage a few years later. In recent years Louis has overseen a massive organ rebuild and restoration programme at St Patrick's.

He hosted the renowned French organist, Jean Paul Lecot (Maitre de Chappelles at Lourdes) as he played at the official dedication ceremony along with many other distinguished, local musicians.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 7 Jun 2015 18:30
  • Tue 9 Jun 2015 19:30