This past week has been amazing for those of us involved with House of Brigid, mainly due to the Feast Day of our Church’s Saint John Henry Newman, who will be named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV on November 1st this year. His feast day is on October 9th, which we celebrated by holding a concert with our Newman Vocare Ensemble, singing Newman’s own Lead, Kindly Light as well as Sing a New Song and The Parting Glass. Several soloists also participated in the event, showcasing their talents through song. It was a beautiful evening and one that helped to raise funds for a new organ for the church gallery.
Post-RIAM Concert Selfie!
We celebrated the Mass for Saint John Henry Newman today on October 12th! We celebrated with the combined University Church morning choir and our Newman Vocare Ensemble (the evening choir), which brought together so many talented voices who love music and our patron Saint.
The ability to keep music as a main part of my life and daily routine has been one of my favorite parts of being in House of Brigid. Both the morning and evening choirs are so fun to be a part of. I loved being involved with Music Ministry at my university’s Holy Family Church in New Rochelle, New York when I attended school. I loved experiencing the stage at my alma mater, Iona University with people that I’m lucky to now call my friends and family away from home. I loved being co-President of the Iona Singers and being an original member of Iona’s a cappella group, the NightinGAELS. I can’t believe how lucky I am that I get to continue making music such a big part of my life even after graduating.
Music has been a huge part of my life even before college, pretty much since I was born. Both of my parents have a deep appreciation for the arts, and I grew up in a home that encouraged my siblings and I to appreciate music, movies, poetry, song, dance, and books. My mom and dad inspire so much of my music experience and their support over the years has allowed me to achieve more than I ever thought I could, and everything they knew I could be capable of. I’ve been blessed to participate in various musicals and choirs for the last decade and a half with my siblings, friends, and now extremely talented roommates.
One of my favorite things I get to share with my fellow House of Brigid members is that we all have such a rich background in music and love developing our music skills further. Teaghan is a soprano with me in the choirs and she has such an incredible voice. Maeve and Sarah are both altos and have amazing ears for music, they can pick up harmonies beautifully. Maeve is also in education, like me, and she taught music to middle school children in her post-graduate year. The three of them continue to amaze me with their talents, and getting to experience this year with them is such a blessing. It’s hard to believe we’ve only lived together less than a month, and only have known each other since August! Getting the chance to make music and memories in Dublin with these three girls has been a complete dream come true, and we’re only just getting started (seriously, cannot believe we’ve only been here less than a month).
Scenes from Howth Cliffs 🙂
As I reflect on what life has been like since arriving here, I’m truly grateful for my roommates and for Father Gary, Dominique, and Katherine for making this experience such a memorable one so far. It’s been a wild transition being so far away from my family and best friends, but the memories we get to make here all while developing our abilities and our relationships with God is what makes this opportunity so worthwhile and incredible. I hope and pray that as we continue to grow musically, personally, and professionally, we get to do it together.
