Origin Dublin, Ireland Years active 2000–present Genre Gospel music | Genres Gospel Active from 2000 | |
Website Gardiner Street Gospel Choir Website Members Musical Director
Aidan Greene Record label Gardiner Street Gospel Choir Albums One Love, An Evening With..., Lift Your Voice Similar Dublin Gospel Choir, Discovery Gospel Choir, Joanna Smith, Kíla, Luka Bloom | ||
Joyful joyful performed by the gardiner street gospel choir
The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir is a Gospel music choir based in the Jesuit Saint Francis Xavier Church on Gardiner Street in Dublin, Ireland. The award-winning choir is made up of volunteers who perform at services, and on other stages around Ireland.
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History
The choir was founded in 2000 by Kevin Kelly, a Trinity College music graduate and Edmond Grace SJ, to be the first weekly Gospel Mass in Dublin. The first meeting of the choir was on 22 March 2000, and the initial members were former fellow-music students of Kelly's from Trinity College, Dublin.
The choir, accompanied by a gospel band, is composed primarily of younger people, mostly in their twenties. Beginning with a smaller group, as of 2011, there were 40 voices backed by 8 musicians. The choir was originally conducted by founder Kevin Kelly, but as of 2015, the musical director was Orla Gargan.
Choir
The choir is accompanied by some instruments, including keyboard, guitar, percussion and brass. The music played includes gospel and contemporary, including pieces by U2 and Bob Marley as well as traditional gospel.
Over the years, the group have played in a number of venues, including at the Dublin City Soul Festival (where they shared the stage with the US-based Rance Allen Group), at the women's prison, the Dóchas Centre, which was recorded and broadcast on RTÉ Radio, and for the Dublin Docklands Authority. In May 2008, the choir performed at at Irish Aid's 'Africa Day', where they collaborated with Kíla. The festival took place in the grounds of Dublin Castle, and the main stage featured a line-up of Irish and African entertainers, including: Mundy, Kíla, Sinéad O'Connor, Republic of Loose, the Discovery Gospel Choir, Motema and others.
As of 2009 they had recorded with Luka Bloom and Juliet Turner.
Recordings and prizes
In 2002, Gardiner Street Gospel Choir launched a CD named One Love, and made radio and television appearances. The choir's CD, One Love, was recorded live at concert in the O'Reilly Hall, at Belvedere College, Dublin.
Twice since its foundation, the choir has won the top Gospel Choir prize at the annual Festival of the Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS). They subsequently won the Gospel Choir competition at the AIMS choral festival in New Ross.
In 2003, Luka Bloom performed with the choir, and the choir provided backing vocals for two tracks on his Eleven Songs album. They were recorded in the Ignatian Room, at the back of Gardiner Street Church.
The choir sang live on RTÉ's "In Concert" series, and the Sunday World and Channel 4 television have both featured the group.
Songs
Joyful JoyfulLift Your Voice · 2013
Halle Halle / Sing HallelujahLift Your Voice · 2013
I Can't Wait to MeetchuLift Your Voice · 2013