Irish Doctors Choir visits Waterford this November to host a unique gathering of

acclaimed soloists and specialist baroque players from around Europe.

SAMSON

Handel, an extraordinary musical communicator capable of going straight to the heart of his audience, was also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. His music and its charitable associations have lived on to this day.

Noticing the popularity of a performance of his early biblical drama, Esther, performed in London without his participation, Handel proposed his own production. However, the Bishop of London refused to allow a biblical story to be staged at the opera, so Handel mounted a concert performance. It was a huge success which led to Handel’s abandonment of Italian opera in favour of Oratorio. It fitted the political climate, in English with well-known stories, it was cheaper, it could involve amateur choruses, rich patrons, charities and held slightly less risk of a run in with a diva! Messiah soon followed, perhaps the most successful work of any kind ever, written in weeks and followed immediately by Samson also written in weeks and performed many times in Handel’s lifetime. It is much rarer to have the chance to hear it these days and yet so highly thought of that the BBC chose it to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer’s death.

We meet Samson captive and blinded and follow his journey from betrayal to self-sacrifice against the backdrop of the political and religious tensions of the time.

Little wonder it became known as Handel’s “best opera!

IRISH DOCTORS CHOIR

Irish Doctors Choir is an association of doctors from across Ireland and beyond who get together to share their love of singing. They believe in the healing power of music and their central aim is to keep doctors connected to good music-making despite their demanding careers. The choir meet twice each year at specially chosen venues to perform challenging and uplifting works from the classical choral repertoire. Concert profits are donated to medical charities.

EAMONN MULHALL- TENOR

Wexford tenor Eamonn Mulhall trained at the Royal College of Music and the National Opera Studio in London. He has performed with many theatre companies, opera houses and music festivals. In concert he has appeared at Kilkenny Arts Festival, Prague International Spring Festival, Festivale Musica sull’Acqua at Lake Como, Italy, and with numerous orchestras in Britain and Ireland.

DOREEN CURRAN – MICAH

In addition to her many opera roles, Derry-born mezzo-soprano Doreen Curran has performed in concert with the London Philharmonic, RTÉ National Symphony, the RTÉ Concert, European Youth, Irish Chamber, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Ulster Orchestras and she has given recitals internationally. She made her Irish National Opera debut in Madama Butterfly in 2019.

    AISLING KENNY – DALILA

Irish soprano, Aisling Kenny is a soloist, recitalist and ensemble singer specialising in early music. She has sung as a soloist with leading Irish and European ensembles. Performances as a soloist include Johannes passion in Eisenach, with Collegium Vocale Gent, directed by Philippe Herreweghe, a solo Bach cantata concert with Irish Baroque Orchestra.

PAULS PUTNINŠ – MANOA

As well as his opera appearances across Europe, London-based Pauls Putnins has numerous engagements on the European and Asian concert stage.  He regularly appears in his native Latvia and in the other the Baltic States as an oratorio soloist in works including Bach B Minor mass, St. Mathew and St. John Passions, Handel Messiah with Latvian Radio Choir, Latvian state choir ‘Latvia’ and Riga Dom Cathedral Boys Choir.

OPHÉLIE GAILLARD

A spirit of insatiable curiosity, a taste for risk, an immoderate appetite for the entire concert cello repertoire without borders or quarrels, civic engagement, and an unconditional love of nature, this is undoubtedly what distinguished this brilliant Franco-Swiss interpreter. Ophélie performs in recitals both in Asia and Europe.  She plays a 1737 Francesco Goffriller cello generously lent by the CIC and an anonymous Flemish piccolo cello.

ENSEMBLE PULCINELLA

For 17 years, Pulcinella has brought together around Ophélie Gaillard a college of virtuoso soloists and chamber musicians passionate about playing historical instruments, members of the most prestigious ensembles. These musicians carry out in-depth work on sound, articulation and rhetoric, revisit major pages of the cello repertoire and strive to discover new or little-known works. They perform in the most prestigious halls in France, across Europe, in Latin America, in Asia. The ensemble’s 8 recordings have received praise from the international press: In 2022, international critics hail and reward the release of the album a Night in London.

ÓSCAR CARMO & FELIPE COELHO

Trumpeters Oscar and Felipe appear regularly Portugal’s leading orchestras, and they are members of the widely travelled trumpet quintet “Almost 6”.  They will be playing on baroque trumpets for this period performance.

OONAGH LEE & CHRIS HARTLAND

Historical Oboists Oonagh and Chris perform regularly with period orchestras around Europe. Oonagh  performs, records and broadcasts with numerous ensembles across Europe. Her career highlights to date include performances in the BBC Proms, Beijing National Arts Centre, and for Frans Brüggen, Orchestra of the 18th Century.

GARETH LEWIS

Gareth is a consultant in acute and renal medicine in Antrim Area Hospital. He studied piano with Geoffrey Pratley and Lance Coburn, and organ with Nigel McClintock and Michael McCracken. He regularly performs and accompanies music in a variety of genres and is most happy musically when playing with or accompanying chamber groups and choirs.

BRIAN MACKAY

Born in Ireland, Brian moved to Portugal in 2009, where he founded and continues to direct the ZêzereArts Festival. A long association with Musicamera Produções in Lisbon has led to the artistic directorship of a series of exciting projects including the opportunity to conduct the first performances of two new Portuguese operas. Brian has been Musical Director of Irish Doctors Choir since it was founded in 2017.

Irish Doctors Choir

will present

Samson

by George Frederick Handel

in Christ Church Cathedral Waterford

on Sunday 26^th November at 3.30pm.

This event will support the Waterford-based Charity Solas

TICKET INFORMATION WILL FOLLOW