Chapel Street Gospel Choir to celebrate birthday in style

One of Mayo’s foremost choirs will mark its quarter-century landmark next month with a massive performance in the TF Royal Theatre Castlebar.

The Chapel Street Gospel Choir will celebrate their 25th birthday in style on Friday, May 10. The group first came together in 1999 to sing gospel music for a single event that was taking place in GMIT, Castlebar, the brainchild of Father Michael Murphy and director Niamh O’Kelly.

25 years on and the group has remained together, moving from strength to strength with each passing year and is currently directed by Kathy Fahey. Practically a household name in local music circles, their powerful gospel performances have brought them all over Ireland and across the world, performing in New York and Philadelphia down through the years.

The Choir’s PRO Brendan Duignan, who has been involved with Chapel Street since the very beginning, told the Western People as he reflected on the choir’s ‘massive journey, that there is something just a little bit special about gospel music.

“Gospel choir music touches the soul, it hits quite deep and really resonates with people of all ages,” he said.

“We get children and their grandparents and everyone in between all stomping their feet. Gospel is a real leveller of music, it taps into something a bit deeper.”

Of all the highlights that Chapel Street Gospel Choir have had, and there are many, Brendan pointed to their performance for their last big birthday. For their 20th birthday, the Choir performed at the iconic Ballinafad House located in director Kathy Fahey’s native Belcarra and were joined by legendary American composer Tom Kendzia for the night.

“Everything about the performance in Ballinafad was all on point,” said Brendan.

“Our guests were amazing, the audience were amazing and were up on their feet all night. I often meet people who were in the audience that night and they still remind me of it, it is a night that has lived long in people’s memories.”

“I feel it really changed people’s minds about what Gospel was really about because there were a lot of people there that night who had never been to a Gospel performance before, they were totally taken aback.”

They will be hoping to create similar such memories at the upcoming performance. Choir Director Kathy Fahey said she is looking forward to the event.

“So much has changed with the choir over the years. As members come and go, the challenge remains to progress the choir towards a professional standard, while also maintaining its community roots,” she said.

It simply would not be a birthday party without friends. Chapel Street Gospel Choir have announced a plethora of special guests to enhance the evening including Gardiner Street Gospel Choir, the Mayo Concert Orchestra, the Sophisticats, Irish folk legend Mundy, local favourite U.N.A.M. and Donna Taggart.

“From a music and performance point of view, this will be a once-off mix of eclectic and energetic performances,” said Brendan.

Tickets for the Chapel Street Gospel Choir’s 25th Anniversary Concert are available now from the Royal Theatre Box Office 094 90 23111 and Ticketmaster.ie.