On 15th June 2013 Bray Choral Society took part in a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Choral) at Greystones. The concert was promoted by Fergus Sheil and Wide Open Music; Fergus Sheil has since been appointed Artistic Director or Opera Theatre Company. Bray Choral Society was joined by Wicklow Choral Society and a number of other singers; we formed about two thirds of the choir. We joined the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and soloists Miriam Murphy (soprano), Imelda Drumm (mezzo), Michael Wade Lee (tenor) and Manfred Hemm (bass). The programme opened with two short extracts from Wide Open Opera’s recent production of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (the Prelude and Liebstod); the main event was the Beethoven 9th Symphony. The performance in Greystones was a fantastic success and was hugely appreciated by the audience.
The performance was presented in three venues with different groups of choirs. Some members of Bray Choral Society also went to Carlow on 14th to support the Carlow Choral Society and other massed choirs in the performance there, and some also went to Drogheda on 16th to support the massed choirs taking part in that performance. Those performances were also very well received by the audiences.