Meet Gerard

What is your name?

Gerard

What voice part do you sing?

Tenor – usually T1

How long have you been in BCS?

Since we did Karl Jenkins ‘Armed Man’ and john Rutter’s ‘Requiem’ in the NCH – 2007? 2008?

Where are you from?

Born in Dublin, brought up in Bray

Do you have any favourite choir memories?

Not really ‘memories’, but the wonderful people I have met through choral singing – and continue to meet

Where did you grow up?

Bray, mostly

What is the first record/cassette/CD you remember owning?

The first that sticks out, though not actually the first, was an LP of Carmina Burana – the Deutsche Grammophon recording conducted by Eugen Jochum

What are your hobbies besides singing?

Listening to music, recording music, making microphones, engineering maths and, above all, reading

Do you play any instruments? 

Alas, no

What language(s) do you speak?

Apart from English? A little French, now very rusty, and once upon a time, a little Portuguese and a little Zulu               

Favourite show or piece you have ever performed?

Has to be singing a part in Spem in Alium with Tenebrae at the NCH. The sheer excitement to be on stage with such a marvellous group.

Favourite place you’ve ever visited?

Oh gosh; how does one answer that. Maybe Venice or Positano – or Tomar

What’s one book you could read over and over again?

Easy. E R Eddison’s Zimiamvia series; they preceeded Tolkien’s the Lord of the Rings and heavily influenced it. After that, anything by Terry Pratchett, Patrick O’Brien, most of John Le Carre, Ian M Banks (and some Ian Banks).

What’s one thing you’re learning now or learned recently?

The fun and pleasure of passing on my knowledge and experience to young graduate engineers; I also learn so much from them! Also, learning something of a whole new discipline of engineering.

What topic could you give an hour-long presentation on with little to no preparation?

Industrial boilers, steam, combustion, and maybe industrial disasters

If you could sing any voice part, which one would you choose?

I have always loved being a tenor

What’s one song or piece of music you’ve always wanted to sing but haven’t yet?

Almost anything solo. I don’t have the confidence, especially  in my memory