Following the resignation of Mr Allen Figgis as administrator in April and the careful holding operation by Mr Stuart Kinsella as temporary administrator, the cathedral board is pleased to be able to announce the appointment of a new administrator who will take up duties from Monday 1 September.
He is Mr Warwick St John Harte who is known to many in the cathedral. Having worked in Dublin in Allied Irish Banks and in accountancy positions in England with Tetra Pak and Aquathin, Mr Harte is currently a contract accountant to several Dublin establishments. He is a member of the Institute of Credit Management in Ireland and holds the BTEC HNC in Business and Finance from Kingston University in London. He was also a member of the cathedral choir in 1996/7.
Some twelve candidates were interviewed for the position and the board would wish to thank all who came to meet the interviewing panel.
Following their successful French tour and their August holidays, the choir will be back in residence from Saturday 6 September when they will sing Evensong at 5 p.m. Normal services will be sung on Sunday with weekday Evensongs at 6 p.m. on Wednesday (the Cathedral Girls' Choir) and Thursday (the full choir) and Saturday at 5 (the Lay Vicars). In days of difficulties for the very existence of church music in many areas and parishes it is important that the cathedral maintains its high standards. The only method by which we can present liturgy and music for great occasions is by attempting to do the same at every service. It is gratifying also to see increasing numbers at weekday Evensong. We know that what is sung is the Opus Dei sung to the praise of God, but it is pleasant to see the cathedral with people both worshipping and enjoying the music.
This event happens each September when the choir goes to a pleasant venue, usually sings in the local church on Sunday, and has an "in-depth" weekend session as it works towards the programme for the coming year. Coming up soon will be the recording for Priory Records of a new CD - "Music for Irish Cathedrals". On the Sunday of their "retreat", 21 September, services will be sung by The Lassus Scholars whose conductor is Ms Ite O'Donovan, who was formerly director of music at the Pro-Cathedral.
The annual festival service to mark the beginning of the year will be held in the cathedral at 8 p.m. on Thursday 18 September. It will be a Eucharist and the preacher will be His Grace the Archbishop.
This is always one of the happiest events in the cathedral year. Children from almost every primary school in the united dioceses attend with the parents and relations, the cathedral is full to capacity, and the singing is strong and clear. Representatives of the Department of Education (often the Minister) and of the teachers' unions also are in attendance. The preacher will be The Reverend Peter Campion, dean's vicar in Saint Patrick's Cathedral.
To mark several events, the cathedral board has decided to hold a special Evensong at 3.30 p.m. on Sunday 28 September. It will mark the 99th birthday of Archdeacon Raymond Jenkins which will have taken place a few days earlier; also his resignation from membership of the board which he had held ex-officio as a priest vicar since 1976. The music of the service, chosen by the archdeacon, will include the canticles sung to Harwood in A Flat and the anthem "Te lucis ante terminum" by Henry Balfour Gardiner. All his friends are welcome to share this service with him. We look forward, God willing, to his 100th birthday next year, but even more to his 101st in the year 2000 when we pray he may achieve that rare thing - to have lived in three centuries, the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries!
We are always happy to welcome parishioners from the cathedral group to services in the cathedral but the first Sunday in October is always special. On that Sunday the cathedral holds its harvest thanksgiving services and the members of All Saints', Saint Michan's and Saint Werburgh's unite to join us in the cathedral. We look forward to their being with us.
The cathedral has had a splendid summer with capacity visitors. The whole atmosphere was greatly helped by our visiting choirs, most of whom sang a number of weekday services as well as on Sunday.
Material for October must arrive with the cathedral secretary by Sunday 14 September.
