Cavan hospital choir hitting the high notes

A group of workers in Cavan General Hospital have transformed themselves into a choir and are all set to compete in the Workplace Choir of the Year 2015 competition in association with RTÉ Lyric FM.

The hospital singers will be performing two contrasting songs 'Let it Be’ by The Beatles and 'Rivers of Babylon’ by Bony M and they will be accompanied on piano by Eileen Tackney, director of the Cavan Cathedral Choir and accompanist to the Cavan Singers. She is also member/director of The Song Sisters and her recent album 'Towards The Sun’ has received excellent reviews.
The choir will put on their first performance in the Hospital foyer tomorrow (Friday) between 1pm and 2pm and then it is off to Dublin for their big performance on Sunday.
Choir members gave up their lunch breaks three times a week for the past eight weeks to rehearse. Director Aine Duffy said they “went from the couch to a choir in five weeks”.
One of the choir members, Rosella Culleton, said: “It has been an absolutely fabulous experience. We have all met from the different departments throughout the hospital here in the Cavan Monaghan Group. It has been a great team building exercise for the whole choir.”
Another of the singers, Mairead Cadden, said: “It is something to do outside of work and is a good interest and we have got to know different people we did not really know from the different departments.”
The members of the choir are grateful to their sponsors, Tractamotors of Cavan and Jim Argue in Fresh Delight in Cootehill. They also want to thank Ms Renee Stephenson-Egan, pperations services manager, who facilitated and supported the venture from the start.
The semi-finals take place on Sunday, September 13, at 2pm and 7pm in the Classic Theatre in Dublin. If successful, the choir will go on to the national final of the competition at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on September 27 at 7pm.