Page 186 - Gonzaga at 60
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186
GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
as director of the annual opera. It was quickly realised that Murphy operas without Gerry’s guiding
OLIVER GANNON
hand would not have the same efect and so it was decided to move into the tradiional school
Oliver Gannon atended musical repertory. The iniial producion of Guys and Dolls was an outstanding success and was
Gonzaga in the 1950s. followed by The Pirates of Penzance and South Paciic. While Aoife Dunne directed and produced
A jazz guitarist based the musical the accompanying school orchestra was prepared by Rosemary O’Brien.
in Canada, he has a In his inal two years as Headmaster, Patrick Pots established a schola cantorum drawn from
considerable reputaion, as Sixth Year members of the choir. This small group performed more diicult pieces at the various
indicated by the following liturgical celebraions in the College calendar. This coninued focus on music for the liturgy was
remarks by Bill Barton, a
writer on jazz and other given a paricular expression in the CD recorded by the Choir in May 2007: AMDG, which was a
music since 1980: collecion of pieces (including the Mass in honour of St Aloysius Gonzaga) relecing the work of
the choir at the diferent celebraions on the liturgical year. The choir was accompanied on organ
‘Oliver Gannon has been by Dr Michael Quinn (’96) and the CD was produced by David Downes (’93)
acive on the Vancouver With the departure of Patrick Pots the choral work was divided: Rosemary took on the
scene since the early direcion of both senior and junior choirs while Aoife led the schola into ever more adventurous
1970s, has performed and diicult liturgical pieces. And the founding in 2007 of an annual compeiion for instrumental
throughout Europe and
North America, and made musicians – for which the Fr Joseph Brennan Cup is awarded - has further raised the proile of
three concert tours of the music in the College.
former USSR. His long In the 58 years since Fr Hutchinson’s irst boys’ choir the tradiion of choral - and especially
associaion with the late liturgical - singing has gone from strength to strength. The academic study of music is irmly
tenor saxophonist Fraser established at the core of the curriculum and a group of talented and successful past pupils
MacPherson included a has established itself in all aspects of Irish musical life. Another aricle would be required if we
Juno Award-winning duo were to fully acknowledge Hugh Tinney, Finghin and Donagh Collins, Simon Morgan, Stephen
album in 1982. Gannon’s
recordings for Concord Fennelly, David Downes, Gonzagan members of Anuana, the Lassus Scholars, The Commitments,
Jazz are highly regarded The Thrills and many more professional and semi-professional musicians. And somehow there
by fans of mainstream jazz has been no menion of Zagapalooza.
guitar. He is among the In retrospect it would seem that Fr Veale’s aim, as enunciated in the early prospectus for
hardest swinging straight- the College, has been achieved. It is for another writer to address the appreciaion of other arts
ahead guitarists on the but there is litle doubt that in the past sixty years a deep appreciaion of music in many forms
planet, and can always be has been inculcated by the College.
relied upon to play with
momentum and grace.’
GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
as director of the annual opera. It was quickly realised that Murphy operas without Gerry’s guiding
OLIVER GANNON
hand would not have the same efect and so it was decided to move into the tradiional school
Oliver Gannon atended musical repertory. The iniial producion of Guys and Dolls was an outstanding success and was
Gonzaga in the 1950s. followed by The Pirates of Penzance and South Paciic. While Aoife Dunne directed and produced
A jazz guitarist based the musical the accompanying school orchestra was prepared by Rosemary O’Brien.
in Canada, he has a In his inal two years as Headmaster, Patrick Pots established a schola cantorum drawn from
considerable reputaion, as Sixth Year members of the choir. This small group performed more diicult pieces at the various
indicated by the following liturgical celebraions in the College calendar. This coninued focus on music for the liturgy was
remarks by Bill Barton, a
writer on jazz and other given a paricular expression in the CD recorded by the Choir in May 2007: AMDG, which was a
music since 1980: collecion of pieces (including the Mass in honour of St Aloysius Gonzaga) relecing the work of
the choir at the diferent celebraions on the liturgical year. The choir was accompanied on organ
‘Oliver Gannon has been by Dr Michael Quinn (’96) and the CD was produced by David Downes (’93)
acive on the Vancouver With the departure of Patrick Pots the choral work was divided: Rosemary took on the
scene since the early direcion of both senior and junior choirs while Aoife led the schola into ever more adventurous
1970s, has performed and diicult liturgical pieces. And the founding in 2007 of an annual compeiion for instrumental
throughout Europe and
North America, and made musicians – for which the Fr Joseph Brennan Cup is awarded - has further raised the proile of
three concert tours of the music in the College.
former USSR. His long In the 58 years since Fr Hutchinson’s irst boys’ choir the tradiion of choral - and especially
associaion with the late liturgical - singing has gone from strength to strength. The academic study of music is irmly
tenor saxophonist Fraser established at the core of the curriculum and a group of talented and successful past pupils
MacPherson included a has established itself in all aspects of Irish musical life. Another aricle would be required if we
Juno Award-winning duo were to fully acknowledge Hugh Tinney, Finghin and Donagh Collins, Simon Morgan, Stephen
album in 1982. Gannon’s
recordings for Concord Fennelly, David Downes, Gonzagan members of Anuana, the Lassus Scholars, The Commitments,
Jazz are highly regarded The Thrills and many more professional and semi-professional musicians. And somehow there
by fans of mainstream jazz has been no menion of Zagapalooza.
guitar. He is among the In retrospect it would seem that Fr Veale’s aim, as enunciated in the early prospectus for
hardest swinging straight- the College, has been achieved. It is for another writer to address the appreciaion of other arts
ahead guitarists on the but there is litle doubt that in the past sixty years a deep appreciaion of music in many forms
planet, and can always be has been inculcated by the College.
relied upon to play with
momentum and grace.’
