St Patrick’s Parish Church, Ballymena, is the venue for the next All Ireland Mothers’ Union Big Hymn Sing.

This is the finale of a series of services which have been held in every diocese across the island of Ireland during 2024 to raise monies for the MU’s Mums in May Fund which supports projects and initiatives across  Ireland  in accordance with the aims and objects of Mothers’ Union.

All the services have been well supported and the hymn singing really enjoyed by the members and guests. The Archbishop of Armagh will be in attendance, along with the Bishop of Connor and MU members and supporters from across the dioceses. All welcome.

The Clare Chorale will be leading the praise at the annual evening harvest thanksgiving service. There will be a supper following the service in the church hall.

Address of the church is;

192 Woodburn Road , Carrickfergus, BT38 9AB

The Clare Chorale will be providing the entertainment in the very prestigious venue of Hillsborough Castle.

For more information on this engagement, including the purchase of tickets, please follow this link to the Historical Royal Palaces website - Midsummer Concert at Hillsborough Castle

The Clare Chorale will be leading the praise at this well-attended church service.

Supper will be provided in the church hall after the service.

Concert in Cregagh Presbyterian Church, Cregagh Road, Belfast.

A concert with Third Carrickfergus Band

For more information on this band please follow this link - Third Carrickfergus Band

The choir has enjoyed very successful charity concerts in the wonderful surroundings of the Great Hall in Parliament Buildings in the past few seasons and hopes to repeat this success again in November 2023.

The Clare Chorale will be joined on the evening by Ballyclare Secondary School Senior Choir.

More details to follow.

Dr Steve Aiken OBE, who is the local MLA in Stormont, has very kindly agreed to be our parliamentary sponsor once again.

The choir will be singing in Woodburn Presbyterian Church at an evening harvest praise service. There will be a supper following the service in the church hall.

Address of the church is;

192 Woodburn Road , Carrickfergus, BT38 9AB

The Clare Chorale and our friends in Ballyclare Male Choir will be headlining on the Community Stage in Antrim town centre in a joint 90 minute performance from 3.30 to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 29 July.  This event is free and no ticket is required.

The Clare Chorale will be taking part in this event being organised by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council at Sentry Hill at 40 Ballycraigy Rd, Newtownabbey BT36 4SX.

Follow this link for a map - Sentry Hill

The Clare Chorale will be leading the praise at this special evening service to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the formation of Ballynure Presbyterian Church. The Celebration Praise will be an evening of readings and hymns and is an integral part of a week of celebrations culminating on the actual date, 18th June, 300 years on. George Hewitt from Glengormley Presbyterian Church will be the guest organist on the night.

Our choir president, Richard Wallace, has written a book entitled ‘For all the Saints’ and it will be launched in the church hall on Monday 12th June at 7:30pm, priced at £8.00. It will be an interesting publication for anyone with an interest in the history of the church. The church congregation was formed in 1723 with the present church building being consecrated in 1852.

The Clare Chorale will be joining their friends in Ballyclare Male Choir, Ballyclare Victoria Flute Band and Ballyduff Silver Band for an evening of music and song. This is one of the many events being held to celebrate Ballyclare May Fair. It runs from 7:00pm until 9:30pm.

This event is free but a booking must be made online by following this link to the Antrim and Newtownabbey website - Book A Ticket

The Clare Chorale celebrates 20 years since its formation this year and the well known Ballyclare Male Choir has reached an even bigger milestone of 90 years. Given the many links and friendships forged between the two choirs over the past 20 years it is a delight to announce a joint choir celebration service to be held in 2nd Ballyeaston Presbyterian Church. This will be an evening to reflect on the separate paths the individual choirs have made since their inception and importantly to give thanks for the love they both have of singing. Both choirs will feature some of the most popular songs from their extensive repertoires built up over the years. It should be wonderful evening of music.

Choir concert in Loanends Presbyterian Church

We are delighted to tell you about an upcoming event this Saturday morning, 28th January, in Ballyclare Town Hall.

This year The Clare Chorale celebrates its 20th Anniversary and to mark this tremendous milestone we will be in the Town Hall from 10:30 am until 12 noon, for a time of Music, Charity and Celebration.

At 11:00 am our Choir President and our Chairman will welcome you, together with local media, dignitaries and business leaders, and briefly outline some of the exciting and ambitious plans for our dynamic, local, mixed-voice choir as we enter our third decade of music making. A choir brochure will also be launched at this event.

You will be able to hear us perform some of our vast and varied repertoire, lead by our award-winning and wonderful Musical Director, Sheelagh Greer, and also have an opportunity to donate to our chosen charity for this season, "NI Chest Heart & Stroke."

You will of course also be able to enjoy the obligatory cup of tea or coffee and nibbles!!

Our mantra is "It's the music that brings us together," so we would be delighted if you could pop in and join us on Saturday morning!

See you there!

The Clare Chorale is joining First Dance NI in support of Macmillan Cancer Support. Come along and support eight local (and very nervous!) couples who have never danced like this before, undertaking either a Ballroom or Latin American dance! From the Cha-cha, Jive or Tango to the Waltz, Foxtrot or Quickstep!

Come along for a great night’s craic and support the wonderful work of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Who wins? You decide!

The show will also feature a performance from The Leading Ladies

Tickets are available from the Theatre at The Mill by following this link - Strictly Come Dancing

For more information on the Macmillan Cancer Support charity follow this link - Macmillan

The first engagement of the new season will be a concert in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall hosted by the Mothers’ Union. This concert will be the finale of the Mothers’ Union annual conference, the Annual Gathering 2022, being held in Belfast.

Tickets for the evening concert should be purchased through the Eventbrite booking site which can be accessed by following this link - Eventbrite

Tickets are £15 plus a booking fee of £1.76. Please note that there will be no allocated seating for the evening concert. Seating will be first-come first-served with doors opening at 7.00pm.

For more information on the overall conference follow this link - Annual Gathering 2022

The choir’s 18th annual concert will be held in the Theatre at the Mill.   Guests on the night will be the wonderful band Festival Brass conducted by Alan Corry.

Tickets are available from the theatre box-office by calling in person, by telephone or via the theatre website - follow this link to book tickets - Theatre at the Mill

Sing Out and celebrate the familiar words & music of Christmas with John Anderson and four great choirs, classical and traditional musicians, sacred and secular music as the ancient and the modern combine. Recorded in St Colmcille’s in Holywood, the wonderful sound of The Fermanagh Choral Society (conductor David Robertson), the Clare Chorale (conductor Sheelagh Greer), the choir of Carrickfergus Grammar School and Grosvenor (both conducted by Edward Craig) all feature some of their favourite pieces. And then the thrilling sound as the choirs combine and are joined by Stephen Hamill (organ) and Downshire Brass conducted by Michael Alcorn. The Uillean piper and multi-instrumentalist Oisín MCann brings a beautiful traditional interpretation to some of our most loved pieces. In the words of the song, Christmas may well be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ but it is also a time of extraordinary contrasts. Particularly as the commercial world competes with the sacred message for our attention. Sing Out Christmas reflects that wonderful mixture with some popular secular favourites and some of the most beautiful profound reflections on the birth of Christ. So the invitation is . . . Sing Out Christmas with us and celebrate!

This concert has been cancelled by the church due to concerns about the spread of the Coronavirus.

This concert has been postponed and will be re-scheduled at a later date.

The Clare Chorale will be performing in St Bride’s church in the Parish of Kilbride near Doagh.

Tickets are available now from the church wardens or from David Holmes, Choir Secretary or speak with any choir member who can contact David regarding tickets.

Ticket price is £10:00 which includes supper after the concert.

The Clare Chorale will be holding a sing-in upstairs in Ballyclare Town Hall. Feel free to drop in for as long as you want and listen to the choir whilst enjoying a cup of tea or coffee. The choir’s nominated charity is the Children’s Heartbeat trust and the sing-in is a fundraising event for it.

The Clare Chorale will be singing at a concert in Rademon (First Kilmore) Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church. Also taking part will be a quartet from the church - The Rademon Singers.

There is no entry fee but donations will be gratefully accepted at the end .

Address:

(First Kilmore) Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church

17 Listooder Road, Crossgar, BT30 9JE

Directions:

From Belfast: Take the A7 road (Signposted Downpatrick). Travel through Saintfield and before the outskirts of Crossgar, there is a signpost for Listooder. TURN RIGHT onto the Old Saintfield Road, and shortly after, TURN LEFT. Follow the Abbeyview Road for about 1.5 miles until its junction with Listooder Road, TURN LEFT. After about another quarter of a mile the Church is set back off the road on the left hand side. The Hall will be visible first.

From Crossgar: Take the Ballynahinch Road travelling north. After 1 1/2 miles, there is a green direction sign for Rademon Church. TURN RIGHT onto this road and the Church is set back on the right hand side.

Minister

Rev. Dr. Heather Walker

The Clare Chorale will be leading the praise at this harvest service.

Charity concert in Abbey Presbyterian Church, Monkstown

Joan Strong, who is a member of the soprano section of The Clare Chorale, will be installed as the President of the Methodist Women in Ireland in Glengormley Methodist Church and The Clare Chorale has been invited to sing at this very special service.