Continuing the series of fund-raising concerts at St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny in aid of the restoration fund The Colorado Cantata Choir will perform at St Mary’s on Friday 13thJune at 7.30pm sharp. The Choir is comprised of singers from two nearby communities in the Denver area: Arvada and Greeley. The singers hail from the Arvada United Methodist Church (directed by Tim Kennedy), and the Greeley First Congregationalist Church (directed by Nicholas Gilmore). Tim and Nicholas are long-time friends who have realized the dream of merging their ensembles into one touring choir. Dan Nebel is the organist and accompanist.
The Cantata Choir of Arvada United Methodist Church in Arvada, Colorado was formed in 2011 and prepares a Christmas Cantata and Easter Cantata each year which incorporates pieces of choir with orchestra, handbells, and sometimes Children’s Choir. In addition to performing at Arvada United Methodist Church, the choir has been invited to perform on the Concert Series of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, Colorado. They have also been invited to perform with the Arvada Chorale for a presentation of the Brahms Requiem and Loveland Opera for a performance of Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti. The choir’s repertoire includes the works of Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Faure, Brahms as well as more contemporary composers including Mark A. Miller, Dan Forrest, Kyle Pederson, and John Rutter among many others. The choir also presents concerts with works from the genres of African-American Spirituals, Gospel, Jazz, and Bluegrass. In 2024, the Cantata Choir presented the Colorado premiere of Taylor Scott Davis’ Magnificat. Other recent large works performed include Michael John Trotta’s The Seven Last Words of Christ and Heather Sorenson’s Requiem.
Timothy Kennedy is a Choral Conductor, Stage Director, Music Director, Performer, Playwright and Teaching Artist. He has served as the Director of Music and Worship Arts for Arvada United Methodist Church for thirteen years. As a Music Director, Kennedy has conducted ensembles and musicals at Loveland Opera, Pensacola Opera, Evergreen Chorale, Ovation West, Equinox Theater, Louisiana State University, and University of West Florida. As a solo performer, he has been seen on the stages of the Graz Music Festival, Linz Choral Festival, Colorado Symphony, Amarillo Symphony, High Point University, Louisiana State University, Shreveport Summer Music Festival, New Opera Festival di Roma, Pensacola Opera, Natchez Opera, Arvada Chorale, and Northwest Florida Symphony. As a Teaching Artist, he has been a presenter and a teacher-in-residence at Pennsylvania State University, Opera America, the Dallas Public School System, Loveland Opera, Pensacola Opera, Mobile Opera, and the National Performing Arts Conference.
Nicholas Gilmore is an active conductor living in Colorado, USA. He is also an active composer, arranger, and vocal coach. Gilmore has led many opera companies as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor including Heartland Opera Theatre in Missouri, Ozark Family Opera in Arkansas, and the Halifax Summer Opera Festival in Nova Scotia. Performances of L’elisir d’amore for Pacific Opera Project in Los Angeles were called “fiercely conducted” by LA’s Splash Magazines, and Opera Today wrote, “Gilmore’s light, airy but propulsive reading of the score captured both its comedy and its underlying sentiment.” He has conducted works for Symphony Orchestra in the USA and on Tour in Europe, including many of his own arrangements and was the featured conductor for both the Wichita and Northern Colorado Open Space New Music Festivals. He has taught at Missouri Southern State University, Crowder College, and The University of Northern Colorado, and currently serves as the Director of Music at First Congregational Church in Greeley, CO.
Completing the programme of music will be violin soloist Robert Hirko from Hungary and the Suspiro Male Voice Choir from Kilkenny under the baton of Sean O’Neill and accompanist Joy Bibby.
Admission is €10 at the door.
