About Cantairí Avondale

Welcome

Cantairí Avondale is a mixed-voice choir based in Dublin city centre. The choir performs a wide variety of choral music including a capella partsongs (both sacred and secular), madrigals, jazz and modern classics, plainchant, and oratorio. The choir has won many choral competitions, including the Mixed Voice Choir Competition and the Popular Music/Choruses Competition at Navan Choral Festival 2011: and the Mixed Voice Choir Competition and the Chamber Choir Competition at Aims Choral Festival, New Ross 2011. The choir has previously won the Open National SATB competition at Cork International Choral Festival. (see Awards page)

Cantairí Avondale was founded in 1972 by Dr. Seán Creamer. He was succeeded in 1988 by Dr. Mary O’ Flynn who became its Director of Music for the next twenty years.

Ruaidhrí Ó Dálaigh was appointed Director of Music in 2008 and has continued the choir's tradition of producing choral singing that brings joy and inspiration to the choir and its audiences.

Go to music page

In addition to competing in various choral competitions, Cantairí Avondale puts on at least two concerts every year. The choir has a proud record in commissioning and performing new choral works by outstanding Irish composers such as John Buckley, Marion Ingoldsby and Rhona Clarke. In 2010, the choir premiered “Pursuing Moths”, a work composed by Michael J Gallen and based on a poem by Ann Leahy, which was commissioned in recognition of Mary O’Flynn’s contribution to the choir.

The choir rehearses in Scoil Chaoimhín (Department of Education), Marlborough Street on Mondays from 7.45 to 10.00pm. New members are welcome to audition at the start of each term. An ability to sight-read is an advantage but not a requirement.