The Kilkenny Choir

The Kilkenny Choir The Kilkenny Choir is a mixed voice choir of 100 members which aims to share with audiences a rich variety of choral music. Canice’s Cathedral, St.

The Choir performs twice each choir season at Christmas and in April. Choir rehearsals take place on Wed Nights from 7.30 -9.30pm The Kilkenny Choir is a mixed voice choir of over 100 members which aims to share with its audiences a rich variety of choral music. It was founded in 1992 by Philip Edmondson and has become a nationally recognized choral ensemble. Choir members enjoy performing in the

beautiful acoustics of some of our local churches including St. Canice’s Catholic Church and St. John’s Parish Church. Our biannual concerts, which feature professional orchestra and soloists, draw in appreciative audiences. The Choir boasts a repertoire that spans musical works from 17th Century composers Monteverdi and Bach to 20th Century Britten, Duruflé, Lauridsen and Rutter, taking in other composers like Handel, Haydn and Mozart along the way. Over the years, the Kilkenny Choir has collaborated with a number of other choral societies including the Carlow Choral Society, East Cork Choral Society and Dun Laoghaire Choral Society with whom they performed Handel’s Messiah conducted by David Brophy. The Kilkenny Choir has, for more than thirty years, afforded many members the opportunity to sing the great works to an exceptionally high standard, while pushing the musical boundaries in Kilkenny. In 2018, on Philip’s retirement, Thomas Kehoe was appointed Musical Director. Now under the baton of Kilkenny native musician and director Patrick Rafter, the choir looks forward to an exciting 2025/26 season.

🎶 And we’re back! 🎶After a well-earned summer break, Kilkenny Choir is ready to begin a brand new choral year!New season...
05/09/2026

🎶 And we’re back! 🎶

After a well-earned summer break, Kilkenny Choir is ready to begin a brand new choral year!

New season. New repertoire. New music. 🎵

Our first rehearsal is this Wednesday, 9th September, and we can’t wait to get back into the rehearsal room, find our voices and see what the new year has in store.

After the incredible response to our Spring Concert, we’re excited to see what comes next!

The voices are rested… the music is waiting… let’s begin! 🎶

Stay tuned — there’s plenty more to come!

As we come to the end of another choral season, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported The K...
15/05/2026

As we come to the end of another choral season, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported The Kilkenny Choir throughout the year.

From those who attended our concerts, shared our posts, sent kind messages, encouraged us online, or simply followed along with our journey — your support means more than you know.

We are still blown away by the response to our Spring Concert. To perform to a packed cathedral and receive such wonderful feedback both in person and online was truly special for all of us. The kindness, encouragement, and enthusiasm shown by people across the globe and right here in Kilkenny has been phenomenal.

As a community choir, it is a privilege to come together each week to make music — and even more special to share it with such supportive audiences and followers.

For now, we’ll give our voices a well-earned rest over the summer, but we look forward to returning in September with fresh energy, a brand new repertoire, and plenty more music to share.

Until then — thank you for being part of our journey, and stay tuned for what’s to come. 🎶

Greetings from Kilkenny, Ireland 🇮🇪

06/05/2026

The opening moments…

The first movement of Requiem by Gabriel Fauré — calm and contemplative, with moments of quiet drama that build anticipation for what’s to come.

A wonderful job by our conductor, Patrick Rafter, guiding choir and orchestra through its subtle and flowing rhythms — no small task.

We’re delighted to share this clip, with sincere thanks to our friend and supporter Douglas Harper for capturing and allowing us to share it. 🎶

What was your favourite moment from the night?

A huge thank you to our wonderful front of house volunteers who played such an important role in making our Spring Conce...
05/05/2026

A huge thank you to our wonderful front of house volunteers who played such an important role in making our Spring Concert run so smoothly.

From welcoming our audience, checking tickets, selling at the door, distributing programmes, and guiding people to their seats — you were the friendly faces that set the tone for the whole evening.

We are incredibly grateful for your time, willingness to serve and good humour throughout the night. Events like this simply wouldn’t happen without your help.

Pictured here:
Back row (L–R): Donal Cadigan, Máirtín Ó Ríordáin, Tommy O’Rourke
Front row (L–R): Michael Lyndon, Kevin Hanley

Thank you all so much

Behind every performance is a team working quietly to make it all happen.Our sincere thanks to the wonderful committee o...
05/05/2026

Behind every performance is a team working quietly to make it all happen.

Our sincere thanks to the wonderful committee of The Kilkenny Choir, whose dedication, planning, and countless hours of work bring each concert to life. From the smallest details to the big picture, their commitment is what makes evenings like our Spring Concert possible.

A special word of thanks to our chairperson, Avril Matthews, who has just completed her first year in the role with great success — guiding us with energy, organisation, and just the right amount of keeping us all in check!

We are so grateful to our fantastic committee members — Una Robinson, Des Kearney, Bríd O’Riordan, Betsy Rice, Stephen O’Connor, and Patricia Harper — for all that you do behind the scenes.

Pictured here with our conductor, Patrick Rafter, this is the team who help make it all possible.

A special word of thanks to our wonderful organist, Simon Harden, pictured here at the organ in St Canice’s Cathedral, ...
05/05/2026

A special word of thanks to our wonderful organist, Simon Harden, pictured here at the organ in St Canice’s Cathedral, after Saturday night’s Spring Concert.

In Fauré’s Requiem, the organ provides a rich, sustaining foundation, gently supporting the choir and adding depth to the overall sound.

Simon has worked extensively as an organist and accompanist across Ireland, and we are always so fortunate to have him play with Kilkenny Choir.

04/05/2026

Fauré’s Requiem “In Paradisum” in St Canice’s Cathedral on Saturday night was a really special sing.

And yes… the sopranos were on form, if I do say so myself 😉. Just a wonderful night!!

🎬 A big thank you to our friend and supporter of the choir, Douglas Harper for capturing this beautiful moment for us.

One of the highlights of our musical calendar, our Spring Concert is always something special — and this year was no exc...
04/05/2026

One of the highlights of our musical calendar, our Spring Concert is always something special — and this year was no exception.

We were so fortunate to share the stage in St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny with such outstanding musicians. A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful soloists, Seán Boylan and Rachel Croash, whose performances brought such beauty and expression to the evening.

Special thanks also to our musical director, Patrick Rafter, whose dedication and vision made the concert what it was.

You all helped make the night truly memorable — thank you.

Patrick Rafter - Violinist

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Parnell Street
Kilkenny

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