Saint Brigid’s Day Crosses
The oratory was a hive of activity last week as Transition and Fifth Year students made hundreds of Saint Brigid’s crosses in honour of Saint Brigid. These crosses were then sold by TY students after mass in Saint Mel’s Cathedral on February 1st. The crosses were beautifully presented and accompanied by a prayer card. This year, the students sold the crosses in aid of MS Ireland. This cause is very close to the hearts of the MSM community especially for the care and support they provided for one of our students Ella and her family before the recent passing of her father. We would like to thank all the students who worked so diligently, the guidance and support of Ms Macko, Ms Clancy and Ms Finlay and finally a special thank you to all those who purchased crosses on the day. Lá Fhéile Bríde.
Cross Country Competition
Well done to our three first year girls, Katie, Cara and Darcey who participated in the 1500m cross-country race in Ballymote Co.Sligo on Tuesday the 30th of January. We are also delighted for Darcey and Katie who qualified for the Connacht Finals. This next race will take place at the end of February.
Composers in the Classroom
Friday January 26th was a momentous date in the diary of our Composers in the Classroom students who travelled to their Gala Concert in the National Concert Hall. Accompanied by their music teacher Ms White, the students attended a performance by the Chamber Choir of original compositions composed by none other than the students themselves. The performance was the culmination of many hours, weeks and months of hard work, dedication and creativity.
Composers in the Classroom is a learning and participation programme delivered by Chamber Choir Ireland and the Contemporary Music Centre. Meán Scoil Mhuire was one of only eight schools in the country who participated in the programme in 2024. The project supports students to compose and record original classical pieces.
Our students gained invaluable knowledge and experience as they participated in this programme. Mentored and guided by composer, Alison Barber, our five participating students Aoibheann, Ava, Maria, Ava and Ella, initially participated in four workshops aimed at supporting them to compose their own original classical piece. The students then received the assistance of a soprano singer who reviewed their compositions and once again offered guidance and tips for improvement.
At the conclusion of the programme Aoibheann composed a piece called "Moon," Ava composed a piece entitled "Stars," Maria composed a piece called "The Road Not Taken" and Ava and Ella worked together on composing a piece called "Nothing Gold Can Stay."
On Wednesday, January 24th, the students, accompanied by their teacher, Ms White travelled to the National Concert Hall where they met with Chamber Choir, Ireland.
During the day, the students’ original compositions were recorded by the Chamber Choir and they will soon receive a copy of their own recorded composition. The pinnacle of the project was a live performance of all participating schools’ original compositions by Chamber Choir Ireland on January 26th.
We would like to commend all our students on this magnificent achievement and also to thank Ms White for her dedication to this invaluable and incredibly beneficial programme.