Thirty years of music and joy for Altnagelvin Hospital Choir

2024 promises to bring significant celebrations for Altnagelvin Hospital Choir, as they mark a huge milestone in their 30th anniversary year.

The talented choral group, which boasts up to 50 members, will recall key highlights and past members in their anniversary commemorations whilst they embark on a number of exciting 2024 concerts.

Mary Coyle, a Choir Committee member and participant for 17 years, explained why being part of the choir is such a special experience.

“The choir brings a lot of joy to its members,” she said.

“Music has a very therapeutic effect and all the choir members benefit from the inclusion and joy of making music together.

“For the staff who work long and difficult jobs at times, it is a great benefit to our mental and social wellbeing.

“We have members aged in their 20s and in their 70s and 80s and everyone thoroughly enjoys the friendships that form between our members.

“An essential part of each rehearsal is the tea break, where we have tea and chat to our friends!”

Altnagelvin Hospital Choir will begin the 2024 season with a concert on Sunday, January 28 at 7.30pm at Christ Church, Infirmary Road entitled “Music for a Winter’s Eve”.

The concert will feature the Choir performing Mozart, Great Mass in C Minor and Haydn, Te Deum in C Major with an orchestra and soloists, Charlotte O’Hare, Rebekah Coffey, Aaron O’Hare and Chris Wright.

Formed in 1994 by Mrs Stella Burnside and Altnagelvin staff, the choir began as a work-based choral group but developed through time to include former staff, relatives, friends and others adopting the shared vision.

The Choir’s ethos is based on a shared belief that music and choral singing brings hospital staff and the wider community tangible benefits of well-being and cultural enhancement.

Mary describes how the Choir is based on cross-community principles and charitable aims, in addition to musical interpretation:

“We perform two main fundraising concerts per year to support local and national charities, which have a focus on health and social well-being, and have raised and donated over £40,000 to 27 individual charities.

“In addition, the choir performs at the annual Intensive Care Unit Memorial service.

“The choir is very proud of our cross-community basis and sings at annual carol services in many of the local churches across the community.

“A highlight every year is the annual carol singing around the hospital wards where we hope to spread a little festive joy to patients, staff and visitors.”

Named 2001 Lyric FM Community Choir of the Year, Altnagelvin Hospital Choir was also awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2009.

This year, the Choir will support Life After, a Northern Ireland based charity, delivering support services to family and friends of those who have lost their lives through road traffic collision.

The Choir performs an impressive repertoire, focusing on classical choral music, and Mary describes a personal highlight within the thirty years:

“We performed Messiah by Handel, at The Guildhall in Derry/Londonderry, on Saturday May 18 2019 on our 25th year, our Silver Anniversary.

“In the same year, “The Sparrow’s Anthem” was written and composed especially for the choir, with text by local poet Sam Burnside and music by Anselm McDonnell.”

Meeting every Thursday evening in the Trust Headquarters at Altnagelvin Hospital, the choir is led by director Dr Derek Collins and Nicky Morton as accompanist.

The choir always welcomes potential new members without audition, but some previous experience of singing in a choir is beneficial.
Altnagelvin Hospital Choir may be remembering three decades this year but are eagerly looking towards the future.

Mary summarised their next steps:

“Another concert, in addition to January’s, is currently being planned for the spring to finish the 23/24 season.

“We are also planning a social night out for members before our summer break!

“As for the future, we would like to continue providing enjoyment for choir members, patients and staff of the Western Health and Social Care Trust and our audiences for many years to come.”

Further information can be found on altnagelvinhospitalchoir.org, by emailing altnagelvinhospitalchoir@gmail.com or on their Facebook and Instagram pages.