In Dublin this weekend there will be an unusual variety of musical events with Church of Ireland associations.
Tonight in St Ann's Church, Dawson Street, there will be a performance of J. S. Bach's Mass in B Minor, by Canzona Chamber Choir and the Orchestra of St Cecilia, conducted by Blanaid Murphy. The soloists at this Millennium Bach Festival event will be Anne O'Byrne, Collette McGahon, Robin Tritschler and John Milne. Tickets are available at the door.
Tomorrow the Friends of Christ Church Cathedral will celebrate the 70th anniversary of their foundation at Choral Evensong. The service will be followed by a reception at which the CD Sing O ye Heavens: Historic Anthems from Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin will be launched.
The CD has been recorded as part of the Christ Church Documents Series. The disc has been produced by Dr Barra Boydell, from the Department of Music in NUI, Maynooth, and features the Cathedral Choir, directed by Mark Duley, and guest soloists.
Tomorrow evening the Gaudete Singers, directed by Martin Cunningham, and with David Leigh at the organ, will give a concert in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, at 8 p.m. The programme will include Francisco Guerrer's 16th century Missa Sancta et Immaculata.
A pre-millennium conference under the auspices of the Councils for Mission at home and overseas continues today in the Emmanus Centre, Swords, Co Dublin. The title of the conference is "We Have a Gospel" and the leaders are the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Dr Richard Clarke, and the Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Rt Rev Harold Miller.
The chairman of the two councils, the Bishop of Limerick, the Rt Rev Edward Darling, and the Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Rev Brian Hannon, will attend, as will four representatives from each diocese, members of the Association of Missionary Societies, ordinands from the Theological College and staff from Church House.
Tomorrow RTE will broadcast Morning Service from the Chapel of Unity in the Methodist College, Belfast, which is the temporary home of the congregation of St George's Church, Belfast, while in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the preacher at the Sung Eucharist will be the rector of Taney, Canon Desmond Sinnamon.
The Bishop of Cork, the Rt Rev Paul Colton, will visit Cobh, Glanmire and Douglas, while the Bishop of Tuam, Dr Richard Henderson, will be in Colooney, Co Sligo.
In St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, there will be a special service for those who lost their lives on Irish ships at which the preacher will be Canon W.G. Neeley, Rector of Keady, Co Armagh.
The Bishop of Limerick will preside at the Villiers School Eucharist on Wednesday while the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey, will visit Wilson's Hospital School in Multyfarnham.
Dr Vincent McNamara from the Kimmage Mission Institute will be the speaker next Thursday in the "Theology at the Turn of the Millennium" lectures series at 8 p.m. in the School of Hebrew, Biblical and Theological Studies in Trinity College.
The Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, the Rt Rev John Neill, has appointed the Rev John Challender, Rector of Killeshin, to the Prebend of Killamery in the chapter of St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny, and to the Prebend of Aghold in St Laserian's Cathedral, Leighlin.