WHEN I'M out for a night-time walk around the neighbourhood where I live, in Ballsbridge, Dublin, and I come to the junction of Clyde Road and Elgin Road, I often hear heavenly music, writes Hugh Oram
It emanates from St Bartholomew's Church, as the organist gets in a spot of practice. Then the distinctive chimes of the church clock ring out the quarter-hour or hour.
St Bartholomew's was consecrated in 1867 for the parish formed three years previously from two neighbouring parishes in Donnybrook. It's hard to imagine now, but when the church was built, Clyde Road was open fields.
The church was designed by an English architect, Thomas Henry Wyatt, later described by John Betjeman as one of the dullest of the Victorian architects, a verdict that seems a little unfair when you look at St Bartholemew's. The original plans called for a spire to top the octagonal tower, but this never happened - whether the reason was financial or structural, no one knows today.
All the decorative work around the sanctuary was designed by Sir Thomas Deane, who took his inspiration from Monreale cathedral in Sicily. This medieval cathedral has vast mosaics, created with a strong Byzantine influence. The angelic frescoes in the Clyde Road church are complemented by the stained glass windows, the mosaics on the floor and the hammerbeam roof. Fortunately, the structure and interior of the church, full of vibrant colour, remain in good condition.
Next door to the church, the vast vicarage and parish hall were opened in 1872; they are now owned by the Knights of Malta, although St Bartholomew's still has the use of the hall. Mainie Jellett, one of Ireland's most noted artists, was a regular communicant at the church and held one of her first exhibitions in this parish hall.
Hardly surprisingly, the design of the interior reflects St Bartholomew's determinedly High Church beginnings and it has continued so right up to the present. It may be Church of Ireland, but the vicar is known as "Father". As for its large and dedicated congregation, more socially diverse than the vicar had expected, it comes from as far away as Co Wicklow.
The church has a new, youthful team at the helm. The new vicar, appointed early this summer, is Andrew McCroskery, who previously ministered in Youghal, Co Cork. He is 34, while the new organist and director of music, Fraser Wilson, who was appointed at about the same time, is 24. Previous clerics at the church included George Otto Simms, who went on to become Primate of All Ireland.
Ever since the church opened, music has been integral to its tradition and one of Fraser Wilson's predecessors, William Henry Vipond Barry, was organist and choirmaster from 1884 until 1938, an astonishing record. The manual organ is regarded as one of the finest of any church in Dublin and its most recent renovation was completed eight years ago.
The warm acoustic of St Bartholomew's was discovered many years ago; the first radio broadcast of an organ recital at the church was made in 1935. These days, the church is used frequently for recordings and rehearsals. Christ Church Cathedral Choir's latest commercial CD was recorded here earlier this year and is due to be released shortly. A singer specialising in weddings recorded her demo CD here recently and the National Chamber Choir has been using the church for rehearsals.
But it's for its own choirs that St Bartholomew's is best known. It has the only remaining all-boys choir in a Church of Ireland parish church in the Republic. Recently, nine new boys were recruited. The girl's choir is more recent, founded about five years ago. The two children's choirs between them have 44 children. The church also has about 15 men in its men's choir. It has plans to set up a chamber choir in the near future. Happily, say Fraser and Andrew, there's a strong appetite in Dublin for choral performance.
In addition, the church has the services of the Elgin Chorale, composed largely of members of the congregation, but also including regular members of the men's choir and people from outside the parish, who sing services during choir holidays.
One choral member at St Bartholomew's has a particularly distinguished record: Bobby Barden has been a member of the the choir, boy and man, for the past 66 years. Years ago, Dr Houston Colleson, a musical collaborator of Percy French, sang in the church choir in his student days. Another former choirboy is Malcolm Proud, one of Ireland's foremost harpsichordists. Tim Thurston, presenter of Lyric FM's Gloria programme on Sunday mornings, is a regular current member of the choir.
As Fr McCroskery explains, St Bartholemew's wants to expand both its liturgical and musical traditions. The church takes part in the Voice for Life scheme, a training programme for church singing, which is run by the Royal School of Church Music in Salisbury. It so happens, very usefully, that the man who runs this scheme here in Ireland, Peter Parshall, also happens to be the assistant director of music at St Bartholomew' s.
As Fraser Wilson comments, Christmas is party time. During November, the church will have a concert every week, while the candlelit Advent procession, with singing by the boys and men, will be on November 30th.
The service of carols and readings, featuring Alan Stanford, now in its 20th year, will be on December 14th. On December 16th the AIB Choral Society will perform, the service of lessons and carols is on December 16th. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve will feature the world premiere of a piece by composer Peter Macintosh, while the traditional Christmas Day Eucharist is at 11am.
The church is still basking in the rave reviews of the Irish première of the very earliest Spanish opera (1665) Celos aun del aire matan, performed there in July.
It' s a church deservedly admired for its interior design and for the musical refreshment it offers, even for night-time walkers.