One of the more agreeable uses for the Church of Ireland churches and cathedrals, apart from their principal liturgical functions, is for concerts and recitals. This is scarcely surprising, since many churches have fine acoustics and many are centrally located in towns and cities. In the summer months in particular, local communities have become used to visits from musical performers from all over the world, and have especially welcomed those who have contributed to the liturgy.
This week a new musical venture begins when Opera Theatre Company, the national touring company of Ireland, which is based in Dublin, will present the Venetian comedy Erismena in four Church of Ireland venues.
This evening and tomorrow evening, the company will be in St Werburgh's Church, Castle Street, Dublin, and on Tuesday they will be in Christ Church, Waterford.
On Thursday, there will be a performance in St Nicholas's Collegiate Church, Galway, and the series will end on September 22nd in St George's Church, High Street, Belfast.
The initiative is the brainchild of the former curate of the Christ Church Cathedral group of parishes, Andrew McClennan, who is now pursuing a career in arts administration.
Today, the Fellowship of Contemplative Prayer will host a Quiet Day in Drumbo Parish Church, Ballylesson, Co Antrim, where the witness will be the Rev Leslie Crampton, Rector of Geashill and Killeigh, Co Offaly. In All Hallows College, Drumcondra, members of the Association of Interchurch Families will meet informally at noon to exchange ideas and experiences and review future developments.
Tomorrow, RTE will broadcast Morning Service from St Mary's Cathedral, Tuam, where the Dean is the Very Rev Alister Grimason. In St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, at Evensong there will be a Commemoration of the Battle of Britain, at which the preacher will be the Dean's Vicar, the Rev Charles Mullen.
On Tuesday, the third in the current series of lunchtime lectures, jointly sponsored by Christ Church Cathedral and Dublin Corporation, will take place in City Hall at 1.15 p.m., when Dr Edward McParland will speak on the architect, Thomas Cooley, and the design of City Hall. In St Brigid's Cathedral, Kildare, the address at the Diocesan Mothers' Union Festival will be given by Mrs Paddy Wallace, Diocesan President of the Connor Mothers' Union. The Representative Body and the Standing Committee will meet in Church of Ireland House, Dublin, and the House of Bishops will meet on Wednesday.
The Diocesan Festival Service of the Mothers' Union in Dublin and Glendalough will be held in Monkstown Parish Church on Wednesday evening, when the address will be given by Mrs Thelma Mehaffey, the All-Ireland President.
In the Church of Ireland Theological College, the annual conference of the Irish College of Preachers begins and continues until Friday. In Belfast on Friday, the Archbishop of Armagh will preach at the 40th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service in the Church of the Epiphany, Upper Malone, while in St Anne's Cathedral there will be a recital by the Glasgow Phoenix Choir, which is the successor to the famous Glasgow Orpheus Choir.
The Sudan Support Group Ireland will host a workshop on the New Sudan Council of Churches' People to People Peace Process, on Friday, in the Molesworth Hall, behind St Ann's Church, Dublin. The principal speakers will be the NSCC facilitators, Emmanuel Lowilla and Liz Phillippo, and Joseph Liechty, who teaches reconciliation studies in the Irish School of Ecumenics. Details may be had from the Secretary, SSGI, at 01-2807452.