Sir, - Daniel O'Connell is reputed to have contributed to the building of the splendid church of St. Andrew in Westland Row, Dublin, shortly after Catholic emancipation, though I am sure others have more accurate knowledge of those times. With that church, that great repository of faith and people, there has always been a choir of renown as there is today.
It is a four part choir under the gifted tutelage of its choral director Dom Brendan Kelly and accompanied on a magnificent 60 year old organ courted and played by an equally accomplished musician, Richard Morton. Like the West port parish church (letters, November 27th) St Andrew's perform at the 11.30 am Mass every Sunday, excluding summer holidays, and many who come to hear remain to pray. The choir sing anthems and motets also in English, Irish and in Latin with midnight Mass, now starting at 7.30 pm, being sung to a packed and enthusiastic congregation.
The ghastly introduction of fiddles and wailings into the celebration of Mass, whilst creating another stage for the participants and another form of free entertainment for its audience, has offended those who found Vatican II more a schism than a Council, and takes away from the joy and the triumph of the Resurrection. A four part choir, representing the Church penitent and the Church triumphant, gives glory to God and strength and joy to the congregation. The choir of St Andrews in Westland Row gives that joy and that renewal and are a credit to their parish, their dedicated choral director and to themselves. - Yours, etc.,
Upper Kilmacud Road,
Goatstown,
Dublin 14.