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Evening of Music in Devenish Parish Church, Monea
Evening of Music in Devenish Parish Church, Monea

A evening of music recently took place in what was a packed Devenish Parish Church at Monea near Enniskillen in aid of the parish rectory fund. The majority of the performance on the evening was given by Portadown Male Voice Choir which was accompanied by Steven Bell. The choir, which is one of the leading male voice choirs in Ireland, is composed of over forty members and their performance included a wide variety of sacred and secular music.
The choir opened the evening by singing Seventy Six Trombones by Meredith Willson and arranged by William Stickles. They also performed The White Rose arranged by Jack Haigh, followed by The Song of The Jolly Roger by Chudleigh Candish.
In addition to the choir, the evening also featured distinguished Flautist, Ronnie Bothwell, who is a member of the choir. The choir was directed by Gordon Speers, who is a renowned Bass soloist and has won numerous awards. In addition to conducting, Ronnie also gave a solo performance, and both he and Gordon were accompanied by Phillip Elliott, an exceptional organist who also performed a few pieces on the organ.
The choir went on to sing Nirvana by Stephen Adams and arranged by Bryan Davies, followed by The Pasture by Randall Thompson, and before the interval they performed Nessun Dorma by Puccini arranged by Alan Simmons.
The second half of the performance opened with Bring Him Home by Schonberg, from Les Miserables, followed by Going Home by Anton Dvorak, and a Medley from “Oliver” by Lionel Bart arranged by Alan Simmons.
Formed in 1926 Portadown Male Voice Choir is one of the oldest surviving Male Voice Choirs in Ireland. Under the guidance of Musical Director Gordon Speers the Choir has attended numerous festivals and competitions with resounding success.
The choir has emblazoned the name of Portadown not only in Ireland and Great Britain but has also toured Germany, Canada and recently visited Georgia in the United States.
The Choir’s most recent success was at Portadown Music Festival winning both the Male Voice Section and the Trophy for the Best Choir on the night of all sections. Apart from a few weddings during the summer, the Choirs next major engagement is at the International Choral Festival in the Isle of Man in October.
To conclude the evening, the choir performed four final pieces, Make Believe by Jerome Kern arranged by William Stickles, Speed Your Journey by Verdi, from Nabucco, Gwahoddiad arranged by John Tudor Davies, and finally, When the Saints Go Marching In arranged by Denys Hood.