Last weekend (10-12 January 2025), fifteen of the finest emerging choral singers from across Ireland and Northern Ireland came together for the first of three training weekends as part of the CCI Studio 2025.
The CCI Studio was established to offer dedicated training and development for young singers, equipping them with the necessary skills and experience to pursue a professional choral singing career.
Following a highly competitive selection process last autumn, these young artists worked through the weekend with conductor Eamonn Dougan (The Sixteen, Britten Sinfonia Voices), taking part in workshops and rehearsing side-by-side with mentors from within the ranks of Chamber Choir Ireland. They will return for further training weekends in March and May of this year.
In addition to the training weekends, the CCI Studio singers have the opportunity to observe Chamber Choir Ireland rehearsals, attend CCI concerts, and later in the year, some Studio singers will be selected to perform in concert with Chamber Choir Ireland.
The selected singers are:
Sopranos – Emma Arthur, Rosie Cameron, Emily Doyle, Caitríona Fitzmaurice
Altos – Niamh Kearney, Hilary Lennon, Faye Maloney, Naoise Whearity
Tenors – Darragh Bacon, Oliver Heath, David Yau
Basses – Fayed Bosola Ojewale, Cian Grant, Niall Kelly, Harry Watchorn
Some of these singers are just starting out in their studies, like Niall Kelly (Bass, Dublin) who took the first steps towards a career in music in last year’s CCI Studio, and has since begun his third level Music studies at Trinity College Dublin. Others are at the other side of their studies, like Emma Arthur (Soprano, Westmeath), currently pursuing her PhD at Oxford University, where she is a Choral Scholar at Merton College.
University ensembles have been an excellent training ground for a number of these young artists, like Cian Grant (Bass, Dublin) who sang with the Maynooth University Chamber Choir; Niamh Kearney (Newry) who is a Choral Scholar in the collegiate chapel choir of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London; and Fayed Bosola Ojewale (Bass, Dublin) who sings with the Choral Scholars of UCD.
Several CCI Studio singers honed their musicianship skills in youth choirs, like Rosie Cameron (Soprano, Down) who sang with the Ulster Youth Choir, and Darragh Bacon (Tenor, Dublin) who sings with the Dublin Youth Choir and Dublin Youth Chamber Choir.
Some have been accumulating wins on the amateur competition circuit, like Faye Maloney (Alto, Westmeath), who won first place in the Sacred Music competition at last year’s Derry International Choral Festival with Mullingar choir, Lynn Singers. Caitríona Fitzmaurice (Soprano, Kerry) conducted MTU Glór Choral Society from 2022-2024, leading them to victory as Ireland’s Choir of the Year at Cork International Choral Festival 2023.
Despite being in the early stages of building their careers, the selected singers have already emerged as leaders in the vibrant and varied choral scene around Ireland, and several of them already have experience as conductors. Naoise Whearity (Alto, Dublin) is currently undertaking an M.Mus in Choral and Orchestral Conducting at TU Dublin Conservatoire, and was a finalist in the inaugural Feis Ceoil Choral Conducting Competition in 2024. Primary school teacher Emily Doyle (Soprano, Kildare) shares her love of choral music with her students, starting and leading a choir in the school where she teaches in Co. Kildare.
Some come from church and cathedral backgrounds, like Harry Watchorn (Bass, Dublin), who had his start in the Palestrina Choir of St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin; and Oliver Heath (Tenor, Antrim) who holds a choral scholarship at Leeds Cathedral, while he completes the final year of his undergraduate studies at University of Leeds.
Some, like Hilary Lennon (Alto, Kilkenny), have already dipped a toe in the world of professional choral singing with choirs like Resurgam. David Yau (Tenor, Dublin) was part of the first ever CCI Studio in 2023/24, and was subsequently invited to perform with Chamber Choir Ireland in their recent Dublin and Berlin performances of Mozart Requiem. He now returns to continue his development in this year’s programme.
The CCI Studio is made possible with principal funding from the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, as well as dedicated support by Chamber Choir Ireland’s Learning Benefactors and Next Generation Champions.