Students gospel choir are hitting the right notes

“I MET an exceptionally talented group of young musicians and vocalists,” explains Ms Saoirse Gallagher of St Kevin’s Community College in Clondalkin.

Alongside her colleagues Juliet Madden, Ashleigh O’Neil and principal Ciarán Duffy, she helps lead a gospel choir made up of seven students of African descent.

Their musical ability is “truly remarkable”; they are natural vocalists who can harmonise effortlessly and perform with a level of cohesion that is rare at any age.

One student in particular, Blessing Bokolo Ngubensele, stands out as an “extraordinary talent”.

In addition to being a gifted singer, he is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist by ear, primarily a pianist.

He has an “exceptional” ear for music, able to play full songs after hearing only a few seconds, and can move “seamlessly” between piano, guitar, bass, and drums, intuitively matching and interpreting whatever music is placed before him.

His ability to improvise and express emotion through music is “especially striking”.

The choir also includes vocalists Ayo Michael, Adeola Londeka Adekunle, Naomi Johnbull, Clara Olenga, Goodness Bokolo and Happyness Bokolo.

According to Ms Gallagher, “Each student brings something unique to the group, from amazing vocal capabilities and strong harmonies to powerful stage presence.”

Together, this group represents not only outstanding musical talent but also the rich cultural diversity and creative spirit within the school community.

Rehearsals are usually focused on preparing for upcoming performances or events. Together, the teachers and students choose songs that suit the occasion.

This makes the process collaborative and enjoyable for everyone involved.

Many of the students regularly perform gospel music in their churches, so they often introduce us to new songs and arrangements we may not have heard before, including pieces such as ‘Yeshua’ and ‘Our God Is an Awesome God’.

Typically, rehearsals involve repeating songs and refining them section by section, working carefully on harmonies, dynamics, technique, breath work, and emotion.

This ensures the performance connects with the audience and communicates the message of the song effectively.

One of the biggest highlights has been the opportunity to perform on major stages and share their talents with wider audiences.

Seeing the emotional reaction from audiences, the joy they can bring to people through their music has been especially rewarding for the group.

One of the biggest challenges is maintaining the energy and commitment required for regular rehearsals, especially while balancing schoolwork and other responsibilities.

The choir works through these challenges by being massively supportive of each other and staying committed to rehearsals.

Ms Gallagher remarks that “the students encourage one another, adapt quickly when members miss rehearsals, and continue pushing themselves to improve with every performance”.

They have already performed together on a number of occasions, including a charity event in Kilcock and the Festival of Music in the National Concert Hall for patients in Crumlin Children’s Hospital over the Christmas period.

Other students performed with them, including Felipe Carrasco, Gal La Lupion Esteve, Kevin Nguyen, Tristan Sorodoc, Ciaran Tallon, and Rhyainna Verin.

They also performed at the school’s public Christmas concert.

“Each performance has helped the choir grow stronger as a group,” beams Ms Gallagher. “Through performing together regularly, the students have developed a better understanding of each other’s strengths, working styles and stage presence.”

More recently, the choir had the opportunity to work with Irish songwriter Edwina van Kuyk. The project began when BIMM contacted the school about hosting a songwriting workshop for music students.

Through this connection, songwriter and former BIMM student Edwina visited the school to lead the workshop.

After visiting the school, she was so impressed by their ability that she returned to turn Ms Gallagher’s classroom into a recording studio to record their vocals for her upcoming track, ‘Here to Stay’, which was released on May 22.

She has since invited the group to perform the song live with her at future events.

Ms Gallagher would like to thank Mr Duffy, school staff, students’ families, the students themselves, and Edwina for helping the choir reach this point.