Saturday April 27, 2013, 7:00 pm
(Pre-concert lecture 6:15 pm)
Cathedral of St. Raphael
231 Bluff Street, Dubuque
Sunday April 28, 2013,
3:00 pm
St. Michael Catholic Church
227
South Bench Street, Galena, IL
Join the Dubuque Chorale as it celebrates the region's British Isles heritage with Irish, Scottish, and English folk songs, British sacred music, and special guests.
Along with the music the Dubuque program at St. Raphael's Cathedral features historic images of the area's Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants, and oral presentations from Sr. Kathryn Lawlor, B.V.M.; John Butler; Trish McDonald; Rory Mulgrew; and Prof. John Eby of Loras College. The Galena performance, held at St. Michael's Catholic church, presents the same exciting musical program while regional actors from Sullivan Lavacek Enterprises, LTD recount stories of Galena's British Isles heritage.
The musical program is inspired by a quote from our title song. In 1961, Ronald Blythe visited the tiny village of Akenfield in England to record tales of the lives of English country laborers—a vanishing breed in the face of progress. Fred Mitchel, a horseman 85 years old, recounted his life filled with hardship. But amid the stark austerity, "there was so much singing then, and this was my pleasure too. We all sang, the boys in the fields, the chapels were full of singing, always singing. Here I lie. I have had pleasure enough. I have had singing."
The weekend before the concert, Dubuque Chorale Cadenza will preview selections from the program during regular Mass at two Dubuque parishes with roots in the British Isles. Cadenza will be at St. Patrick Church at 4:00 p.m. Saturday April 20 (1425 Iowa St., Dubuque), and St. Columbkille Church at 10 a.m. Sunday April 21 (1240 Rush St., Dubuque).
Come early to the April 27 concert at St. Raphael's for a pre-concert lecture about the musical program. The lecture begins at 6:15 p.m.
We are collecting pre-1020's photos of the Dubuque area's Irish, Scottish, and English families to be used in a multimedia presentation at our concerts. They will then be archived for future generations to enjoy. If you have access to this type of historic photograph, please share it with us. Contact Michael Gibson at Michael.Gibson@loras.edu.
The Dubuque Chorale is pleased to partner with the Loras College Center for Dubuque History and on this special event. Additional collaborators include flutist Peg Cornils-Luke; John Eby, Assistant Professor of History at Loras College; local artist Gary Olsen; and Sullivan Lavacek Enterprises, LTD.
The Dubuque Chorale gratefully acknowledges the support of the City of Dubuque, Mediacom, Premier Bank, Dubuque Bank and Trust, American Trust and Savings Bank, and Tri-State IPA for this event.
St. Raphael's is on Bluff Street in downtown Dubuque, at 2nd Street. Parking is available in the lot behind the church.
St. Michael is on Bench St., above Main, in Galena. Street parking is available, with a small lot to the left of the church for handicap-accessible parking.
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