Ormond Octaves: a decade of giving

SINCE founded a decade ago the annual Ormond Octaves Christmas Concerts has helped generate tens of thousands of euro for numerous charities and local causes.

And it will be the same with this year's 10th anniversary celebration concert in Saint Mary's of the Rosary Church, Nenagh, on Friday, December 14th, with the funds going to the Friends of Nenagh Hospital and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (Tickets at the door, start time 8pm)

Back in 2008 when founding the Octaves its Musical Director Niamh Ryan's main aim was to revive the great tradition of choral singing in Nenagh and create a forum for local people who love singing to perform in a community choir.

But another benefit is that the annual Christmas Concert and other performances at different times of the year is the much needed funds they have raised for many worthy causes.

Here is a list of the beneficiaries of the Ormond Octaves concerts over the last decade:

2008: The funds from the first Christmas Concert in 2008 were donated to the Saint Vincent de Paul.

2009: In 2009 the proceeds were presented to the North Tipperary Hospice and the Cancer Unit at Limerick Regional Hospital.

2010: In 2010 the takings from the Christmas concert were presented to the Alzheimer Society and the Irish Wheelchair Association. In that year a separate performances by the choir generated funds for Enable Ireland.

2011: In 2011 the proceeds of the festive concert were donated to the Saint Mary's of the Rosary Church Restoration Fund, in thanks to the parish for allowing the choir to use the venue for its annual performances. A separate concert in the same year resulted in funds for Suimhneas, the Nenagh based support centre for people living with cancer.

2012: The next concert staged by the Ormond Octaves was in February 2012 in Saint Joseph's Church in Toomevara, with proceeds being presented to the Restoration Fund for that church.

The year 2012 was the only time the choir failed to perform at Christmas was in 2012 as its indefatigable Musical Director Niamh Ryan was otherwise extremely occupied after giving birth to twin girls.

2013: However, the unbounded energy and enthusiasm of that baton-wielding woman ensured that the Octaves returned to Saint Mary's of the Rosary for Christmas 2013. And rather aptly, the proceed from that concert were presented to the Neo-natal Unit at the Regional Maternity Hospital in Limerick – a gesture of gratitude for the great work being done by the staff who cared for Niamh's twins for a number of weeks following their premature birth. (And we're happy to report that the little sisters, Deirdre and Maebh, are today healthy, strapping six-year-olds!)

2014: The Octaves, who have performed with Liam Lawton and the University of Limerick Orchestra, dedicated the funds from their 2014 Christmas concert to TLC4CF, the Mid West group supporting people with cystic fibrosis in Tipperary, Limerick and Clare. Proceeds from a separate concert in Cloughjordan the same year were presented to Living Links, the support group for people bereaved by suicide.

Just a month earlier the choir launced a CD, 'Ormond Octaves Sing Choral Favourites', the sales of which have generated almost €10,000 for the North Tipperary Hospice Movement.

2015: The proceeds annual festive concert were donated to Sonas, the new unit catering for autistic children at Saint Mary's Boys National School in Nenagh. In the same year the choir returned to Saint Joseph's Church in Toomevara to perform and raise yet more funds for the church restoration fund, and they later sang in the Scouts Hall in Nenagh to raise funds for the preservation of Dromineer Castle.

2016: In 2016 the proceeds of the December concert, €3,360, was donated to the Mid West branch of Grow, the charity promoting postive mental health. On Saint Valentine's Night the same year the choir performed in Gurtagarry to raise funds for the local school.

2017: Last year was one of the best concerts ever staged by the Octaves, with the €7,000 proceeds being donated to Brú Columbanus, the charity organisation that provides a home from home for relatives of critially ill patients in Cork hospitals. Many people from the Nenagh area have benefited from the chairty over the years.

2018: In February of this year the choir returned to the church in Gurtagarry to generate more funds for the local national school, and last April travelled to Templederry to give a concert in the local church to raise funds for a new astro-turf pitch for Templederry National School.