Wicklow Male Voice Choir Bursary Competition 

History of the Bursary

The Wicklow Male Voice Choir Music Bursary Competition was established in 2014 to foster and develop musical talent and, since then, has been held every two years (with the exception of Covid years). Initially confined to County Wicklow it has been expanded to include Entries from all around Ireland. This Bursary may be used for tuition fees, study courses or purchases associated with the winners’ musical ambitions. The Competition is open to solo performers (voice or instrument) of any musical genre and Entrants must be 18 years or older, born or currently residing in Ireland.

 

2024: Jacq Herbots( Voice)
The audience in The Pastoral Centre, Wicklow Town were treated to a wonderful afternoon of music on Saturday November 23, 2024 at the final of our Music Bursary Competition with the 1st prize of €3,000 generously sponsored by Campion Insurance and the 2nd prize of €1000 sponsored by the Choir. 65 musical institutions around the country were contacted and after an initial independent adjudication of Entries, the Competition was reduced to 12 finalists (eight voice and one of each pianist, oboe, flute and violin). The adjudicators were Ivan Fitzpatrick (Music Composer and Producer), Lesley Bishop(Choral Administrator, National Concert Hall Choirs) and Fiona Arnold ( Qualified Concert Harpist and Vocalist). In his summing up, Mr Fitzpatrick pointed out that the adjudication was very difficult as the standard was so high. He told those in attendance that the judges agreed that all finalists could look forward to a very successful musical careers. He added that it was the unanimous decision of the judges that the winner was Jacq Herbots, a Tenor from Artane in Dublin. Jacq is currently on the professional Mentorship Programme at The Royal Irish Academy of Music, having completed the Bachelor of Music programme with First Class Honours earlier in 2024. Eamonn Sheridan, our Chairman, in his address, thanked all entrants and especially the finalists who gave such wonderful performances. He also thanked Campion Insurance for their generosity and the subcommittee of the Choir who were tasked with promoting and organising the competition.

Previous Bursary winners have provided Wicklow Male Voice Choir with an outline of their post Bursary musical journey:

 

2022: Leah Redmond (Voice)
“Being awarded the Wicklow Male Voice Choir Music Bursary in 2022 was a huge honour for me. This generous Bursary was a huge support to me during what can be a difficult stage of a young musician’s career; the cost of application fees, travel expenses for auditions, lessons and recordings can be a huge financial burden and often limit a career in music to those that have the financial means to pursue it. Thankfully, winning the Bursary supported all of these endeavours for me, which allowed me to prepare for the following season to the best of my abilities. I later went on to make three role debuts at Wexford Festival Opera in 2023, along with numerous recitals and concert work in London where I am based. I cannot recommend the Wicklow Male Voice Choir Bursary enough to any young musician that wants to develop their craft and get to the next stage of their career, whatever that might look like”. 

2018: Lorna Breen (Voice)
“Winning the Wicklow Male Voice Choir Bursary was a wonderful boost for me and my career. I used the Bursary to further my education with masterclasses and coachings abroad which was invaluable to me at that time. I also performed with them in their Christmas Concert in St. Patrick’s Church, Wicklow Town and that was a wonderful experience. They were so all welcoming and supportive.”

Since winning the Bursary Lorna has performed with the internationally renowned group “Anúna” on concert tours of The Netherlands, Belgium, China, Sweden, Italy & Sardinia (2024, 2023, and 2022).

She has also performed with them in Mont Saint Michel and Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, France
(2023,2022). In May 2023, she travelled to Iceland to record on their new album ‘Otherworld’. Lorna will tour Japan and The Netherlands with Anúna in November & December 2024. In 2023, Lorna also became a member of the vocal group ‘Systir’, touring with them in The Netherlands. She will also be performing with them in Japan in November 2024. Other notable solo performances include the ‘Raise Our Voices’ Concert with Tara Erraught & Dearbhla Collins in the National Concert Hall (Oct 2021) and Soloist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for their ‘Christmas Special’ in December 2018. Lorna performed the lead role of Pamina in Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflöte’ with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar in 2021 and has performed as part of Irish National Opera’s Chorus for their productions of Rossini’s ‘William Tell’ (2022), Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ (2022) and Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’ (2021), In 2021 Lorna won the prestigious  Mrs P.J Geoghegan Memorial Cup (2021) in the Feis Ceoil. 

 

2016: Síofra Ní Dhubhghaill (Harp)
Síofra is a musician and conductor from County Wexford. She pursued her passion for music and successfully graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Performance and Pedagogy from the TU Dublin Conservatoire. During her time there, she had the privilege of studying under the esteemed guidance of Professor Clíona Doris. During her time at the conservatoire, Síofra received a Bursary from the Wicklow Male Voice Choir in 2016, a testament to her early recognition and support from the music community. This support undoubtedly played a role in her continued success. Síofra’s dedication has earned her recognition in renowned competitions like the ESB Feis Ceoil, where she achieved first prize in the Contemporary Irish Music Cup and an impressive VHC in the Aileen Gore Cup. She’s had the privilege of performing with orchestras like RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Hibernian Orchestra, INO, and Sibelius Academy Orchestra, and also participated in the NCH Female Conducting Program in 2019.

She is currently a Master’s in Harp Performance at Munster Technological University.
Beyond her performances, Síofra is devoted to nurturing young musicians, actively teaching at Churchtown School of Music, Mullingar Harp School and Music Generation inspiring her students to reach their full potential.

 

2014: Alec Courser (Guitar)
“Since winning the Bursary, I never stopped playing the guitar and having a passion for music. I am currently doing a course in Griffith college ‘Music Production for Games’ and am really enjoying it. I have also created some electronic music over the past few years using FL Studio and still play Spanish guitar often. I have also taught myself to play piano over the past 5 years. Winning the Bursary really helped boost my confidence in performing as this was the first time I performed in front of such a big crowd”