Post-Primary Schools are busy places and are getting busier each new school year.  It requires a lot of preparation, planning and courage to introduce a new project in the form of Liturgical Music into the midst of a school’s already full programme of activities.  Such a project has worked in the dioceses of Killaloe and Limerick in a number of schools for the past three years.  Its success is due in no small way to the previously mentioned elements: preparation, planning and courage.

The project called Seinn aims to familiarise post-primary students with liturgical music, with a major emphasis on participation – singing and hence the title Seinn.  It is through singing that the students learn, become familiar with and come to love the various musical styles that Seinn presents to them: ranging from Chant to Pop to Gospel and all the while reflecting the wide and varied tradition of the Church.

Seinn is modelled on the Emmanuel Programme in the Dublin Archdiocese which has been running since 2004.  Seinn was first introduced as a possible project for Killaloe and Limerick schools in 2013 when Abbot Richard Purcell (Roscrea) and Ian Callinan (Musical Director) put the suggestion to the bishops of both dioceses. The idea appealed to them but they immediately realised that it would involve a lot of work to get it off the ground as well as sustaining it once it commenced in schools.

A committee was formed comprising of representatives from each of the two dioceses and bishops Kieran O’Reilly and Brendan Leahy engaged Ian Callinan as the Musical Director of the Seinn Project.  Abbot Richard’s own musical expertise and leadership qualities made him the obvious choice as chairman of the committee.  The Committee included Sr. Marie McNamara, Carmel Plant and Nodlaigh Liston (administrative secretary) who worked closely with Ian in implementing the entire project.

The take-up in that first school year 2013-2014 was very encouraging.  That year some 450 students from 19 schools got involved with Seinn and the programme ran in their schools from November to April leading on the 3rd of April to a final day-long rehearsal and workshops culminating in a joint concert that evening in the Concert Hall of UL campus.  It was a truly memorable event for the students, their teachers, their parents and all who attended the concert.  Ian Callinan’s gifts as composer, director and teacher were obvious in the concert performance. There can be no doubt but that there was a great rapport between Ian and the students and this contributed in no small way to the success of Seinn in 2014 and since.

Seinn Fest 2015 concert

Seinn ran successfully according to its original format for 2014/2015 and again using the venue of the University of Limerick for its final performance.   However for Seinn 2015/2016 Limerick diocese chose to temporarily opt out of the project as the diocese was preparing for its Synod.  Killaloe’s going solo allowed for an opportunity to review Seinn and make a few changes to the programme.  While Seinn aims at providing good liturgical music for the various school Liturgies emphasis was also placed on efforts to relate the programme to the students’ own parishes by inviting adult choirs to participate.  Ian facilitated four workshops for these choirs in order to familiarise them with the Seinn music.  It is hoped that the students would be inspired to engage with their own parish choirs in the near future.

Adult and Student Choir

The programme for 2015/2016 also sought to bring in a catechetical background to the songs as well as providing individual schools with prayer services suitable for use throughout the school year and specifically a liturgy on the theme of the Year of Mercy. It was also decided that Ian Callinan and Sr. Marie McNamara would engage with all schools and that Ian would present a day’s workshop/retreat in the various schools.  This engendered great enthusiasm among the students, which led to the idea of a diocesan event later in the year.

The event took place on April 27th/28th in two venues in the diocese – Nenagh Church and Ennis Cathedral.  The students were joined by the adult choirs.  This proved a very uplifting, joyful and affirming experience for the students and adults.  Both events proved as successful as former years and it is now felt that this format is very workable on an individual diocesan level.

I can only add that throughout the history of Seinn to date we have been blessed by teachers whose enthusiasm, dedication and hard work knew no bounds.  I am also aware of the hard work put into Seinn each year by the organising committee.  The short term fruits of all our labours are: a renewed sense of music in the liturgy for some of us, for the students a new sense of the place of music and song in the liturgies of school and parish and in some instances a testified sense of an awakening of a personal spirituality among the young.  Such fruits make Seinn a worthy and worthwhile project.

The long-term fruits have yet to be harvested but I am confident that such a harvest will be brought home in the future.  Right now, it is a time once again to review the workings of Seinn to date and to make plans as to its future

At the time of writing Seinn has just finished for 2016 and the feeling at diocesan level is that it should continue.  Of course this depends on funds being made available by the Diocese.  I look forward to its continuation in whatever form it takes in the future.

 

Marie McNamara rsm
South Central Province