Kildare Choral & Organ Festival returns this week
St Brigid's Cathedral, venue for this year's organ festival.=
The ancient acoustics of St Brigid’s Cathedral will come alive with glorious sounds as it hosts the 2025 Kildare Choral and Organ Festival from 20 August to the 12 September.
The annual festival will feature another exceptional line-up, including the Irish male vocal ensemble, 4 in a Bar, Irish organists Simon Harden and Thomas Charles Marshall, as well as the Irish cellist Norah O’Leary and Italian countertenor Francesco Giusti.
The festival, which takes place for the first time in late summer, will begin on Friday, 29 August at 7.30pm with 4 in a Bar singing a collection of songs from the Renaissance to the modern day, with classical and popular composers alike extolling the wonders of love.
The second night of the festival, Friday 5 September at 7.30pm, will feature a solo performance from the renowned Irish organist Simon Harden, who lectures in Organ performance at the TU Dublin Conservatoire and is Organist and Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford.
The closing night of the Festival, Wednesday 12 September at 7.30pm will feature a feast of music from Bologna in Italy, performed by Thomas Charles Marshall, Norah O’Leary and Francesco Giusti.
Commenting on the Festival, the Dean of St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, Very Rev Isobel Jackson said: “The annual Kildare Choral and Organ Festival is a musical highlight of the year in the cathedral. It is always well supported by music lovers from across Kildare and beyond, as it offers a glorious opportunity to experience outstanding performance in such a significant setting”.
Tickets are €15 per concert or €40 for the whole festival. They can be purchased online on Eventbrite or at the door on the night of the concerts.
The Kildare Choral and Organ Festival 2025 is supported by Kildare County Council Festival Grant 2025.
