Choirs & Choir Workshops - My Lifelong Passion
Choral music has been my life since childhood. My training began at thirteen and ran into my mid-twenties — a Grade 8 singing exam with the Royal Irish Academy of Music, then a performance degree in Music and Theology at Maynooth University, which I finished with a solo public concert of my own.
Alongside my studies I sang with the Maynooth Chamber Choir and the Maynooth Choral Society, and for ten years with the Irish Youth Choir. This year I sang at the Chamber Choir's 40th-anniversary concert, with singers from right across its forty years back together for one night.
Today I'm musical director of two choirs — a gospel choir in Longwood, now over thirty singers, and the choir at Enfield Parish Church — and each Christmas the Longwood choir and I sing at a charity concert in Trinity.
So I work with other choirs in two ways: performing with them at services, gigs and events, and helping them grow through workshops.
I treat a choir like a family. A choir only sings well together when the people in it get on and feel a real sense of ownership — so that’s what I build. My job is to lead; the choir is theirs.
Guest soloist for your choir
Want more than one voice? I can bring together a four-part harmony group — classically trained singers I've sung alongside for years, gathered to suit the occasion. Four voices in harmony fill a room in a way a single voice can't, so it's a beautiful choice for a wedding ceremony, a carol service, or any moment that calls for something richer.
Tell me the occasion and the mood you're after, and I'll put the right voices together for it. Everything is arranged and rehearsed in advance, so on the day it simply sounds effortless.
Four part harmony for your event
Need a soloist? I'm available to sing with your choir — over your arrangements at a wedding or service, as a featured voice at a gig or event, or as part of an ensemble. A strong solo line can lift a whole piece, whether it's a descant soaring above the choir or a verse carried on its own before you all come back in.
I'll take direction from your director and fit in seamlessly with what you do, and I'm happy to step in at short notice when you need a dependable voice. Just send me the pieces and I'll come prepared.
Workshops for your choir
If your choir wants to lift its sound, I run workshops on the things that make the difference: breathing, vocal technique, reaching the high notes without strain, clean singing, and harmony.
I do a lot on technique — breathing and singing exercises, not just learning a piece and moving on. Every piece gets polished and every voice checked, and we only perform it when it’s right.
I’ll work in whatever shape suits you — an evening, a half-day, a weekend, a one-off, or ongoing coaching — and with any choir, whether church, community, chamber or school. I work alongside your own director, start with a piece or two of your own to hear where you’re at, and build from there.
Above all, I want your choir to leave feeling encouraged and proud of the sound they're making — that's when a choir really grows
What we work on
The High Notes
Reaching the top of the range without strain — this part is all about resonance. The high notes are pure technique: open vowels rather than hard consonants, and lifting the soft palate so the sound has room to travel.
Many singers fear the high notes — they pull back just before they reach them, and the whole sound dips in volume just when the music should lift. Once a choir feels how easy the high notes can be, that fear falls away, and singers reach for them with confidence instead of tensing up
Slides and Swoops
Slides and swoops are a habit a lot of choirs pick up without ever noticing. Instead of landing cleanly on a note, singers slide or swoop up or down onto it — and once a few voices are doing it together, the intonation blurs and the whole section drifts out of tune.
It's nobody's fault — it creeps in quietly over time, and most choirs don't know they're doing it. But it's well worth clearing up, because underneath that habit there's real pitch accuracy waiting to come out.
I can work with your choir on exactly this. I'll show you how to place each note squarely — landing right on it, cleanly and confidently — and you'll hear the difference straight away: a tighter, cleaner sound, properly in tune.
Breathing
Where every strong choir begins — it's the breath support everything else is built on. Most of us breathe too shallowly, so I teach singing from the diaphragm: deep, supported breath that steadies the voice, carries a phrase to its end, and keeps everyone in tune.
When a choir learns to breathe properly together, the sound grows fuller and more controlled, and singers stop running out of air halfway through a line. It can even ease asthma, sinus and other respiratory troubles.
Longwood Gospel Choir
This is my gospel choir in Longwood — over thirty singers I've built up over the last few years, and one of the joys of my life. We're a family more than a choir: everyone has a real sense of ownership, and you can hear it when we sing.
We're a working choir all year round: the Saturday evening Mass in Longwood church every second week, carol services around the local area at Christmas, and our charity concert in Trinity each Christmas. I also prepare the children of the local primary school to sing on Christmas Eve.
Everyone is welcome to come and hear us — and if you'd like to join, we'd love to hear from you. We rehearse Wednesday evenings, 7 to 8; find us on the choir's Facebook page, run by its members, or contact me directly.
Longwood Parish Church, Longwood, Co. Meath A83K888.
From Autumn 2026, the choir is available to book — for services, events and celebrations that could use that big, joyful sound. If you'd like us at yours, get in touch.
Enfield Parish Church Choir
I also direct the Enfield Parish Choir, which I took over this year. It's a choir with real history — it's been part of the parish for decades — and it's a privilege to lead voices that have been singing together far longer than I've been with them.
Where Longwood is all gospel warmth, this is the sacred, traditional side of the music I love: hymns and choral singing for the life of the parish. My approach is the same wherever I go — build the technique, treasure the people, and let the choir feel a real sense of ownership of its sound.
We're a small choir, and we sing at Sunday morning Mass twice a month in the parish church in Jordanstown, with Christmas and Easter the busiest weeks of our year. We rehearse every Tuesday evening from 7 to 8, and we're always open to new members — if you'd like to join us, do get in touch.
Church of the Assumption Jordanstown, Dublin Road, Enfield, Co. Meath, A83 HK3
Whatever your choir needs, I'd love to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions I'm asked most about choirs and workshops. You'll find more about who I am and what I do in the FAQ on my home page. Can't find your answer? Just get in touch — I'm happy to help."
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We work as a group on breathing, technique and harmony — practical, encouraging, and pitched to where your choir is. I use your own director and your own repertoire, then build from there.
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Yes — I regularly sing over choral arrangements at weddings and services, taking direction from your director.
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For singing, I’m good at short notice — even a day, if someone’s let you down. Otherwise, and especially coming up to Christmas, it’s best to book well ahead. For workshops, about a month’s notice is ideal.
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We offer flexible pricing based on project type and complexity. After an initial conversation, we’ll provide a transparent quote with no hidden costs.
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Every situation is different, so the simplest thing is to call me and tell me what you have in mind — I'll give you a straight answer, and you'll find me very reasonable.