PERFORMANCE 16
Friday 29th April 11:30 am
Glenstal Abbey, Murroe, Co Limerick, 20th Century
Glenstal Abbey is a Benedictine monastery of the Congregation of the Annunciation located in Murroe, County Limerick. It is dedicated to Saint Joseph and Saint Columba. The abbey is located in and beside Glenstal Castle, a Normanesque castle built by the Barrington family. The picturesque grounds include lakes, forests and an old walled, terraced garden which features a “bible garden”. The monastery runs an all-boys boarding secondary school on its grounds, Glenstal Abbey School, home to approximately two hundred students.
The Monks of Glenstal Abbey are world famous for singing prayers in English and Latin including Gregorian chanting. The monks gather in the Abbey Church several times each day for the Liturgy of the Hours and for Mass. A number of the monks have had specialist training in the theory and performance of chant. In Glenstal, much of the singing continues to be in Latin, particularly at Vespers (evening prayer) and in the chants of the daily Mass.
Over the years, the community has produced quite a few recordings of chant and other sacred music, often in collaboration with others. You can listen to extracts from a number of these by clicking on the links below.
