The Athenry Camerata
Founded in 2017 Athenry Camerata is a group of 13 senior young musicians.  They have worked with founding conductor, Daire Mac Mághnuis, tutors Renee Neeson and Gergely Kuklis and in Spet 2019 are joined by conductor Emmet O Connor and our conductor in residence for 2019-20 Tom Crowley.  Their programme includes Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, St Paul’s Suite by Holtz , Joan Trimble’s Intermezzo and John Kinsella’s Hommage á Clarence. They have performed in the National Concert Hall 2019, partnered with the Galway Music Residency, ConTempo Quartet, the Lyonstownship Choir, Chicago, The Skyline Choir, Colorado and with the Trinity Palmer Orchestra USA.

Athenry Youth Orchestra
Athenry Youth Orchestra was founded by Katharine Mac Mághnuis so that the music students of east county Galway could experience ensemble music-making. Athenry Music School has the ethos of  a fun, positive and inclusive approach to music education, and these values extend to the orchestra. While the orchestras are housed in Athenry Music School, membership is open to any young musician. The ensembles are structured like youth clubs: the members have many responsibilities, including librarianship, press duties, tuning, and ‘set up’ and ‘tear down’! The Youth Orchestra repertoire is chosen to appeal to the members, with a special emphasis on recently composed works. As well as the commissioning and rehearsal of new works, performance is an integral part of the Athenry Music School ensemble experience. Every Christmas the senior ensembles work with local choirs in ‘A Union of Voices’, and each ensemble performs in a concert annually.

Every April, the numbers of Athenry Youth Orchestra are hugely augmented, as each member of AMS who can carry their instrument – over three hundred music students! – combines with the AYO to form ‘The Mega-Orchestra’. They have performed in Wavre, Brussels and Overijse in Belgium, the National Concert Hall, Dublin, Castalia Hall, Kilkenny, Galway Cathedral, , Bunratty Hall and at the Sixmilebridge Winter Festival and have performed with Zoe Conway, Ailbhe Mc Donagh, Brendan Walshe, Yuki Nishioka, St Patricks Brass Band, Coole Youth Orchestra, The Young Singers from Canada and Austrian rock band The Talisman collection and give many national, regional and  local concerts. The performances are prepared in rehearsals that are lively, loud and hugely enjoyable, with many orchestral friendships being formed.

Here are the Athenry Youth Orchestra performing Vivaldi’s Gloria with Athenry Youth Choir , Cor Le Kids and Cor le Cheile augmented by our MEGA choir at our annual MEGA concert in Galway Cathedral. April 2019

Athenry Horizons Orchestra
Founded in 2015 the Horizon orchestras members range in age from 10-15. They have received workshops and concerted with Malachy Robinson, Double Bass, Laoise O Brien, recorder and Eamon Sweeney, lute and guitar. They have performed at the Three Rings Arts Festival and the Galway International Early Music Festival.  Conductors 2015-19 Daire Mac Maghnuis, 2019-20 season, Emmet O Connor.

Athenry Creation Orchestra
Formerly Athenry Junior Orchestra, our youngest orchestra was founded in 2009. They have an  annual tour to Dublin, to collaborate with the Tyrrlestown Educate Together National School Xylophone orchestra where they do 3 concerts and then go for pizza and bowling! Members have responsibilities for setting up the orchestra room, music stand management, helping prepare the orchestra folders and librarianship duties.

Athenry Guitar Orchestras
The Athenry Music School Guitar Orchestra was established in 2009 as an artistic and social outlet for local young classical guitarists. The last few years has seen the orchestra perform in a wide variety of settings including TV (with John Spillane on TG4), radio (on Flirt FM), and events and festivals including four years in the Galway Fringe Festival, the RTÉ Big Music Week, Múscailt, Coole Orchestras festival and more. They recently began recording a CD which they hope to release later in the year, with a single planned as a fundraiser for Crumlin Children’s Hospital. You can keep up to date through the Athenry Music School Facebook page, and the Orchestra’s Twitter account! Recordings of some performances are available to hear on Soundcloud and watch on our Youtube page.The majority of the music performed by the Orchestra is composed especially for them, much of it composed by their founding director, Kevin Brett. 2014 saw the addition of a Junior Guitar Orchestra. This is aimed at introducing players to ensemble rehearsal and performance from an earlier stage in their musical development. Rehearsals for both orchestras take place on Tuesdays. Anyone interested in joining can contact aygorc@gmail.com

Athenry Cello Ensemble
Founded in 2014, this ensemble is the flagship of our cello department and intends to champion the beautiful sound of the cello to encourage uptake of the cello and double bass. All cello students are invited to participate in sectional rehearsals 6 times a year and perform in the music school’s annual gala concert.

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Cór le Chéile
Cór le Chéile Community choir was set up in September 2011 to provide an opportunity for community members to come together and sing. This dedicated group rehearse once a week in Athenry Music School. The choirs repertoire ranges from Lauridsen to Jenkins, musical numbers to traditional airs. They have performed at many concert and fundraising events. The only requirement for admission to the choir is a love of singing and a willingness to learn!

Athenry Youth Choir
Consisting of twenty members, Athenry Youth Choir was founded by Helen Farrell in September 2012. The choir performs a wide variety of music including a cappella part songs, musical numbers, jazz and modern classics. Athenry Youth Choir perform at various community and fundraising events and at Athenry Music School’s annual A Union of Voices and MEGA Concert. The choir rehearse once a week and take part in choral workshops throughout the year. The choir is open to anyone aged 12-18 years.

Cór le Kids
Athenry Music School’s childrens’ choir, Cór le kids, is eight years in existence and has over 30 members. Over years the choir has built up an exciting repertoire and performed at numerous events. The choir meet every Thursday evening. They have produced a CD with the harp ensemble ad enjoy an annual tour to Dublin.