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267:, O'Brien had briefly come under the guidance of Fathers Sean Quigley and Brendan Lawless. He had sufficient self-confidence to form a choir from the nursing staff in St. Michael's Hospital, and, once in situ in Glasnevin to augment the Church choir there. With the blessing of his parish priest, Michael Geraghty, the
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He had a keen interest in music, which was nurtured at home. His mother played the violin, while the family housekeeper sang to the children every evening. At the age of seven, John was sent to Mrs. Atherton, a local piano teacher whose husband was organist of the parish church. A bright pupil, he
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College, he spent three of his seven
Christmases in hospital. He suffered regular heart attacks and two strokes since 1990, which forced him to abandon the preparation and performances of major musical works. His health problems also forced him to early retirement from active ministry in 1996.
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were sung in their liturgical settings, and these were extended to public performances with the choristers now firmly established as the St. James's Choir. Their first major event was an
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St. James's Choir made three visits (1973, 1975, 1978), with an Irish orchestra, to North
America. These included concerts of mainly Irish and sacred music in New York, Detroit,
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from 1956 until his death in 2008. He is best remembered as one of
Ireland's leading conductors, a prominent organist and founder of the retired St. James' Choir and the
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While stationed at St. James's Parish, and with the blessing of the parish priest, Henry
Cunningham, O'Brien expanded the choir and had the organ refurbished. Masses by
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soprano Julia
Shelley and English baritone Joseph Ward in the principal roles, followed in October 1960 at the St. Francis Xavier Hall. It ran for ten performances.
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Left to Right: Huw Priday, tenor, Archbishop
Luciano Storero (former Papal Nuncio to Ireland), John O'Brien, Niamh Murray, soprano and Roderick Earle, baritone
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Parish. He combined this with the first official diocesan chaplaincy to the Bon
Secours Hospital. 1962 brought a move to the rural setting of
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256:. The scheduled conductor was taken ill, and John took the baton with some trepidation as the cast included the renowned English tenor
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featured in their itineraries of 1968, 1970, 1972, 1993, 1995 and 1997 when the choir gave a special concert at the Shrine.
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The
Glasnevin Musical Society broke new ground in February 1960 when O'Brien was approached by the directors of Dublin's
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on her name day, 22 November 1971. O'Brien conducted with soloists Bene McAteer, Brendan
Cavanagh and Gerald Duffy.
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454:, but allowed O'Brien to direct his own concerts in the National Concert Hall. These included Dvořák's
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John O'Brien, eldest of the four children of publican
Michael O'Brien and Mary O'Dea, was born in
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447:. Initially for one performance, due to popular demand this was extended to a second from 1988.
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281:, under the musical direction of O'Brien, opened at the newly built St. Francis Xavier Hall in
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The formation of the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir in 1984 meant a reduction in St. James's work for
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219:. He retired in 1996, enjoying the title of Pastor Emeritus while still residing in Finglas.
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In 1984, O'Brien embarked on an annual series of "Christmas Music" events in Dublin's
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436:. Another transatlantic trip in 1989 found the choir in San Francisco, while
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203:. This would be O'Brien's base until 1966 when he was relocated in one of
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before he was five years old, and while training for the priesthood at
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O'Brien suffered ill health throughout his life. He had two bouts of
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was considered sufficiently accomplished to play a solo at the next
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followed, but a December 1972 performance in St. James's Church of
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College in September 1949. He was ordained a priest by Archbishop
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Stanley Illsey and Leo McCabe. The result was a production of
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528:), John O'Brien returned home and died peacefully, aged 76.
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was a turning point in the choir's career. It led to
295:, with Brychan Powell and Estelle Valery of London's
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In the summer of 1955, O'Brien was asked to conduct
207:'s oldest parishes – St. James's, dominated by the
164:when he was sixteen. He successfully completed his
516:On 6 January 2008, after taking part at a mass in
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191:and afterwards, in 1957, he was made curate of
187:O'Brien's first appointment was as chaplain to
168:and, not being the chosen for the seminary of
152:' school in Kilrush until entering the junior
299:Opera Company in the leading roles, in 1959.
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560:newspaper, Thursday, 7 February 2008 issue
625:20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests
580:Website of The Glasnevin Musical Society
553:newspaper, Monday, 4 February 2008 issue
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16:Irish Roman Catholic priest and musician
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172:, O'Brien was directed instead to the
640:20th-century Irish conductors (music)
585:National Concert Hall, Dublin website
189:St. Michael's Hospital, Dun Laoghaire
99:(30 May 1931 – 6 January 2008) was a
233:Fr. John O'Brien seated at the organ
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13:
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645:20th-century Irish male musicians
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543:Volume LIII No. 8, September 2001
417:. The soloists were Eithne Troy,
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399:inviting the group to undertake
322:, John Carolan and Denis Noble.
199:in the parish of Narraghmore in
176:, where he began his studies in
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1:
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238:The Glasnevin Musical Society
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610:20th-century Irish organists
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635:Alumni of Clonliffe College
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148:John O'Brien attended the
500:Health problems and death
269:Glasnevin Musical Society
109:Glasnevin Musical Society
103:priest who worked in the
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524:(where he was formerly
385:Missa in Tempore Belli
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234:
620:Irish music arrangers
445:National Concert Hall
411:RTÉ Concert Orchestra
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312:The Lily of Killarney
271:was founded in 1958.
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174:Archdiocese of Dublin
105:Archdiocese of Dublin
615:Irish male organists
314:. The cast included
182:John Charles McQuaid
140:concert in Kilrush.
630:People from Kilrush
518:St. Canice's Church
421:and William Young.
289:led to Romberg's '
166:Leaving Certificate
158:Diocese of Killaloe
558:The Irish Catholic
492:(1991), this with
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292:The Student Prince
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150:Christian Brothers
551:Irish Independent
320:Bernadette Greevy
285:. The success of
265:Clonliffe College
215:of St. Canice's,
138:St. Patrick's Day
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78:Clonliffe College
68:, Dublin, Ireland
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541:Pioneer Magazine
472:Messe Solennelle
362:St. Cecilia Mass
339:St. James' Choir
209:Guinness Brewery
184:on 25 May 1956.
132:on 30 May 1931.
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419:Frank Patterson
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308:Julius Benedict
304:Olympia Theatre
287:The Desert Song
278:The Desert Song
244:Sigmund Romberg
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115:Life and career
74:Alma mater
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565:External links
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494:Stuart Burrows
389:Antonín Dvořák
355:TV showing of
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316:Veronica Dunne
297:Sadler's Wells
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225:Musical career
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201:County Kildare
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101:Roman Catholic
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88:Roman Catholic
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62:(aged 76)
58:6 January 2008
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539:Biography in
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526:parish priest
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415:Colman Pearce
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25:John O'Brien
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575:Find A Grave
571:John O'Brien
557:
556:Obituary in
550:
540:
515:
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496:as soloist.
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456:Stabat Mater
449:
442:
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406:The Creation
405:
393:Requiem Mass
375:
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328:The New Moon
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258:Thomas Round
249:The New Moon
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130:County Clare
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97:John O'Brien
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60:(2008-01-06)
47:County Clare
18:
605:2008 deaths
600:1931 births
484:(1990) and
381:Heiligmesse
39:30 May 1931
594:Categories
534:References
345:Palestrina
325:Romberg's
310:'s opera,
144:Priesthood
120:Early life
84:Occupation
510:Clonliffe
506:pneumonia
426:Milwaukee
409:with the
197:Ballitore
193:Glasnevin
178:Clonliffe
49:, Ireland
547:Obituary
474:(1989),
466:(1987),
458:(1986),
430:Muskegon
170:Killaloe
156:for the
154:seminary
549:in the
522:Finglas
490:Te Deum
486:Berlioz
481:Messiah
464:Requiem
438:Lourdes
434:Toronto
333:Belfast
331:, with
254:Kilrush
217:Finglas
126:Kilrush
66:Finglas
43:Kilrush
476:Handel
468:Gounod
413:under
357:Gounod
349:Mozart
283:Dublin
205:Dublin
90:priest
460:Verdi
401:Haydn
377:Haydn
162:Ennis
432:and
383:and
347:and
55:Died
36:Born
573:at
488:'s
478:'s
470:'s
462:'s
452:RTÉ
403:'s
397:RTÉ
391:'s
379:'s
359:'s
353:RTÉ
263:In
252:in
246:'s
160:in
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520:,
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318:,
260:.
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45:,
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