The hardworking men and women of the Handel Challenge Choir and Committee handed over a cheque for €33,543 to Mayo Roscommon Hospice at an event held in The Harlequin Hotel, Castlebar, on Saturday February 8.
Handel’s Messiah was performed in The Church of the Holy Rosary, Castlebar, on December 8 last. Almost 100 local choral singers joined forces with The Celtic Concert Orchestra and four of Ireland’s top soloists Regina Nathan, Anne-Marie Gibbons, Eamonn Mulhall and Owen Gilhooley, to present an incredibly special performance to an enthralled capacity crowd. Introduced by RTÉ’s Mary Kennedy and under the baton of Musical Director, Kathy Fahey, the Handel Challenge Choir truly rose to the occasion after three months of intensive rehearsals. Their challenge was to learn and perform Messiah but also to fundraise at least €200 each and all are delighted to have far exceeded the initial target of €20,000. All proceeds from the event will go directly towards the building fund of a 14 bed specialist Palliative Care Unit to be built in Castlebar in the foreseeable future. Mayo Roscommon Hospice looked after 802 patients in 2013 and this donation will go a long way towards allowing them to continue their invaluable work in the west of Ireland.
