Mairead Buicke graduated with a first class honours BA Performance Degree from the Royal Irish Academy of Music under the tuition of Dr. Veronica Dunne and subsequently studied at the National Opera Studio in London. She has won several prizes in Ireland, including the Belfast Classical Music Bursary and the Royal Dublin Society Bursary. She was also a semi finalist and special prize winner of the Belvedere International Singing Competition in Vienna, in 2004.

This season, Mairead joined English National Opera's Young Singers Programme where she is now a young principal Soprano at London's Coliseum, one of Europe's leading Opera Houses. Marion will be accompanied by Anthony Byrne.

Anthony is Lecturer in Piano at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin where his students have achieved many awards and scholarships throughout the country.

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The Mater Dei Chorale, the college choir of Mater Dei Institute, Dublin, celebrates its twentieth birthday this year. The choir was founded in 1988 and is open to the college community: students, staff, graduates and friends.

In March 2008 the Chorale performed the Messe Solennelle in honour of St Cecilia by Charles Gounod, first performed in 1855.

Its popularity remained until Tridentine reforms confined it to relative obscurity, and more likely to be heard, as it is in our own time, in concert hall rather than cathedral. The rich lyricism of the St. Cecilia Mass with its heart easing melodies, evocative harmonies, soloists, chorus and romantic orchestral sound, would not be out of place in the opera house. The glorious surrounds of Duiske Abbey promises to be the perfect setting for this performance.