Singing in Voices of Gorey Community Choir
On April 1st of this year, I ventured up to the Gaelscoil in Gorey, Co Wexford. I had heard of Voices of Gorey, I’d even been to nearly all of their concerts, but now I was walking up the road towards the local primary school to test the waters and become a member of Voices of Gorey.
Emma Hughes founded Voices of Gorey at the same time that I set up Pen Pals in the Pod Writing Group, in January 2024 – a Community Group for anyone who likes to sing. There’s no audition, no expectations, just to be kind, inclusive and sing with an open heart and an open mind and to have fun. Leave your life at the door and just be present with the singing and those in the room.
The choir have sung in the National Opera House in Dublin’s Fair City, in the Gorey Little Theatre (another Community gem in the heart of Gorey town), in the Christ Church at the top of Gorey, and the original choir just sang in Limerick at Limerick Sings, Singing Festival recently.
All Female Choir
This all female choir has been a winner with the ladies of Gorey and surrounding areas, Arklow, Co Wicklow and nearby South Wicklow/North Wexford villages. “Friendship through Music” is the slogan for the choir, and like Emma my favourite colour is purple and that’s the choir’s colour, and the optional t-shirts and hoodies are in purple.
Emma originally set the choir up on Monday evenings. I run Pen Pals in the Pod online every second Monday evening so I knew straight away that Mondays were out for me. So, when I was in hospital in February, I was pleasantly surprised to get a warm and bubbly message from both Emma and my friend Anita, a member of the MAGICAL MONDAYS, and a past Pen Pals member saying that a Wednesday choir was starting on April 1st.
If getting diagnosed with angina wasn’t a sign that I need to start living life to the full, getting Emma’s WhatsApp sure was, and so I joined the newer choir, as a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY’S member. My friend Jásna also a member of Pen Pals, is a Magical Monday member and wrote a poem about the Choir in their Concert programme last year and I was and am so proud of her!
Wonderful Wednesdays
Not that long together, us Wonderful Wednesdays, got to be the opening act for the Magical Monday’s Summer Concert 2026 in the Ashdown Hotel, Gorey, Co Wexford, on Saturday 27th June. We sang two songs, and these were California Dreamin’ and Imagine. The buzz and the support radiated around that room. I had felt it as an audience member, but as both a spectator and a singer on the stage amongst my Wednesday tribe it was so much more.
Every year Voices of Gorey choose one charity to raise awareness of, and donate money towards. This year it is MND – Motor Neurone Disease, which the incredible Magical Monday’s member and role model Catriona lives with. She is amazing and the true definition of living life to the fullest, “Go Girl!”. I look forward to getting to know Catriona and all of the Monday and Wednesday ladies. Already lots of friendships have formed and are continuing to do so.
Voices of Gorey Social Groups
There are many social groups within Voices of Gorey if people wish to join them, and both Monday and Wednesday Choirs mingle together. We had our Summer Party last week in the Ashdown and it was great fun. Some of the social groups are events like The Pink Run in Kilkenny on Sunday 30th August, or a show that is on somewhere like the Grease Brunch in Enniscorthy at the weekend. And then there are the continuous social groups like the Book Club run by Monday’s Jackie which is monthly, (watch out for my book review on my 1st book with them which was Dónal Ryan’s The Queen of Dirt Island), or the Craft Group (weekly). No pressure or expectations are made but these social groups are here for whoever wishes, and come and go as they are able to do so/wish.
As a member of the choir you are asked to practice singing and learn your words, (which shouldn’t be a chore if you love singing), and to come as often as possible to weekly sessions. The choir takes July and August off every year but aside from that, it’s all sing, sing, sing, and of course tea/coffee and laughter. The tea break is an important part of the weekly sessions, and our Wednesday tea ladies are the fabulous Sheila and Victoria, (note I must get them Mrs Doyle, (Father Ted) gifts for Christmas).
For More Information
For more information check out the Voices of Gorey Facebook/Instagram pages. The demand for a spot in the choir was so high that was why Emma set up the Wonderful Wednesdays and I am so incredibly grateful, because I think when we grow up we forget sometimes the things we were passionate about as kids/teenagers, and singing for me was like finding a piece of my soul that had been put aside and forgotten about.
Singing, Drama (watch this space next year) and, if this article didn’t show, Writing are parts of my soul that are important to me, that is not Grace the mum, wife, chronically ill & disabled person. Thanks to Emma and the ladies in the choir, I am slowly beginning to “believe” in myself again and I hope that in time I will stop “fighting questions in my mind that say I’m not enough”, and truly believe that I am! I am lucky that outside of Choir my husband Simon is my biggest believer and support who encouraged me joining Voices of Gorey. I love you!
(c) Grace O’Reilly
See here for more on Voices of Gorey Community Choir.
And read more from Grace O’Reilly on Writing.ie here.
