Rosaleen Molloy, on behalf of the Board of CNC, Cork, writes:

The Board of CNC/Association of Irish Choirs welcomes the publication of ‘Chorus for Change’ by Michael Mc Glynn (JMI, Sep–Oct ’06) in which he raised a number of pertinent and relevant issues in relation to choral music in Ireland. We welcome, too, the initiation of this much needed choral debate which raises questions for those involved in both music practice and policy – conductors, choristers, choral singers, singing teachers, music educators and arts organisations alike.

CNC is the national resource organisation for choral music in Ireland and pro-actively promotes excellence in and access to choral music through a range of services to its members and the choral community. These range of services encompass advisory, information and resource services, and a wide range of education and professional development training courses.

CNC is now in its 26th year and undoubtedly the organisation has contributed significantly to the choral music community in Ireland over the last quarter of a century. However, just as the practitioners working in the choral field face challenges for the future, so too does CNC.

CNC aspires to being a key player and committed advocate in achieving a vibrant choral community in Ireland, through continued high quality programming for choristers, conductors, composers and audiences, in addition to a range of support services to meet the needs of the sector. However, due to severe financial constraints, CNC is currently not in a position to deliver in these areas as effectively as it would wish. Despite this, our values and vision for the future remain steadfast and CNC is determined to succeed.

Recently, we hosted a number of national public consultation meetings with members of the choral community to gauge the needs for the future of choral music in Ireland and how CNC can best deliver in these areas. Many of the issues addressed in ‘Chorus for Change’ were raised at these meetings. Yet while solidarity and the oneness of our voices resounded in the positive networking at these meetings, the difficulty is how can we be heard effectively by funding decision-makers.

A critical issue, which was raised repeatedly and resoundingly at these meetings, is the area of music education – a topic that frequently finds its place in JMI. And despite all of the reports, conferences and vast sums of public money spent on commissioning this data, the reality is that music education is not valued – enough. Even with the publication of Music Network’s feasibility study for Local Music Education Services during 2002, in reality the country is nowhere nearer a change for music education now than it was then.

It is clear that for choral music to develop in this country a coherent structure for choral singing, not just music-making, must be implemented in all primary schools. Choral music is one of the most accessible forms of music-making that there is – the instrument is inherent and as an art form choral music is conducive to working in a quality way with the masses. Yet sadly, thousands of people do not get this opportunity.

CNC will continue to advocate and to lobby for the choral cause – however we need the voice of the choral sector with us. We encourage the choral music community to contribute to this debate, to keep it alive, and for the needs of this sector to have much more than just musical voice.