Bringing joy and lending their voices to raise festive spirits, HSE choirs across the country are coming together for their annual Christmas concert on Wednesday, December 21st.  Among those featuring this year is the Letterkenny Hospital Choir, made up of 30 current and retired staff members, along with colleagues working in community services locally.  Their talent, commitment, and enthusiasm has been harnessed by Musical Director Veronica McCann whom many will remember as featuring on Britain’s Got Talent some years ago.  Their contributions include Ave Maria featured in the video link below.  This is the fifth annual HSE Christmas concert and the third to feature a combination of online recorded contributions and live performances.  

 COVID Care Concerts 

With COVID having dominated so much of the lives of healthcare workers in recent years, this year’s event illustrates again how music lifts and transcends providing joy to all involved and all who watch and are entertained and lifted in the moment.  Gerald Peregrine was instrumental in establishing the COVID Care Concerts which started out as a nationwide live arts project as a rapid response to the many challenges that arose from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Among the special guests taking part this year are Gerard Peregrine, Niamh Kavanagh and Jerry Fish who have participated in many of the Care Concerts and will perform live on the day.  

Reflecting on the success of each annual event to date, Dr Philip Crowley HSE National Director, Strategy and Research remarked how upbeat the whole experience was for both staff in choirs right across the country and for the many who watch online: 

“It has been a remarkable success – right through Covid when we our staff were giving so much and through to today, when they continue to show great commitment.  We have choirs in healthcare settings in every corner of the country and throughout the year they come together, rehearse, perform and provide such joy and pleasure.   And at Christmas time of course, their voices, harmonies and talent is shared nationally through this live event - everyone can join in, witness and experience something truly heartwarming and uplifting."

Gerald Peregrine was instrumental in establishing the Care Concerts which started out as a nationwide live arts project as a rapid response to the many challenges that arose from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovative arts and health project has to date delivered well over 1,000 live events and featured over 100 of Ireland’s finest artists across all genres. Over 100,000 people have heard the Care Concerts in the grounds of residential care homes, hospitals, psychiatric/disability services, daycare centres and direct provision centres across the country.

Watch Letterkenny Hospital Choir  

Register for the HSE Health and Wellbeing Christmas Concert