CMC was delighted to welcome the opera singer Patricia McCarry with family and friends recently.

The visit and informal reception on 25 June marked the release of a private CD of her performances as well as a number of recent events celebrating her life and distinguished career.

Patricia McCarry grew up in Waterford in a musical family and manifested her musical gifts at an early age. Her first music teacher was Elizabeth Downey and her first performance was at 18 in The Mikado, in which she played the part of Yum Yum. She was soon singing in broadcasts of concert works on Radio Éireann.

After moving to England and spending a number of years in the chorus of Sadler's Wells, she joined the touring company Opera for All. She subsequently sang at Glyndebourne and, in 1963, at the Wexford Opera Festival. She also performed with Phoenix Opera Company and Scottish Opera. She also appeared in a West End production of The Sound of Music and in concerts, recitals and light opera programes on BBC Radio, including the popular Friday Night is Music Night programme, which always went out live.

She performed and broadcast works by Ina Boyle, Redmond Friel and A. J. Potter and gave the premiere of Gerard Victory's Cinq Chansons de Rimbaud with pianist Nuala Herbert in London's Purcell Room in 1975.

On returning to live in Ireland she taught in the Royal Academy of Music and in 1980 was co-founder of the Bray Music Centre in County Wicklow, where she still teaches.

Posted: 21 July 2009