Dublin Choral Foundation

Rome 2007

From The Irish Times, June 23rd
Written by Laim McAuley

I am one of 30 choristers gathered in a large, vaulted, underground
chamber, half-lit by discreet floodlighting and by the glow of
candles. There is a smell of earth and of incense, writes Liam
McAuley.

Together with a group of robed clerics, we are chanting the Latin
litany of the saints in honour of a 19th-century Irish priest around
whose tomb, and before whose portrait, we are gathered. "... Sancte
Clemens, ora pro eo... Omnes sancti Martyres, orate pro eo..."

The scene seems unreal, like a clip from a film, or a dream of half-
forgotten childhood days as an altar-boy. But I am perfectly alert, I
feel the ground under my feet, and I know exactly where I am:
beneath the basilica of San Clemente, just 300 yards from the
Colosseum in Rome. I remind myself that when I became a member of the
Lassus Scholars, the Dublin-based choir founded, directed and inspired
by Ite O'Donovan, I had hoped to find myself going to exotic places,
and not just in a musical sense.

The scene I describe occurred at the start of this month, when the
Lassus Scholars travelled to Rome at the invitation of the prior of
San Clemente, Fr John Cunningham, to help celebrate the 150th
anniversary of the extraordinary excavations undertaken there by
Joseph Mullooly.

The splendid 12th-century basilica, named after the saint and pope
Clement I, had been in the care of Irish Dominicans since 1667,
following the order's expulsion from Ireland. In 1857 Fr Mullooly, who
had become prior seven years earlier, and was a keen amateur
archaeologist, began a series of digs. These revealed a fourth-
century basilica directly underneath the existing church, containing
several notable frescos, as well as the tomb of St Cyril, "Apostle of
the Slavs", inventor of the Cyrillic alphabet and hence the founder of
Slavonic literature.

At an even lower level are the remains of a pagan temple of the late
2nd century, dedicated to the god Mithras, as well as a large house
dating from the first century. This is believed to have been the home
of the Roman consul and martyr Titus Flavius Clemens, one of the first
of the Roman nobles to become a Christian, and a contemporary of St
Clement.

Despite his priceless discoveries - which can be viewed on the
excellent website http://www.basilicasanclemente.com - relatively
little is known about Joseph Mullooly himself. He was born at Lehery,
near Lanesboro, Co Longford on March 19th, 1812, a son of the farmer
Gilbert Mullooly and his wife, Bridget Dowd. In 1840 he set out for
Italy (allegedly with just a half-crown in his pocket), where he
entered the Dominican Order the following year. His book 'St Clement,
Pope and Martyr, and his Basilica in Rome' was published in 1869. He
died on June 25th, 1880, five days after collapsing at Mass. He was
buried in Campo di Verano cemetery, but in 1912 his remains were
returned to San Clemente and placed under the main altar of the lower
basilica, which he himself had installed there.

His name should become better known in his native land with An Post's
issue of a commemorative stamp, due in September, in response to
promptings from San Clemente. Macedonia and Bulgaria have already
issued stamps in honour of his historic discoveries. Greece is to
follow suit later this year.

Fr Mullooly would surely have been gratified by such public honours -
and by the recent celebration of his life and legacy at the basilica.
The procession to his underground tomb followed a commemorative sung
Mass led by Cardinal Adrian Simonis of the Netherlands, titular of San
Clemente. On the following evening, Sunday June 3rd, the Lassus
Scholars, with regular soloists Vivienne Hassell and Eoin Murphy and
accompanist Celine Kelly, gave a fund- raising concert. This was
originally planned to take place in the cloister, but was moved into
the basilica because of the rain which, earlier that day, had dampened
the crowds gathered in St Peter's Square for the canonisation of
Blessed Charles of Mount Argus, Dublin. Given that the Irish had two
causes for celebration that day, a little Irish weather was probably
not out of place. And the Italians (as well as the countless foreign
visitors to Rome) had enjoyed warm sunshine throughout Saturday, which
was Italy's National Day.

The concert programme reflected the long history of San Clemente,
ranging from plainchant through the Renaissance masters Palestrina and
Victoria to Brahms, Bruckner, Fauré and the 20th-century composers
Duruflé and Randall Thompson. The basilica's Slavonic associations
were echoed in an excerpt from the 'Liturgy of St John Chrysostom' and
in Rachmaninov's 'Bogoroditsye dyevo' (Ave Maria).
Three motets by Dublin-born Charles Villiers Stanford provided an
ecumenical touch, and the Irish accent was strengthened with 'Ag an
bPásadh 'bhi in gCána', 'Suantraí ár Slánaitheora' and 'Seinn
Alleluia'. The programme began and ended with joyous anthems by Mozart
- 'Te Deum' and 'Regina Coeli', and also included his 'Magnificat' and
'Laudate Dominum'.

The audience included Archbishop Sean Brady of Armagh, Bishop Colm
O'Reilly of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, Minister for Education Mary
Hanafin, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, the Irish Ambassador to Italy, Sean O
hUiginn, the ambassadors of Ireland, Macedonia and Bulgaria to the
Holy See, as well as members of the Mullooly family from Ireland and
the US.

With the concert - and the feasting that followed - successfully over,
Irish voices raised in song could be heard again, echoing long into
the night outside the nearby Café San Clemente, as a group of Lassus
Scholars traded tunes with a bunch of Roman waiters.
Ireland's unofficial apostle Danny Boy was duly honoured, as was that
well-known place of pilgrimage, the Bog Down in the Valley-O.
The Lassus Scholars, together with the children's choir Piccolo Lasso,
will perform in the 80th birthday tribute to Veronica Dunne at the
National Concert Hall on August 2nd.

© 2007 The Irish Times



		Rome 2007 From The Irish Times, June 23rd Written by Laim McAuley I am one of 30 choristers gathered in a large, vaulted, underground chamber, half-lit by discreet floodlighting and by the glow of candles. There is a smell of earth and of incense, writes Liam McAuley. Together with a group of robed clerics, we are chanting the Latin litany of the saints in honour of a 19th-century Irish priest around whose tomb, and before whose portrait, we are gathered. "... Sancte Clemens, ora pro eo... Omnes sancti Martyres, orate pro eo..." The scene seems unreal, like a clip from a film, or a dream of half- forgotten childhood days as an altar-boy. But I am perfectly alert, I feel the ground under my feet, and I know exactly where I am: beneath the basilica of San Clemente, just 300 yards from the Colosseum in Rome. I remind myself that when I became a member of the Lassus Scholars, the Dublin-based choir founded, directed and inspired by Ite O'Donovan, I had hoped to find myself going to exotic places, and not just in a musical sense. The scene I describe occurred at the start of this month, when the Lassus Scholars travelled to Rome at the invitation of the prior of San Clemente, Fr John Cunningham, to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the extraordinary excavations undertaken there by Joseph Mullooly. The splendid 12th-century basilica, named after the saint and pope Clement I, had been in the care of Irish Dominicans since 1667, following the order's expulsion from Ireland. In 1857 Fr Mullooly, who had become prior seven years earlier, and was a keen amateur archaeologist, began a series of digs. These revealed a fourth- century basilica directly underneath the existing church, containing several notable frescos, as well as the tomb of St Cyril, "Apostle of the Slavs", inventor of the Cyrillic alphabet and hence the founder of Slavonic literature. At an even lower level are the remains of a pagan temple of the late 2nd century, dedicated to the god Mithras, as well as a large house dating from the first century. This is believed to have been the home of the Roman consul and martyr Titus Flavius Clemens, one of the first of the Roman nobles to become a Christian, and a contemporary of St Clement. Despite his priceless discoveries - which can be viewed on the excellent website http://www.basilicasanclemente.com - relatively little is known about Joseph Mullooly himself. He was born at Lehery, near Lanesboro, Co Longford on March 19th, 1812, a son of the farmer Gilbert Mullooly and his wife, Bridget Dowd. In 1840 he set out for Italy (allegedly with just a half-crown in his pocket), where he entered the Dominican Order the following year. His book 'St Clement, Pope and Martyr, and his Basilica in Rome' was published in 1869. He died on June 25th, 1880, five days after collapsing at Mass. He was buried in Campo di Verano cemetery, but in 1912 his remains were returned to San Clemente and placed under the main altar of the lower basilica, which he himself had installed there. His name should become better known in his native land with An Post's issue of a commemorative stamp, due in September, in response to promptings from San Clemente. Macedonia and Bulgaria have already issued stamps in honour of his historic discoveries. Greece is to follow suit later this year. Fr Mullooly would surely have been gratified by such public honours - and by the recent celebration of his life and legacy at the basilica. The procession to his underground tomb followed a commemorative sung Mass led by Cardinal Adrian Simonis of the Netherlands, titular of San Clemente. On the following evening, Sunday June 3rd, the Lassus Scholars, with regular soloists Vivienne Hassell and Eoin Murphy and accompanist Celine Kelly, gave a fund- raising concert. This was originally planned to take place in the cloister, but was moved into the basilica because of the rain which, earlier that day, had dampened the crowds gathered in St Peter's Square for the canonisation of Blessed Charles of Mount Argus, Dublin. Given that the Irish had two causes for celebration that day, a little Irish weather was probably not out of place. And the Italians (as well as the countless foreign visitors to Rome) had enjoyed warm sunshine throughout Saturday, which was Italy's National Day. The concert programme reflected the long history of San Clemente, ranging from plainchant through the Renaissance masters Palestrina and Victoria to Brahms, Bruckner, Fauré and the 20th-century composers Duruflé and Randall Thompson. The basilica's Slavonic associations were echoed in an excerpt from the 'Liturgy of St John Chrysostom' and in Rachmaninov's 'Bogoroditsye dyevo' (Ave Maria). Three motets by Dublin-born Charles Villiers Stanford provided an ecumenical touch, and the Irish accent was strengthened with 'Ag an bPásadh 'bhi in gCána', 'Suantraí ár Slánaitheora' and 'Seinn Alleluia'. The programme began and ended with joyous anthems by Mozart - 'Te Deum' and 'Regina Coeli', and also included his 'Magnificat' and 'Laudate Dominum'. The audience included Archbishop Sean Brady of Armagh, Bishop Colm O'Reilly of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, the Irish Ambassador to Italy, Sean O hUiginn, the ambassadors of Ireland, Macedonia and Bulgaria to the Holy See, as well as members of the Mullooly family from Ireland and the US. With the concert - and the feasting that followed - successfully over, Irish voices raised in song could be heard again, echoing long into the night outside the nearby Café San Clemente, as a group of Lassus Scholars traded tunes with a bunch of Roman waiters. Ireland's unofficial apostle Danny Boy was duly honoured, as was that well-known place of pilgrimage, the Bog Down in the Valley-O. The Lassus Scholars, together with the children's choir Piccolo Lasso, will perform in the 80th birthday tribute to Veronica Dunne at the National Concert Hall on August 2nd. © 2007 The Irish Times