Friday, November 02, 2012

Priests recharge batteries in advance of Christmas schedule

The Priests, the music group phenomenon of three singing priests from Northern Ireland, is recharging its batteries while the priests themselves are ministering in their parishes in advance of a hectic Christmas schedule.

Fr Eugene O’Hagan his brother Fr Martin O'Hagan and Fr David Delargy have been singing together since they were boarders together at St MacNissi's College in County Antrim, and exploded onto the music scene in 2008 when they were signed up by Sony BMG and produced an album that sold millions.

Speaking to ciNews, Fr Martin O’Hagan said that 2012 had been a good year for them including a tour in the United States that attracted, “good crowds.”  

“We are still on a big learning curve,” he added.

Unlike other famous groups, The Priests has a clause in its contract that allows the group to return to minister to their parishes for large chunks of the year.  

But is this very difficult?  

According to Fr O’Hagan it is a question of “constant juggling.” 

“We plan things well in advance.”  

He added that his colleagues were very supportive.  

“We rely on them heavily.”

Currently Fr Martin O’Hagan is parish priest to the parish of Newtownards, while his brother Eugene is parish priest / administrator of the rural parish of Ballyclare and Ballygowan.  

Fr David Delargy is parish priest in the rural parish of Hannahstown, west of Belfast in County Antrim.

Fr Martin O’Hagan said that the men enjoy both their time performing and the time back home when they, “recharge our batteries.” 

“It is a wonderful gift to have the opportunity to lift peoples’ hearts.  They need to go out [after the concerts] with a lift in their step,” he says.  

Their music is a mixture of, “the operatic, the secular and the sacred,” says Fr Martin, and they are not at all singing just to one, “particular constituency.”

The Priests sold 2 million copies of the debut album worldwide and produced the fastest selling classical debut album of all time.  

The rise to global stardom has been well documented in features in Time Magazine and the Washington Post and the group has appeared in TV shows across the world with artists from Tom Jones to The Killers including the BBC’s Jonathan Ross Show and the News at Ten with Sir Trevor MacDonald.

But is it difficult to reconcile this fame, with their vocation to be priests?  

“No it blends with the vocation God has given us,” Fr Martin insists.  “We can use music to reveal faith in a quiet way.  We are not on a crusade.  Everyone can enjoy the secular side of our concert.”

The Priests will be playing in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool, raising money for Jospice (a charity supporting terminally ill people) on November 16.  

On November 30, they will perform in Guernsey.  

In December they have big concerts lined up in Dublin (December 3 in the National Concert Hall), Toronto, Canada (December 6), Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (December 7) and in Derry and Belfast (December 21 and 22 respectively).