A member of the singing sensation, The Priests, says that the people
of his two parishes are “very much part of the journey” and when he
sings, he brings them with him.
Fr Martin O’Hagan is part of the internationally acclaimed classical
music group called the Priests, made up of three Catholic priests from
Northern Ireland – Fr Martin, his brother Fr Eugene and Fr David
Delargy.
The group had been singing together since they were school
boys, but they hit the headlines in 2008 when they were signed up by
Sony BMG and produced an album that sold millions.
Speaking to CatholicIreland from his parish of Newtownards
and Comber, Fr Martin compared living his ‘double life’ as parish priest
and classical singer to “spinning a dinner set - so many things have
to be put in place” but it was his parishioners and his team that made
it all possible.
“We’re juggling all the time. We’ve got a little more used to that but it’s very beneficial.”
Parishioners from the small parish of Comber are very supportive to Fr Martin in his music ministry.
“He’s been given a talent and he needs to use that talent,” Brenda
Cafolla, a parishioner from the tiny parish of Comber told
CatholicIreland. “We have a lot of negativity about priests and he’s
promoting something positive about priests, he’s spreading his beautiful
voice, throughout the world,”
Last week the trio took Malta by storm, during their first
performance on the island.
In a sell out concert marking the Year of
Faith, the three men sang a repertoire of Sacred music, like Ave Maria
and Panis Angelicus, as well as songs by The Beatles, contemporary and
classic Irish songs and some original compositions. They were joined by
Maltese soprano Gillian Zammit and a nine piece orchestra.
Before the concert they visited the archbishop of Malta, Archbishop
Paul Cremona who commented on the importance of singing in praying to
and glorifying God.
Questioned about how hard it was to come down to earth after a
concert, Fr Martin told CatholicIreland that he was now able to pick up
the pieces of parish life very quickly.
“You’ve been out. You’ve had a
little bit of a high as regards the concert itself and its been
marvellous, but I always keep in the back of my mind, ‘Now Martin you
are going back to parish life and you’re dealing with everyday
issues,’ and I can assure you that you do pick up the threads very
quickly and the everyday important issues, whether it’s a family that
has been bereaved, to organising a baptism to paying the bills, to
administration, to the schools - you get back into the rhythm very
quickly.”
So far the men have sung to over 100,000 people in concerts all over
the world and raised millions of euro for charities - for schools in
Uganda and Cambodia, for street children in Thailand and for local
charities like Simon and Sightsavers in Ireland.
In July the Priests will be performing at the Vatican, and in August
they have a concert in Belgium. Their main tour for 2013 will be to
the US and Canada from late October to early December, and over
Christmas they will play a concert or two in Ireland.
While he’s away, Fr Martin tries to organise a priest to say mass and
his parish of Newtownards and Comber goes ahead.
“We miss him when he’s
away but when he’s here he gives 100%,” said Brenda Cafolla. Another
parishioner, Mary Anne McKee agreed.
“He’s away at concerts. He has to
do what he enjoys as well. It’s fantastic for the parish too.”