About

The work beats choir began in 2017 as part of a community healthcare West staff health and wellbeing supported initiative. Initially with a small membership of 20, it has grown steadily and has a current membership of 50. It is now recognised that choirs have very
significant benefit to people’s health and wellbeing, and a recent HSE evaluation highlights this:

https://www.irishworldacademy.ie/artsandhealth/

Members of the choir include current and retired staff from the various staff groupings within the Mayo HSE community services, Mayo University Hospital, Sacred Heart Hospital, Mayo Mental Health, TUSLA, Western Care and Castlebar men’s sheds.

The choir meets every Wednesday evening at 5.30 at the primary care conference room St Mary’s headquarters. To date, the choir has performed at a number of HSE events including Health and Wellbeing events, and Christmas Carols in the foyer of Mayo University Hospital. The choir first performed as part of a fundraising event in the historic Ballinafad House outside Castlebar to an audience of 300 people. Further plans include participation in The Mayo choral festival in May 2019 and more appearances at local events.

New members are always welcome. An ability to read music, though helpful is not essential. Please contact us for further information.

From the age of 12, Kathy has worked with choirs, both teaching and as an accompanist at local church services and weddings. She studied Music in Maynooth and at 18 she was teaching piano. Not long after, started training her first adult choir. For the past 17 years, Kathy has taught piano, singing and handbells in schools all over Mayo, and occasionally travelling to other parts of the country on request.

She has performed, in prestigious venues such as Dublin Castle, the American Ambassadors Residence, National Concert Hall, Christ Church Cathedral, the Late Late Toy Show. As well as dedicating some time to composing music, Kathy is also now Director of several award winning choirs - Chapel St. Gospel Choir, Vocalessence Ladies Choir, Troubadours male group, St. Anne's Parish Choir, VoxFusion, as well as her most recent appointment to Workbeats Choir - a workplace choir initiative run by HSE. Kathy is also Conductor of Mayo Concert Orchestra. She heads several high profile musical events annually, frequently working alongside leading names in today's entertainment business.