Cherry Cup
The Cherry Cup competition for vocal quartet was instituted in 1949 to commemorate Richard Cherry (1896-1948). An active member of the Choral Society from 1918-1947, Cherry sang bass and served on the committee for 27 years, mainly as Hon. Treasurer.
Richard Cherry also had a distinguished and varied career outside Choral. He was a student at Rugby until the outbreak of World War I, when he joined the Rifle Brigade. He served in France from 1914 to 1916, when he was wounded. At that point, although he had won a scholarship to Oxford, he chose to enter Trinity College Dublin where he read law and eventually became a barrister. This decision followed a family tradition of legal study at Trinity – his father, Sir Robert Cherry, had been a TCD graduate and a Lord Chief Justice.
Cherry’s other activities included performing with the Culwick Choral Society, serving as Registrar of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, playing rugby for the Wanderers’ first fifteen, and involvement in the Harding Boys’ Home (on the site of the present Kinlay House) which was established to benefit boys from the country working in Dublin.
The Cherry Cup seems to have been commissioned by Richard Cherry’s sisters Wilna and Kitty. Its inscription reads, ‘Tune thy music to thy heart, sing thy joy with thanks.’
2010 Competition
The 2010 Cherry Cup was held on Wednesday 24th February in Regent House following a shortened rehearsal. This year the set piece was “Come Again” written by John Dowland and again two quartets entered the competition.
Quartet 1 with choice piece “Salve Regina” by Francis Poulenc
- Margaret Bridge
- Judith Lyons
- Raymond Tedders
- Eoghan Desmond
Quartet 2 with choice piece “Phyllis, Farewell” by Thomas Bateson
- Jordan Followwill
- Fionnuala Barrett
- Dermot Frost
- Ross Cullinane
John Dexter, director of the Goethe Institute Choir, adjudicated the competition and after getting the members of the society to sing several phrases from the set piece awarded the cup to Quartet 1.
2010 Cherry Cup Winners : Raymond Tedders, Eoghan Desmond, Margaret Bridge and Judith Lyons
2009 Competition
The 2009 Cherry Cup was held on Wednesday 18th February Regent House following a shortened rehearsal. The set piece, chosen by the conductor, David Leigh, was John Bennet’s “Weep O Mine Eyes”. This year two quartets entered the competition.
Quartet 1 with choice piece “Il est bel et bon” by Pierre Passerau
- Pashka Da Costa
- Enid Hutchins
- Brian Hennessy
- Kevin Neville
Quartet 2 with choice piece “My Spirit Sang All Day” by Gerald Finzi
- Judith Lyons
- Anna Keyes
- Raymond Tedders
- Eoghan Desmond
Both quartets performed well and gave the adjudicator, Frank Hughes, a difficult decision to make. After a short deliberation period the Cup was awarded to Quartet 2 .
