Pro-Cathedral lead organist bows out after 42 years

Forty two years and seven months after he was appointed, leading organist of the Pro-Cathedral Gerard Gillen retired on Sunday with a liturgical fanfare.

At a Mass attended by President Michael D Higgins and celebrated by Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, Prof Gillen (76) played for the last time formally, accompanying the Palestrina Choir as they sang Dvorak's Mass in D.

A former professor of music at NUI Maynooth, he also played the music of 18th century French composer Francois Couperin, the 300th anniversary of whose birth is marked this year, and a composition of 20th century composer Henri Mulet, along with a number of liturgical improvisations.

“I was 33 when I was appointed to the Pro-Cathedral where the music is of a very high standard,” he said. He also played the music for the wedding of President and Ms Higgins 44 years ago in Haddington Road church in Dublin.

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‘Time to hand on’

Prof Gillen has played at numerous international events including at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, the Royal Festival Hall in London, at King’s College, Cambridge and at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.

The lead organist at the Pro-Cathedral, he played every Sunday. “I will not have this regular weekly commitment any longer. It is time to hand on to new hands and feet, as it were.” Prof Gillen plans to continue to perform recitals with a number of events planned on the continent.

And his favourite music? “Well, every organist will always include the music of Johann Sebastien Bach. I would also include the French Romantic School.”

In a ceremony after Mass Prof Gillen was presented by Pro-Cathedral administrator Fr Kieran McDermott with a painting Bowing Out by Irish artist Kamela.