CATHOLICISM, MUSIC and royalty met yesterday when Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed a performance by The Priests during a visit to a community centre in Ballyclare, Co Antrim.
The trio have sold about 1.4 million copies worldwide of their eponymous debut album.
Fr Eugene O’Hagan said the difficult choice of what to perform was made diplomatically.
The first, Benedictus, was written by a Welsh composer, and the other, Irish Blessing, had an Irish theme.
The visit was symbolic of the post-Good Friday relationship between Britain and Northern Ireland, with three Catholic priests performing before the next king of the United Kingdom in a mainly unionist town.
Margaret Ritchie of the nationalist SDLP was in attendance, and there were no signs of any republican protests.
The venue, Ballyclare Concerns Centre, has hosted community, social and artistic functions since its inception in 1991. Yesterday it was filled with more than 100, mainly elderly, invitees who sat patiently in the centre’s hall waiting for the delayed arrival of the prince and duchess.
On arrival, they were greeted by assorted dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant of Co Antrim, and were then given a 20-minute tour of the centre, pausing to view a special needs unit which helps adults with learning difficulties.
The prince then met members of a local historical society while the duchess viewed a display of bridal wear.
Fr Eugene, who is also the local parish priest, then introduced the prince to his bandmates, namely his brother Fr Martin O’Hagan and Fr David Delargy. It was then time to meet more guests in the hall before taking their seats to hear the clerics, accompanied by a piano, perform two pieces which were well-received and enthusiastically applauded.
The prince seemed to especially enjoy the performance, and seemed pleased when Fr Eugene presented him with a copy of their CD. The prince called the performance “a particular treat” and wished the clerics “all the best” with their musical endeavours.