Gareth McGreevy

(Chairperson)
Gareth has been a member of St Agnes’ for 13 years and has been involved in musical theatre from a young age. His passion for musical theatre has seen him act as musical director for multiple companies including the staging of the Northern Ireland Premiere of Sunset Boulevard in The Grand Opera House.

Gareth’s first show with St Agnes’ Choral was Annie Get Your Gun in 2009 and since then has become a dedicated member of St Agnes’ having taken part in concerts and shows each year as well as serving on a plethora of roles on the Executive committee (Public Relations Officer, Secretary and most recently Chairperson for the past 5 years). For Gareth, St Agnes’ is a special company where there is a real sense of community and where friendships transcend generations.

Fiona Keegan

(Vice Chairperson)
Fiona is the Principal of a large Primary School in Belfast. She is a life member of St Agnes’ Choral Society and has been honoured to serve on the committee for many years in several different capacities, including the prestigious role of Chairperson.

Over the years she has been honoured to play many leading ladies in the glorious surroundings of the Grand Opera House – possibly too many to mention! Fiona also enjoys the annual concerts staged by the company and the many charitable fundraising functions. Fiona is very proud to be a member of this wonderful company, where she has made lifelong friends and been gifted many opportunities both on and off stage.

Maeve Connor

(Secretary)

Maeve comes from a family of musicians, singers, dancers and actors, and had close ties to the company through her aunt who was a member for over twenty years. After being heavily involved in the Youth Lyric, and the local amateur company Stage Kids, Maeve continued her passion for performance within her GCSE and A-Level qualifications, and then on to University to study Drama and Theatre Studies. Maeve joined St Agnes’ Choral Society eight years ago as part of the Ensemble in ‘The Sound of Music,’ and has since performed in a number of shows as a dancer and within supporting principal roles. Maeve has been a member of the executive committee for a number of years and is passionate about aiding the company’s ongoing success and progression.

Elaine Toman

(Treasurer)
Elaine has been part of the St Agnes’ family for over 15 years. She is a Mathematics teacher by day and is delighted to be part of the committee as Treasurer.

She has performed in many St Agnes’ productions over the years including Shrek, Hairspray, 9 to 5, the Sound of Music and 42nd Street.

Emma Nugent

(Assistant Secretary)
Emma is a Primary School teacher and has been involved with St. Agnes’ Choral Society since 2013, both on and off stage. This is her second time serving on the committee and she just loves the new friendships that have been formed since she joining the society. Emma has taken part in many shows and concerts and musical events since joining. Her favourite show with the company was ‘Hairspray’ back in 2014 where she just loved the music. Nothing will ever make her forget the sound of the overture from the orchestra on opening night in the Grand Opera House and hearing the audience erupt!

Cat McAleavey

(Public Relations Officer)
Cat is a solicitor by day and PR Officer by night! Often found taking pictures of fake hands and monsters for social media, she regularly ropes in her videographer husband to help build the Aggies brand.

Cat has been a member of St Agnes’ Choral Society since 2016 and enjoys performing in concerts and shows with the incredible chorus.

Michelle Harkin

(Chorus Representative)
A primary school teacher and her school’s Music Co-Ordinator, Michelle has all of her grades in singing and piano as well as a DipLCM in Musical Theatre. She has been performing on stage with various groups since she was four and has also been a concert soloist.

Previous roles include Susan (Calamity Jane), Glinda (A Taste of Wicked), Mrs Lyons (Blood Brothers), Lady Battersby (Me and My Girl) and the Wicked Witch (Shrek).

Martin McDowell

(Music Coordinator)
Martin works in television and film production but is delighted to return to his first love, theatre, with St Agnes’ Choral Society.

Having joined the National Youth Theatre at 18, Martin continued his training in Drama at University of Bristol where he performed in Sunday in the Park with George and Thoroughly Modern Millie, amongst others. He also directed Company, Footloose and a new musical, Pierced for Music Theatre Bristol. He was fortunate to perform at Bristol Old Vic Theatre and Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of his stage training.

Martin has also fulfilled various freelance creative roles with celebrated companies such as Blunt Fringe, for which he contributed to their critically acclaimed productions, in addition to directing for productions at East Belfast and Belfast Titanic Maritime Festivals.

Julie Smyth

(Social Secretary)
Julie is a Special Needs Classroom Assistant and joined St Agnes’ Choral Society in 2011. Her first show was Thoroughly Modern Millie, although her favourite show to perform in (so far!) was Hairspray.

Julie loves being a member of St Agnes’ and has made life long friendships in the company, for which she will always be grateful.

Julie is a Committee veteran and has been a much admired Social Secretary four times since joining!

Marie Forrester

HONORARY POSITION (President)

“It was a great privilege and delight to be asked to become President of St Agnes’ Choral Society in 2020. Little did we know then what a traumatic year lay ahead. Rehearsals were in full swing, costumes and sets ordered, and everyone was looking forward to “Top Hat” in the Spring, but all had to be cancelled causing massive disappointment. With energy and determination, the Committee went into overdrive and before long had a wonderful programme of online events organised. For me it was a very steep learning curve indeed but brilliant to look forward each week to my online “Sunday Escape” including baking Gingerbread Men and Flower Arranging. These events kept us all in touch and ended with two wonderful concerts, the “Magic of Christmas” and “The Christmas Story”, raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support and The City Hospital Renal Unit. I was surprised and delighted when relatives from Germany, Canada, Australia and USA sent messages of congratulations and contributions. So unsurprisingly, in coping with the difficulties of Coronavirus and going virtual the Society scored yet another first in our long line of firsts.

I have been a member of the Society since 1966 and shocked to realize that I have been involved in 58 shows and concerts.

The foundations of the Society were laid down by many talented people, Musical Directors, Directors, Choreographers, singers, dancers and actors. They have all played their part in creating the Society, that we all enjoy, with an ethos of family and caring which has been so much in evidence this past year.

Now as one of the very senior members it is great to sit back and admire the young people the Society welcomes in. Their energy, youth, vitality, and not to forget talent is wonderful to watch and I am assured that St Agnes’ Choral Society has a fantastic future ahead. This year has only confirmed, what I always knew, that we nurture all our members in many different and diverse ways and also contribute so much to the entire community.

I will sum up in a sentence, “St Agnes’ Choral Society offers music, drama, laughter, tears and great joy from lifelong friendships and adds a touch of magic to our lives”.”

Pat Smyth

HONORARY POSITION (Vice President)

“When I joined St Agnes as a young man aged 17 I could never have foreseen how that decision would shape the years ahead! Meeting my wife Angela and together with our three children we enjoy lifelong friendships, wonderful music and beautiful memories that we hold so dear.”