Tributes paid to Fr Frank McNamara, founding director, Schola Cantorum

The death has occurred of Fr Frank MacNamara, the founding director of the Schola Cantorum at St Finian’s College, Mullingar.

A native of Clara, County Offaly, Fr Frank was educated at St Finian’s College and St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Meath in 1956 and following his ordination, he was appointed to the teaching staff of St Finian’s College, while simultaneously undertaking studies for the B.Mus degree at UCD.

A part-time teacher of chant and choral pedagogy at both UCD and Maynooth, Fr Frank was appointed by the Irish Episcopal Conference as the founding director of the Schola Cantorum at St Finian’s College in 1970, a position he held until 1984.

Fr MacNamara’s contribution to the Schola was immense and cannot be underestimated.

As its founding director, the burden of establishing the Schola fell entirely on him. In doing so, he broke new ground and he set the high standards of teaching and learning which have permeated the Schola ever since.

During his years as Schola director, Fr Frank proved to be an extraordinarily gifted musician, possessing an innate musicianship and standards of perfection, which he communicated to his students as core benchmarking principles.

His vision for the Schola was that it would educate and train its gifted students as future organists and leaders in the music profession throughout the land. It was a vision that he had the satisfaction of seeing realised.

He imparted to the Schola Cantorum a coherent structure of music education and performance well beyond the ordinary. His ineffable rapport with his students allowed him to identify and cultivate individual degrees of musical talent, almost as a matter of instinct, nurturing their particular abilities to the full.

A fine choral trained and conductor, Fr Frank directed several Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas in St Finian’s as well as the Mullingar Choral Society for their annual oratorio concerts.

On leaving St Finian’s College in 1984, Fr MacNamara was appointed parish priest of Ratoath, County Meath. One of the hallmarks of his time in parish ministry was the high standards of music that graced the Sunday Masses and other liturgical celebrations.

In recent years, Fr MacNamara lived in retirement in Cluain Lir Care Centre, Mullingar.

Following Fr MacNamra’s retirement in 1984, Shane Brennan was appointed director of the Schola Cantorum. Since 2003, Gerard Lillis has held the position as director. Mr Lillis contributed the information above, and passed on his condolences and those of his colleagues at St Finian’s.

Among others who have paid tribute to Fr MacNamara is Pádhraic Ó Cuinneagáin, one of the first students at the Schola Cantorum, now lecturer in music at TU Dublin Conservatoire .

Invited by the Westmeath Examiner to contribute to this article, Pádhraic wrote: “I remember Fr Frank MacNamara as a kind-hearted, honourable, compassionate, fair-minded and good-humoured man whose genuine love of teaching, and considerable knowledge of music and the wider arts commanded the respect of students of the Schola Cantorum.

“Fr Frank took great interest in the musical development of all of the students in his care and cultivated a learning environment in the school where they could thrive, where the journey in pursuit of musical knowledge was a joy, and where working to achieve the highest standards of instrumental and vocal performance became the norm.

“He was a gifted teacher who shared his knowledge generously and who supported and encouraged the efforts of every individual student. He showed tremendous vision in ensuring that the students received not only the highest quality of instrumental tuition and academic teaching, but were also exposed to choral singing, both sacred and secular, ensemble playing, concert performance opportunities and participation in national music competitions.

“Needless to say, his successes in the latter were many; overall, students were the recipients of a well-rounded music education that comfortably prepared them for further study and future success as musicians.

“Supported and sustained since 1970 to date so commendably by the Hierarchy, the Schola under Fr Frank’s early stewardship has led to a host of his students being employed across key areas of the music profession and in particular, to significantly raised standards of organ playing and choral singing (sacred and secular) in churches and communities across the country.

“I feel a deep sense of gratitude to Fr Frank for many happy years at St Finian’s and for the foundations of a wonderful music education, but my abiding memory of him will be of his humanity, kindness, consistent support and enduring friendship over the decades since my school days. He will be greatly missed. Codladh sámh agus suaimhneas síoraí. Ar dheis Dé go raibh d’anam naofa.”

Fr Frank was predeceased by his brothers Willie, Fr Vincent (Kiltegan), Enda (Dublin), Willie’s wife Carmel, Enda’s wife Carmel and his grandniece Róise; his passing is deeply regretted by his brother, Brendan (Portlaoise), sister-in-law Rita, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

Fr Frank’s funeral Mass was at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar on Monday, and burial followed in Clara Monastery Cemetery.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.