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Music has always been at the heart of worship in this diocese, and for his farewell service, Bishop Paul Colton chose each piece with particular care. What follows is a selection of the music heard on the day, each accompanied by a short reflection from the Bishop himself, offering insight into why these works matter to him and how they have shaped his ministry over the years.

Tuba Tune II – Paul Fey (1998)

Paul Fey’s (1998) Tuba Tune II is a bold and characterful organ work, written very much in the English cathedral tradition. As the title suggests, it showcases the organ’s powerful “tuba” stop, often used for ceremonial occasions, and has become a favourite for processional or festive services, setting a confident and celebratory tone from the outset.

Bishop Paul Colton explains this choice:

This choice was both a forward looking celebration and also a reminiscence.

I recalled deputising at the organ in St Fin Barre’s myself in the 1980s. I often chose to end a Service with C.S. Lang’s ‘Tuba Tune in D Major.’ I love the Tuba (8′) stop on the organ in Cork so, strengthened by these fond memories, I knew it would set the right note of joy for our Easter Celebration.

Separately I had encountered the compositions of the young German organist Paul Fey on YouTube. Throughout my time as bishop I have been keen to encourage young people, particularly in Church music. Based in Leipzig, Paul Fey was born in the months before my election as a bishop and it seemed appropriate to start the Service with a piece composed by a young adult who is just the same age as my 27+ years in the episcopate.

Apart from that I knew that his piece would show off the St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Tuba stop and also the 32′ extension to the Contra Trombone on the pedal which was added during the reconstruction and enhancement of the organ 12 years ago.

Gigue Fugue in G major, BWV 577 – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

This lively and intricate fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach takes its nickname from the dance-like “gigue” rhythm that runs through it. Likely composed during Bach’s earlier years, it combines technical brilliance with a sense of joy and movement, demonstrating his extraordinary ability to weave complex musical lines into something that feels both ordered and exuberant.

‘The explanation for this is simple’ said Bishop Paul:

Bach is an all time favourite. This piece is joyful. This Gigue Fugue was played on the organ in Saint Luke’s Church, Douglas, Cork as an interlude during our marriage Service in 1986. Susan and I will be 40 years married later this year. This choice was my tribute to Susan.

Gloria in excelsis Deo – Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Part of Vivaldi’s well-loved Gloria, this movement bursts with energy and brightness. Written in the early 18th century for the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, where Vivaldi worked, the piece reflects both the vitality of Venetian sacred music and the celebratory nature of the text: a hymn of praise that has resonated across centuries of Christian worship.

Again, a simple reasoning for this choice, said the Bishop:

When I myself was a lay vicar in the early 1980s in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Choir, this piece (in its entirety on that occasion) was one of the first concerts in which I sang.

Hallelujah Chorus – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

Few pieces are as instantly recognisable as the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. First performed in Dublin in 1742, it has since become synonymous with joy and proclamation. Its repeated “Hallelujah” refrains and grand choral writing give it a sense of both triumph and universality, making it a natural choice for moments of celebration and thanksgiving.

‘This piece was an Easter tradition in Cork when I was in the choir’, explains the Bishop:

The Hallelujah Chorus was a response to the Easter proclamation of the Gospel. It was wonderful. By then I myself was a Diocesan Reader. I remember vividly assisting at the Easter Service in Holy Trinity, Frankfield at 10 a.m., jumping on my motorbike as soon as that Service was over and making it to the Cathedral, late for the start of that Service, but just in time to throw on my choir robes and to slip into the choir stalls to join in singing this response to the Easter Gospel. It seemed like a good choice for our Easter Celebration this year too.

Let All the World in Every Corner Sing – Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

This anthem, setting words by George Herbert, is one of Vaughan Williams’ most joyful contributions to Anglican church music. Written in the 20th century, it combines rhythmic vitality with a strong sense of congregational praise, its recurring refrain “The church with psalms must shout” capturing the expansive and communal nature of worship.

Bishop Colton chose this as the anthem as be had also chosen it for the Service of Enthronement in St Fin Barre’s in April 1999.

Te Deum in B-flat major – Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)

Stanford’s Te Deum in B-flat major is one of the most enduring settings of the ancient hymn of praise in the Anglican tradition. Composed in the late 19th century as part of his Service in B-flat, it combines grandeur with clarity, allowing the text to unfold with dignity and strength. Frequently sung at services of thanksgiving and major occasions, it carries a sense of both celebration and continuity, making it especially fitting in the context of a bishop’s farewell.

‘There’s nothing like a ‘Te Deum’, one of the Church’s oldest canticles, to sum up our thanksgiving to God’ said Bishop Paul. ‘That’s why I chose this one.’

He added:

And, to my mind, nurtured on the Anglican choral tradition in an Irish context, there’s nothing quite like Stanford: Charles Villiers Stanford.’

Laudate Dominum – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

This serene and luminous movement from Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore offers a moment of stillness and beauty. Written in 1780, it features a flowing soprano line over gentle choral accompaniment, creating a sense of quiet devotion. Its simplicity and clarity have made it one of Mozart’s most cherished sacred works.

The Bishop comments

I was thrilled that soprano Saoirse Daly agreed to travel home from the UK to sing this beautiful aria, accompanied on the organ by Matthew Breen who played the organ for the entire Service with its demanding array of musical choices.

Who doesn’t like Mozart? Mozart composed this while in Salzburg before moving to Vienna (where Susan and I went on honeymoon). The piece was written for Vespers which seemed apt for this final moment in our Service at that time of the day.

In contrast to the triumphant and joyful proclamations of Easter in my earlier choices, this piece set a more tranquil and reflective mood – a prayerful context for the handing back of the crozier.

But I also chose of it because of confident assurance and invitation that the lyrics set – a parting exhortation from the Scriptures to the Diocese as I took my leave – words from Psalm 117:

Praise the Lord, all nations
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes

Praise him, all you peoples
Laudate eum, omnes populi