Whatshot

2026
2025
November
2024
June
April
2023
March
2022
2021
2020
March
February
2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2014
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2013
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
2012
December
November
October
September
August
July

Musical Celebration of Cardinal's 75th birthday!

Musical Celebration of Cardinal's 75th birthday!

Date: 2016-03-11
In celebration of Cardinal Wilfrid Napier's 75th birthday on Tuesday 8 March 2016, a free concert will be held in Emanuel Cathedral on Friday, 11 March morning at 11am, featuring nine Catholic primary school choirs.

After several successful Senior Schools Catholic Choirs Concerts, the Denis Hurley Centre is hosting for the first time a Junior Schools Catholic Choirs Concert. Among those performing will be the signing choir from Kwa Thintwa School for the Deaf (which was founded by Denis Hurley himself).

Kurt Holmes, Director of Music at St Augustine's, is co-ordinating the event with the participation of up to nine Catholic junior schools from the Durban area.

Each school will present their own pieces plus there will some works sung (and in the case of Kwa Thintwa School, signed) jointly by all the choirs. For many of the young people this will be their first experience of being in the Cathedral so we hope that we will have a good audience present to encourage them, considers Raymond Perrier: Director, the Denis Hurley Centre..

"Earlier that week the Cardinal will have celebrated his 75th birthday so part of the concert will be a chance for hundreds of young people from Catholic schools to sing 'Happy Birthday' to him and share an enormous cake," says Perrier.

Cardinal Napier was born in Matatiele in the Swartberg on 8 March 1941. His father was a farmer in the area. He attended Holy Cross School and later Little Flower High School in Ixopo. After matriculating , he went to Ireland to follow his vocation and studied at the Franciscan Novitiate in Killarney. From there he completed his BA in Galway before moving to the Catholic University in Louvain, Belgium, graduating with a Masters in Theology.

The concert will take place Friday 11 March in the Cathedral at 11am (after the 10am Mass). Admission is free and all are welcome. A retiring collection will be taken for the DHC.

There is safe parking in the Cathedral car park; if this is full then there is also safe parking under the Victoria Street market at the top of Denis Hurley (Queen) Street.

The Cardinal blessing the Denis Hurley Centre as part of the opening ceremony last year.