The Carlton Singers, a madrigal group, were formed in 1983. Five of the original members are featured on their first album. The group got its name from The Flying Carlton Showband.

Currently, the Carlton Singers, is made up of people from 9 different Irish counties with representatives from Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Clare, Wexford, Roscommon, Tipperary, Kerry & Cork, it makes for a heady mix of banter & song! The group is based in Drogheda, as we all live in the greater Navan/Drogheda region.
We enjoy our music & we all get along "pretty well". There can be the odd semantic misunderstanding between those who come from the Cork/Kerry Border , better known as The County Bounds… so, it’s handy, nae essential, to have a majority of neutrals around, to keep the peace!

We hold rehearsals on Wednesdays , in the back room of Clarke’s Pub, Peter St., Drogheda, and since there’s a preservation order on that pub, we as a group feel secure about our future. We honour the 1^st Wednesday of every month, by holding a practice in Navan, compliments of Eleanor & Ursula.

We sing, as a madrigal group would have sung in the Renaissance Era, without a conductor, but that is not to say that we do not have a Musical Director! We do and her name is Eleanor Ryan, a Music Teacher in St. Michael’s Secondary School, Navan. She is a very talented, patient & diplomatic M.D. Eleanor also possesses the rare gift of being able to procure up to six different notes from a tuning fork & distribute them to the appropriate voices…(This is still a complete source of amazement to the rest of us, who associate tuning forks with handy gizmos for picking up garlic mushrooms.)
Eleanor is also responsible for some fine musical arrangements for the group, one of which features on our 1st C.D. No Money In Madrigals

Earlier reference was made to the social aspect of the group and this, we feel, is a vital ingredient for harmonious singing. The Carlton Singers’ Christmas Party has often taken place in April, May or June! Of course no one can predict where or when an impromptu party might take place. There seems to have been a great party once in Morcambe, Wales, but the younger members of the group missed out on that one!

We have helped to raise money for the Hospice Movement by busking in Grafton St., & we have sung at numerous other charitable events.

A particular highlight for us, was to sing in the National Concert Hall, in The Gay Byrne Gala Concert in 1994. Another highlight was, guesting with The Woodville Variety Group in The John Player TOPS, staged in the Rupert Guinness Theatre & The Gaiety Theatre.

Like any musical group…we tour! .......and, The Carlton Singers on tour, is a sight to behold. While comfortably loaded up in Mick Wall’s Bus, we have travelled to places such as Muclagh, Monknewtown …not to mention Ballyboughal, Navan, Trim, New Ross, Kentstown & Cork!

"Let’s go to Prague for St. Patrick’s Day"…sounded like a great idea in November, 1998.

The reality was even better in March 2000. So, it was bye-bye Mucklagh, Monknewtown & Morecambe & hello Prague.

Unfortunately, we were minus Oliver, due to study commitments. But, Lorraine, Jill, Des & the inimitable O’Boyle Sisters joined us.

Space, even web-space is simply too limited to recount all of the sometimes hilarious incidents, which took place between March 16^th and March 20^th, 2000. Suffice to say that a mighty time was had by all. We sang, we danced steps, we climbed hundreds of other steps, we stepped on and off dozens of metros, buses and taxis…we stood in awe of the magnificent Czech architecture, Czech culture and Czech Bus Conductors. They really took the ticket!

But the highlight of our tour, was our concert in The Church of St. Salvator, Old Town, Prague. This church had a fantastic acoustic. An appreciative audience enjoyed our hour-long concert. We enjoyed their standing ovation as well as their request for "more". We can only guess, how St. Salvator, might have reacted to our encore of "Old Mac Donald’s Farm!"

Well pleased with our performance, and proudly sporting shamrock, we headed for Old Town Square. There we joined other Ex- Pats in celebration of St. Patrick.

In the middle of this celebration, the spookiest of things happened. The O’Boyle Sisters’ guitar arrived by taxi…unaccompanied! "Just in case, they felt like singing!" we surmised. Further discussions ensued, about this well travelled guitar and case, and its "apparitional" ability. "Where will it appear next?" pondered an alto aloud. "How about Arnsberg, Germany, 17^th March 2001?" opined its owner. And, apparently, that may just be the case!

And, so it came to pass! Thank you Gráinne *"Group Leader Extraordinaire" for introducing The Carlton Singers (minus Ursula, Kay & Oliver) to Arnsberg.
What a lovely place, inhabited by WONDERFUL people! "Danke" to Rolf, Dora, Judith, Bob, Carlson & friends......you helped to make St. Patrick's Day 2001 very special for us. Your hospitality, generosity and attention to detail made us all feel like V.I.P's!
Location…location…location…! Where in the world, does one find a welcoming hotel, an historic townhall, a fine Italian restaurant and an O'Casey's Irish pub, all within a spoon's throw of each other?
Why, Arnsberg, Germany of course!

"AUSVERKAUFT" (sold out) read the poster for our St. Patrick's Day concert. A truly awesome audience enjoyed the singing and music of the wonderfully talented and versatile Gráinne O' Boyle (*G.L.E.): followed by her equally talented sister, Úna. They cast a spell on the Arnsberg audience. (We're looking forward to the C.D. girls!)
Follow that? Well, we tried…and under the guiding hand of our F.M.D. (Fantastic Musical Director!)Eleanor…we wished, in song, "Wohl Auf" to one and all. Almost one hour later, we were still singing. Then, joined by the O'BOYLE sisters, we concluded the concert, with a rendition of "On a List of Priorities", an original song by Úna…Such a talented girshe!

With reference to talent, a new Irish comedian was discovered in Arnsberg. And, should you see a sign saying, "J.C appearing on a radio near you,"please tune in. It'll be good for your health. Thanks for the boost to our collective immune system, J.C. Thanks also, J.C for permitting us to cajole you into becoming G.L. 2002, elect. Auf Wiedersehen Arnsberg and Buon giorno Roma????? (Watch this space!)