This news is music to ours ears
The Cork International Choral Festival will be making a welcomed return to the streets and stages of Cork next month, having gone virtual due to Covid the past two years.
The festival is the oldest in Cork and one of Europe’s most prestigious choral events, with the last live event in 2019 giving a €10 million boost to the city.
Singers from all over Ireland, Europe and beyond will participate in gala performances, national and international trophy competitions, fringe concerts, workshops, and free public performances in more than 90 venues throughout Cork city and county, some of which are in new and unexpected locations. The fun even spill into the streets, cafes, restaurants and bars of Cork.
Highlights include the annual Big Sing, which returns on Saturday April 30th to Cork City Hall, one of the most attractive and acoustically superb venues in Ireland. During this fun participative public event, singers of all ages and levels of experience are invited along to be part of the largest choir of the festival, ensuring that everybody is given the opportunity to exercise their vocal chords! The best bit? You don’t even need to be able to sing. It’s simply about lending your voice and experiencing the sheer joy and sense of community that lies at the heart of choral singing. No preparation is necessary either as music and lyrics will be handed out on the day.
St. Finbarre’s Cathedral will reverberate beautifully to the sounds of Chamber Choir Ireland who will give the premier performance of the winning composition of the 2022 Seán Ó Riada composition competition. They will continue with their 2022 retrospective on Steve Martland, with a concert which places the late composer in the context of his contemporaries, John Frandsen and John Luther Adams.
The Cork International Choral Festival will run for five days in total from from April 27th to May 1st 2022. Musical or not, everyone is invited to get involved and participate in the various workshops, events and performances on offer. Tickets for the festival are on sale now over at www.corkchoral.ie