29 April 2016
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Highlights for the weekend
Cork’s largest festival, the 62nd Cork International Choral Festival, is in full musical swing. Headline act The Real Group from Sweden played to a packed audience in the Cork City Hall last night, Thursday 28th April
The city is hosting 5,000 national and international singers and more than 50,000 visitors, and the Festival, which runs until Sunday May 1, is the biggest in the Cork calendar.
With more than 100 events taking place, the majority of which are free, there’s lots to choose from, including Gala Concerts, a Choral Trail, Friendship Concerts, Fringe Concerts, a Symposium, Schools Concerts, National and International Competitions, workshops and free outdoor performances.
Highlights for the weekend…
Saturday 30th April
12.15pm Cork City Hall
The Big Sing
With the ambition of ensuring everybody gets the opportunity to sing in the Festival, Cork International Choral Festival invites all to take part in The Big Sing 2016, the festival’s big and bright participatory singing event. The Big Sing is open to everyone and admission is free. There’s no preparation necessary – just sing from, and for, the heart! In just 45 mins, composer and conductor John O’Brien will teach a well-known choral work to the crowd.
2pm The Clarion Hotel
Afternoons in the Atrium
Afternoons in the Atrium provides a weekend of energetic and entertaining performances by national and international choirs in the fresh, modern setting of the Clarion Hotel, Lapps Quay.
3pm & 8pm Cork City Hall
International Fleishmann Gala
Some of the world’s top amateur choirs will compete for one of the most prestigious prizes in International standards.
Other
Festival Food Market, Emmet Place, 10am-6pm – Various Pop Up Choirs
Bakestone Cafe @Ballyseedy Garden Centre, 11am – Tung-Hsin Choral Society [USA]
Ambassador Hotel, 1pm – Sing for your Life! Choir [Australia]
Lewis Glucksman Gallery UCC, 1pm – CasaSawt [Morocco]
l’Atitude 51, 5.30pm – DeineMaids [Germany]
Sunday 1st May
2pm The Clarion Hotel
Afternoons in the Atrium
Afternoons in the Atrium provides a weekend of energetic and entertaining performances by national and international choirs in the fresh, modern setting of the Clarion Hotel, Lapps Quay.
8pm Cork City Hall
Closing Gala Concert
International choirs will perform choral music representative of their musical and cultural backgrounds in a joyful celebration of song and colour.
Other
Festival Food Market, Emmet Place, 10am-6pm – Various Pop Up Choirs
City Hall Awards Ceremony, 5.15pm – Various
Festival Club – Saturday and Sunday
The Festival fun doesn’t stop when the Gala’s end – it simply moves to the Festival Club at the Clarion! It’s the perfect place to kick back and relax with festival choirs and guests, whether you’re in the mood to sing, dance, drink or mingle your way into the small hours.
Festival Tickets are available for purchase through the online booking system at www.corkchoral.ie, and in person from the Festival Box Office at The Everyman, McCurtain Street.
The Cork International Choral Festival is proudly supported by The Arts Council of Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork County Council, First South Credit Union Ltd. and Indaver Ireland.
