26 April 2017
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
As part of the mammoth programme of events taking place this week across Cork for the 2017 Cork International Choral Festival, there will be a very special performance by the multi Grammy® award winning acapella group, The Swingles at Cork City Hall this Thursday evening at 8pm.
The Swingles will perform a diverse collection of folk music from around the world using their own creative arrangements. For more than half a century the famous acapella group have pushed the boundaries of vocal music and this will most certainly be a highlight of the 2017 Festival for all music lovers.
The Swingles first made waves in the 1960s, when American-born Ward Swingle first assembled a group of Parisian session singers to sing Bach’s keyboard music. The resulting album, Jazz Sebastian Bach, launched the Swingle Singers to fame.
Since then, they have won five Grammy® awards and appeared on numerous film and TV soundtracks, including Sex and the City, Milk, Grey’s Anatomy and Glee.Their repertoire has grown to include a huge variety of music, including new original songs, and they have released more than 50 recordings – most recently the audacious Deep End and holiday album Yule Songs vol. II.
Tickets are from €12.75.
The Art of Acappella Masterclass with The Swingles
CIT Cork School of Music, Thursday 27 April, 11-1pm – Free of Charge
As well as bringing down the house with an incredible show, the group will also share some tricks of the trade at an interactive workshop on acapella singing and performance on Thursday. The masterclass session will include warm ups, a practical workshop with two selected cork-based ensembles, vocal improvisation, and an interactive open session incorporating performance style, repertoire selection, arrangements, and the voice as a percussive instrument.
The members will also offer insight into their individual career paths and the development of the ensemble over the years and will involve all attendees in the practical aspects of the session.
Other events for the rest of the week include…
Friday 2-5pm
A seminar on New Choral Music will take place with Chamber Choir Ireland and Paul Hillier at Cork School of Music. This is FREE to attend.
Friday 7.30pm
Chamber Choir Ireland, the Choral Festival’s choir-in-residence, will perform ‘The Great Mystery’ Gala concert at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral. The concert will premiere two new commissions from David Fennessy and John Lonergan.
Friday 10.30pm:
New Dublin Voices, an internationally acclaimed award-winning chamber choir, will perform a gala concert ‘Evocations’ at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne
Saturday: 12pm
Conductor and composer Gemma Sugrue will lead this year’s Big Sing in Cork City Hall. This big and bright participatory singing event ensures everyone gets the opportunity to sing in the festival. All are welcome to attend this free event.
Saturday 3pm and 8pm
Hear from some of the world’s top amateur choirs competing for the Fleischmann International Trophy, one of the most prestigious choral prizes in Europe at the 2017 International Fleishmann Gala Concert at Cork City Hall.
Sunday: 5.15pm
The 2017 Cork International Choral Festival’s Awards Ceremony will take place in Cork City Hall.
Sunday: 8pm
The Closing Gala Concert will take place in Cork City Hall with International choirs presenting choral music representative of their musical and cultural backgrounds in a joyful celebration of song and colour. This is always a highlight of the week.
HQ
The official Festival Club is at the Clayton Hotel Cork City and there will be lots of events taking place there over the weekend and after the Gala concerts.
This is just a snapshot of what is taking place over the weekend. For the full festival programme see www.corkchoral.ie. Over 94% of the Festival is completely free of charge to the public. Tickets, from €17, for the Opening Gala and the 5 other Gala events are available for purchase through the online booking system atwww.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. Over 250 people volunteer for the Festival each year ensuring its delivery to the highest possible standard.