23 January 2021
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Cork International Choral Festival is calling on Cork based companies and businesses around Ireland to connect with their staff and teams during Covid through the uplifting medium of music.
The new ‘Choirworks’ programme devised for the 2021 Cork International Choral Festival offers workplace colleagues around the country and internationally the chance to learn to sing and form a company choir, or improve their singing and existing workplace choir, through online interactive music lessons, choir workshops and team building projects.
No prior singing experience is required as the ‘Choirworks’ programme will take everyone from singing in the shower to singing in an online music video!
Established in 1954, the Cork International Choral Festival is regarded as the premier event of its kind both nationally and internationally. Now staging its 66th edition, this is the first time the festival, which will this year be held entirely online, has introduced a workplace/company strand. The novel move has been made in an effort to help employers boost staff morale and improve employee wellbeing through the power of music.
Remote working has become the norm in most organisations since the onset of the Covid19 pandemic however working from home can often cause feelings of social isolation and loneliness in the workforce. Finding new ways to engage with staff and colleagues has therefore never been more important.
The health benefits of singing for both mental and physical health and well-being have been made well known through research. Music, especially the social aspect of choral music, also has the potential to play a more active role in improving social interaction among staff and achieving a good work-life.
‘Choirworks’ embraces the power of music to encourage collaboration, creative thinking and better mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace.
Each company choir registered on the programme will be assigned a choir leader who will put the singers through their paces. The ‘Choirworks’ course includes bespoke weekly online training sessions, the provision of lyrics, music, backing tracks and even choreography, and professional sound mixing and video editing. At the end of the programme, each company will have a professional video of the song they have been learning together, ready for entry into the 2021 Cork International Choral Festival Workplace Choir of the Year Competition.
Companies across Ireland and internationally are encouraged to sign up to the programme and arrive at Cork International Choral Festival 2021 as colleagues and leave as a choir!
For further information on how to register please visit www.corkchoral.ie or email kery@corkchoral.ie
