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Each year the festival also welcomes choirs who wish to participate on a non-competitive basis. The nightly Festival Club allows participants to meet informally in a convivial social setting and the opportunity for fun and mingling with other visiting choirs. As well as foreign choirs, the festival annually features up to 100 adult, youth and school choirs who participate in national competitions.
2010 will see the following choirs participate in the non-competitive strand of the Festival:
CoroArmonia, Italy
Coro Armonia was formed 1995 in Casorate Primo, a small town near Pavia, in the north of Italy. The choir consists of a group of friends who share a passion for music and singing, and are conducted by their founder, Professor Lidia Vignoni.
At present, the choir has 30 amateur members, aged between 18 and 70 years of age. It is a mixed choir who sing in two, three and four parts.
Over the years the Coro Armonia has been singing both secular and sacred works, ranging from gospel spirituals and traditional folk music to Beatles songs and musicals, either a cappella or accompanied by a piano. The choir has given many concerts for charity and recently staged the musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. In 2007 the choir took part in their first competition, the International Rimini Choir Contest. In September 2008 it also took part in the International ‘Europe and Its songs’ Festival in Barcelona, getting good appraisals from the jury.
The choir is now delighted to come to Ireland for the 56th Cork International Choral Festival.
Listen to:CoroArmonia
Choir Gloria, Russia
Founded in 1993, the Gloria female choir performs Russian and European sacred music, Russian folk songs, and the best classical and modern compositions in Russian as well as other languages.
In 1997 Gloria became a silver prize winner of the competitions in Riva-del-Garda, Italy, and after its wonderful singing the choir was invited to take part in the Mass at the St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and to give various concerts in Rome. The highlight for the choir members was meeting Pope John Paul II.
In 2000, Gloria took part in the Festival of Sacred Music in Moscow by invitation from the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. In the same year, the choir won the medal of St Tatiana, founded by the eparchy of St Peterburgh’s, acknowledging their great work in social and educational activities. The choir was awarded the title of National Choir of the Russian Federation for its concert activities.
In 2004, Gloria won the Diploma of the Choir Competition in Tours, France, and in 2005, 2006 and 2007, the choir received awards from the choral festivals in Auch, France.
Gloria is conducted by Marina Zhuliabina. Marina is Professor of Choir Conducting at the Kostroma State University. She is also an Honored Artist of Russia and laureate of the Dmitry Likhachev artistic and cultural prize. The beautiful singing of Gloria is the brand of Russia.
Listen to:Choir Gloria
Llanofer Choir, Wales
Llanofer choir is a mixed choir made up of children from key stage 2 in Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrân and some of our ex pupils from years 7, 8 and 9 in Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw.
The choir has expanded over the years and there are over 50 members in the choir. They enjoy singing in both English and Welsh and also experiment with other languages. The choir meets every Thursday to learn new songs. They are conducted by Miss Nerys Griffiths and accompanied by Miss Bethan Morris, both teachers at the Welsh primary school. The choir sings a wide range of songs in many different languages but mainly sings in the children’s mother tongue, Welsh. In Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrân, music plays an important part in everyday life and the choir is a reflection of how important our heritage and culture is to us.
The choir competes in various competitions around Wales during the academic year and also enjoys singing at various concerts. Every year they participate in the National Eisteddfod; a Welsh speaking festival where many schools and choirs from all over Wales come to compete against one another. In addition to choral singing there are many other competitions in the Eisteddfod in which Llanofer Choir enjoys taking part, such as folk dancing, acting and the traditional ‘Cerdd Dant’ which is an old tradition of singing with the harp as an accompany.
The choir’s teachers always show great enthusiasm and have taken them to perform in many different places over the past years; from competing in the Eisteddfod and reaching the semi-finals at the prestigious Côr Cymru Competition, to singing on the Fantasy Stage in the Welsh Festival in Disneyland - Paris.
Listen to:Llanofer Choir
Vocal Resources, Germany
For the 40 members of this choir, singing is not only a hobby. The students, university staff, professors and other jazz-enthusiasts from the Karlsruhe region communicate their enthusiasm to their audiences time and again in their concerts. Vocal Resources’ repertoire includes blues and swing, pop and latin, as well as African works. The arrangements are usually a capella and often eight-piece. Since 2005, the choir is conducted by Friedrich Wilhelm Möller.
In the summer of 2008, Vocal Resources took part in various choir competitions including the Bremen Choir Festival where they achieved a second place in the Jazz/Pop category, and Freigericht Neuses’ ‘2008 Choir Days’ where they received first prize.
Currently the choir is working on new pieces for their repertoire to be presented in various concerts planned in 2010.
The Westminster Chamber Singers is a 30-voice auditioned choir and the college’s premier touring ensemble. A high level of artistry characterizes their performances of both sacred and secular music, for which they have received critical acclaim throughout Utah, as well as nationally and internationally.
Under the direction of Dr. Quinn, the Westminster Chamber Singers have performed at Carnegie Hall, toured on three continents, and will travel to Ireland in May 2010. The choir recorded a Touched by an Angel episode with the internationally celebrated singer Charlotte Church, and was also featured in the First Anniversary Ceremony of the 9/11 tragedy for the State of Utah and Governor Michael Leavitt.
Most recently the choir embarked on a European tour encompassing both Spain and France, and in 2008, they performed in the Cultural Olympics preceding the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
Dr. Christopher Quinn, Director
Dr. Christopher Quinn (Director of Music/Chamber Singers) has been teaching at Westminster College since 1994. Under his leadership, the music program has grown dramatically. He developed a new music curriculum that included private lessons, performing ensembles, and
academic music courses in 1996. The music programs’ success culminated in the construction of the Emma Eccles Jones Conservatory for Music and Theatre.
In 2003, he was awarded the distinguished Gore Excellence in Teaching Award and the Naomi Weyher Renewal Leave which provided an opportunity to pursue post-doctorate work in conducting.
In 2004, he recorded a solo piano CD, A Tribute: The Piano Stylings of Ken Manzer. In 2005, Dr. Quinn’s arrangement of The Lord’s Prayer was published and has received international critical acclaim. He has several other works near completion and soon to be published. Dr. Quinn earned a DMA. in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is an active pianist, choral conductor, composer, and arranger.
Listen to: The Westminster Chamber Singers
Performing Groups:
Along with the non-competitive choirs, each year the Cork International Choral Festival also invites a number of local performing groups to give even more colour to the festival:
CADA Performing Arts (Ireland) Artistic Director: Catherine Mahon-Buckley
CADA Performing Arts is a centre for performers and communicators, who use it as a place where they can stretch themselves and learn new skills. CADA comprises of CADA 1 st Stages – a pre-school with a difference, a special needs integration programme and a Youth Theatre Company. Catherine Mahon-Buckley is the Artistic Director of the Academy and a renowned director and actress. Catherine’s dream was realised last year when she opened state of the art facility on Pine Street.
CADA Performing Arts is a centre for performers and communicators, who use it as a place where they can stretch themselves and learn new skills. CADA comprises of CADA 1 st Stages – a pre-school with a difference, a special needs integration programme and a Youth Theatre Company. Catherine Mahon-Buckley is the Artistic Director of the Academy and a renowned director and actress. Catherine’s dream was realised last year when she opened state of the art facility on Pine Street.
She has directed the last 12 Pantomimes in the Everyman Palace. Her theatre credits include “Through the Wire” and the “Plough and the Stars” and she has appeared in numerous musicals including “The Sound of Music” and the National Premiere of “Fame”. Catherine works with an excellent staff at the Academy and the performance at the Cork International Choral Festival involves Pupils, Teachers and Parents.
Ceoltoirí Chairbre (Ireland)
Director: Martin Power
Tutors: Caroline Ni Chathasaigh Marian Collins Brian McGillicuddy Aoife Granville
This group of highly talented young Irish traditional musicians, singers and dancers are students of the County Cork School of Music based in Maria Immaculata Community College, Dunmanway and Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Co Cork. The group are actively involved in musical and social development of the community locally and also perform at many events both nationally and abroad. Performances include an extensive and varied repertoire of Slow Airs, Planxtys and Dance Tunes, enhanced by individual and group dancing and traditional singing, both in Irish and English. In 2004/5 the group were presented with the High Achievements Award by the Cork County School of Music for their outstanding successes at Festivals and Fleadhanna Cheoil over many years.
The Cork Irish Dance Company Senior Section of the Kiely-Walsh Academy of Irish Dancing (Ireland)
The Cork Irish Dance Company is the senior section of the Kiely Walsh Academy of Irish Dancing. Directed by Miah Walsh and Maria Kiely Walsh, the company boasts an impressive array of world class dancers and is one the leading Irish Dance schools in the country, having won many World, All Ireland, and international titles to their credit. Based here in Cork City and county, they have travelled the world promoting our Irish dance culture and performed at the launch of Liverpool European Culture campaign. Their unique ability to tailor produce traditional and modern performances has remained central to the company's success of which corporate audiences to date include Port of Cork, Cork City F.C. and many functions and events for Lord Mayor which subsequently merited them an invitation to perform for Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at the Wimbledon Ball in 2005. They have performed in many national and international festivals travelling to countries such as England, France, Spain, Tunisia as well as parts of Australia and the USA to mention just a few.
Cork International Choral Festival is proudly supported by:
