This year yet again there has been keen interest from international choirs to participate in the non-competitive strand of the Cork International Choral Festival.
We are delighted to announce that the following choirs participated:
- Collegium Musicum (The Netherlands)
- St Ouen's (Jersey)
- Armagh Male Voice Choir (Northern Ireland)
- Kuhankeittajat Choir (Finland)
- Schola Cantorum (Italy)
- Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School Choir (England)
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ARMAGH CITY CHOIR (Northern Ireland)
Armagh City Choir was founded in 1986 and since then has performed a wide range of choral works including Mozart’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Handel’s Messiah, Fauré’s Requiem, Kodály’s Missa Breva, Copland’s In the Beginning, and Beethoven’s Mass in C, along with selections from Gilbert and Sullivan, settings of popular songs and operatic choruses, including Lehar’s Merry Widow. These have usually been performed in one of the two city cathedrals, underlining the cross-community nature of the choir.
Although based in Armagh, the choir has performed further a field, for instance at the Ulster Hall in Belfast with the Ulster Orchestra, in an Easter presentation of Bach’s St Matthews Passion. The choir meets and practises between September and May of each year and warmly welcomes new members.
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CHISLEHURST AND SIDCUP GRAMMAR SCHOOL SENIOR CHOIR (England)
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Senior Choir was founded with the arrival of Mr. McKiel at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School in 2002. Since that time the choir has participated in many festivals and competitions across Europe. The choir returned from their 2006-07 International Tour capturing Silver in the prestigious International Festival of Christmas and Advent Music in Prague. Their conductor and soloist Jennifer Speller were also nominated for Gold Medals in the competition as the best in their field.
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Since then the choir has been invited to sing at Coventry Cathedral where they will premiere a piece specifically written for them, ‘Ubi Caritas’ by Prof. James Sclater, Mississippi College. The choir has also performed a concert of Prof. Sclater’s work at a specially arranged event where the retiring composer was a guest of honour in January 2008.
Senior Choir has participated in the Music for Youth National Festival 2005, performing in the prestigious Adrian Boult Hall in Birmingham. In addition, they were special guests of the Primary Proms in Royal Albert Hall in October 2007.
The Choir has also had the opportunity to perform for the heads of the E.U. when the U.K. held the E.U. presidency. Along with meeting several Heads of State, they also had the chance too perform in the magnificent Royal Houseguards Hotel.
The Choir looks forward to its normal participation in the Music for Youth National Festival, the BBC Songs of Praise competition, the BBC Choir of the Year competition and the World Choir Games in Austria, July 2008.
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COLLEGIUM MUSICUM (The Netherlands)
Collegium Musicum was founded in 1936, when the Leiden Student Choir and the orchestra of the Liberal Christian Student Society merged to become the Leiden Student Chamber Orchestra ‘Collegium Musicum’ (CM), conducted by Bach expert Hans Brandts Buys. In its early years, CM was still run by two separate boards. In the fifties CM became an independent student society and progressively formed itself into an association intergrating the academic and social aspects of student life with making music.
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Today, CM comprises of a choir (100 members), chamber choir (25 members) and symphony orchestra (55 members). All of CM’s members, including its 7 board members, are amateur musicians and either studying at or newly graduated from the University of Leiden. The choirs and orchestra rehearse on a weekly basis. The choirs have been led by Gilles Michels since 1993; the orchestra by Quentin Clare since January 2004.
Every semester CM performs a different programme ain several concert venues in Leiden as well as in Utrecht, Haarlem or other cities. Works played vary from pieces by composers such as Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Brahms and Mendelssohn to more contemporary compositions by Britten and Barber or commissioned composers.
In addition to its regular concerts, CM often performs on official occasions organised by the University of Leiden or the town council, such as the opening of the academic year and the Mayor’s New Year reception. The chamber choir has performed, together with a selection of members of the orchestra, at the 430 anniversary of Leiden University in February 2005. at this occasion, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix received her honorary doctorate.
CM is, however, more then just a group of musicians, it is a true student association. Apart from making music, CM organises plenty of social events. After each rehearsal its members have a drink together. Various committees are responsible for organising a gala ball, football competitions , an introduction weekend for first year members, stand up performance evenings, CM’s own journal release, Christmas carol singing in elderly homes, jam sessions and of course, the biannual tour. Every second year CM tours in a foreign country. The tours have taken the association to Austria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Italy in past years.
In short, Collegium Musicum is a lively association of students who enjoy the opportunity to rehearse and improve their musical capacities as well as the socially connecting atmosphere which making music creates.
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ST. OUEN'S LADIES CHOIR (Jersey)
| St. Ouen’s Ladies Choir comes from the Island of Jersey, which is only 45 square miles and is one of the Channel Islands. The Islands are in fact closer to France then they are to England!!
The Choir have always had a very mixed repertoire, hoping to please all tastes.
Since 1972 the St. Ouen’s Ladies Choir have competed, with great success, in many local Eisteddfods, and decided in 1984 to spread their wings and started to travel to Southern England to compete in competitions in Cheltenham, Bournemouth and Bath.
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The Choir’s greatest success was in 2000 when they were South-East of England area winners of a National Competition for ladies voices. The final was held in London and the 6 winners from all the U.K. competed against each other. St. Ouen’s Ladies Choir were Runners Up.
In December 2003, at the invitation of the Vienna Tourist Board, the Choir took part in their Advent Music Festivities, and in September 2005 sang in the wonderful city of Prague.
This is the Choir’s first visit to Ireland, and although we are not competing we are delighted to be able to join in this wonderful occasion.
YOUTH CHOIR KUHANKEITTAJAT (Finland)
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The choir has its roots in a school choir led by Tuija Koskelo in 1977. In February of the same year the choir was given the name and in March they gave their first concert.
A parents’ association was founded in 1979 to support the choir in economical matters. In the beginning the same association also paid for the leader for the leader of the choir. The association is still active and participates e.g. in the travelling costs of the choir.
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In the 80s the original one big choir was spilt into three smaller choirs. The next leader of the choir, Juha Lehmus, led the choir for one year. His successor, Hannu Vuorela, led the choir for a while until the following spring in1986 Risto Pelli took over. In 1987 dtibor Boganyi started leading the choir, which was integrated into the choir of Forssa School of Music in the same year.
When Bogani retired in 1995, Natalia Maltizova from St. Petersburg became the laeder of the choir. Natalia had already received a degree in Parnu College of Music but continued her studies in St. Petersburg Conservatories where she received her degree as a choir leader with flying colours. In Forssa Natalia was eventually to lead choirs such as Viihdekuoro Kehrat, Forssan Kamarikuoro and Farssan Naiskuoro.
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