International Choral Conducting Course

2027 tutors to be announced after the summer!

Chamber Choir Ireland (Guest Ensemble)

Garnering a strong reputation for its unique approach to creative commissioning, recording and programming, Chamber Choir Ireland is the country’s flagship choral ensemble and national chamber choir under the Artistic Direction of Gabriel Crouch.  The Choir’s programmes span from early renaissance to the present day, incorporating established choral classics with cutting-edge commissions, and a style of performance that incorporates versatility, dynamism and often vocal pyrotechnics. Read full bio

Clayton Hotel, Cork City & Millennium Hall, Cork City Hall

Tuesday 27th April

• Arrival and Registration
• Introduction and welcome – Outline of the course and who are we all
• Getting Started Day 1 – Warm-ups/Exercises/Singing together
• Conducting 1 – Physical gestures
• Lunch
• Alexander Technique. Staying physically healthy
• Tea/coffee break
• Conducting 2 – Good listening

Wednesday 28th April

• Getting Started Day 2 – Warm-ups/Exercises/Singing together
• Conducting 3 – Repertoire details
• Coffee & Tea break
• Singing lesson 1. Helping yourself and others
• Lunch
• Conducting 4 – Rehearsal techniques
• Tea/coffee break
• Repertoire – Picking up new ideas

Thursday 29th April

• Getting Started Day 3 – Warm-ups/Exercises/Singing together
• Conducting 5 – Managing the ensemble
• Tea/coffee break
• Singing lesson 2. Vocal Health
• Lunch
• Conducting 6 – Leadership

Friday 30th April (half day)

Ensemble Workshop with Chamber Choir Ireland (public event)

A complete list of the repertoire selected by the tutors will be published after the summer. If you have other repertoire which you would like to work on, please send a copy to the Choral Festival Office for approval by 28th February 2027.

Each participant will work with 2-4 selections during the workshop.

All delegates should prepare the common piece and at least one other piece for each tutor (four pieces in total) in advance of arriving and be prepared to work on them with the tutors. The three categories into which the repertoire has been split are intended as a guide only, and delegates can freely choose which music they would prefer to conduct.

*Note: Pieces are categorised in difficulty based on the application of conducting principles that will be worked on throughout the course, not necessarily on the technical difficulty of the work.

Friday, 5th March 2027

• Full price: €295/person (inclusive of tea/coffee breaks)
• Conductors of participating choirs: €270/person (inclusive of tea/coffee breaks)
  *Complete choir application or proof of payment of choir entry fee required

Payment can be made online at this link, or by cheque or bank transfer to the following account:

Bank details
Recipient: Cork International Choral Festival
Bank: Allied Irish Banks plc, Patrick’s Street, Cork, Ireland
IBAN: IE85 AIBK 9341 5105 1954 48
BIC: AIBKIE2D
Account Number: 05195448
Sort Code: 93 41 51
NOTE: Please ensure that your name of choir is noted on bank transfer.

Participants booking tickets for our Gala Concerts can avail of a reduction of 15% on all Gala concerts. A discount code will be sent to all participants after registration.

Getting Here

By Plane

Cork International Airport operates flights to and from a wide range of international destinations.

Shannon International Airport (approximately 120km from Cork) and Dublin Airport (approximately 220km) cater for a wider range of destinations, with internal flights also in operation between Dublin and Cork.

By Train

Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann provide regular mainline Intercity services to Kent Station, Cork from Belfast Central, Dublin Heuston and Connolly Station, Limerick.

By Bus

Bus Éireann offer a nationwide service to and from Cork, with Expressway/Intercity services. They also offer regional services if you plan to see some of the county and a Cork City service to get around town while here.

Accommodation

Each year the Festival compiles an Accommodation Guide with specially negotiated accommodation rates for attendees and visiting choirs.

Meals & more

In addition, we team up with the city’s best restaurants, bars, tourist sights and transport providers so that choirs are offered the best deals in town. View the Food & Drink Trail.

Broadcasting, recording & photographic rights

It is a condition of participation that participants agree that:

• Any performance/session during the Festival may be photographed, broadcast live and/or recorded for subsequent reproduction and/or broadcast on radio/television/internet without payment to the participants.
• All broadcasting and photographic rights to any session during the Festival shall belong to the Festival which will be free to dispose of them or utilise them in promotional materials as it sees fit. Members under 18 years of age need to provide proof of informed consent of their parents/carers is this regard.
• Any session during the Festival may, without payment, be recorded and the Festival shall be entitled to possession of any such recording and shall further be entitled to reproduce any such recording and to sell, let for hire, offer or exposure for sale or hire, distribute or otherwise dispose of any recording or reproduction of recording of any such performance in any manner as it sees fit.

Visa requirements

The process and cost of Visas are the sole responsibility of the participant. The Festival will support a participant through a letter of support on request.

General rules

1. The Festival reserves the right to change its dates in the event that a concert, or other public event or any circumstance outside the control of the Festival renders it impracticable to hold the festival on the scheduled dates
2. Entry fee (minus any bank charges incurred) will be refunded if the course cannot take place on the announced dates.
3. A participant that withdraws from the course is not entitled to a refund of the participation fee.
4. The Festival accepts no legal responsibility whatsoever in respect of anything pertaining to the participation in the course.
5. The Festival accepts no responsibility or liability for accommodation and meal costs incurred by the participant.
6. The Festival accepts no responsibility for any expense incurred by any individual participating in the course.
7. Participation in the course implies acceptance of all the regulations.