Opening Gala Concert

Enjoy unbeatable value for our six Gala Concerts with the Friend of the Festival pass discount! Purchase at least one ticket to activate the Single Pass (€120 instead of €195), or two tickets to activate the Double Pass (€200 instead of €390), for each of the six evening Gala Concerts. For the concerts in Cork City Hall, all tickets should be purchased in either the Balcony or Front Parterre.

Join us for a celebration of young voices featuring talented singers from St Mary’s Cathedral, Dublin, St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, and the festival’s own Cork Children’s Choir—made up of hundreds of pupils from local primary schools.

The first half, conducted by the acclaimed Blánaid Murphy, brings together some of the finest young choristers from Dublin and Cork. In the second half, Artistic Director Peter Stobart unites a massed chorus of local voices, shining a spotlight on the remarkable young talent of Cork.

Programme:

Benjamin Britten
Saint Nicolas op. 42 50 mins

Tenor: Conor Prendiville
Conductor: Blánaid Murphy
Choristers from St Mary’s Cathedral, Dublin and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork

Originally written for the centenary of Lancing College, UK in 1948, Britten’s cantata tells the life of the fourth-century Bishop of Myra in a work of great poetry and sensitivity. It was conceived and composed with semi-amateur performance in mind and the technical demands of the choral and orchestral writing are appropriate for developing voices. The work is scored for string quintet, piano duet, organ and percussion and includes a demanding tenor solo role, originally conceived for Britten’s partner, Peter Pears.

Interval

Peter Stobart
Seven Shakespeare Songs
Double, double, toil and trouble
O mistress mine
Full fathom five
Where the bee sucks
Under the greenwood tree
When griping griefs
It was a lover and his lass

Conductor: Peter Stobart
Choirs from Cork Educate Together National School, St Fin Barre’s National School, St Michael’s National School, Blackrock, St Multose National School, Kinsale, St Luke’s National School, Montenotte, St Mary’s National School, Carrigaline, Templebreedy National School, Crosshaven, St John the Baptist National School, Midleton, and Bandonbridge N.S, Bandon.

After his success at the 2023 Choral Festival with his ‘Nonsense Songs’, Peter Stobart’s new work for children’s choir sets words by Shakespeare, texts that have been used as inspiration over the centuries by countless composers. The 300 strong choir is accompanied by brass quartet and at times the voices split into four different parts.

Ticket Exchange/Refund
Once purchased tickets cannot be exchanged or refunds given. Refunds will only be made in the event of a cancelled performance.