Latest news with #CorkInternationalChoralFestival
Irish Examiner
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
In pictures: Cork International Choral Festival provides a weekend of song
The sounds of song reverberated around Cork over the weekend as more than 130 choirs took part in the city's Choral Festival. Founded in 1954, this year was the 70th incarnation of an event that has a claim on the title of Cork's oldest festival. The Mount Royal Kantorei from Alberta Canada performing outside Cork City Library as part of the 70th Cork International Choral Festival. Picture: Darragh Kane First place and winners of the Fleischmann International Trophy, Conductor Donka Miteva Cormai, April and Bella Ryan, Blackrock, going to see Danish choir Syng Selected in City Hall as part of the Cork International Choral Festival. Kammerkoret NOVA From Oslo performing at the bandstand in Cobh. St Mary's Trebelmakers from Toronto Canada conducted by Tanya Earle performing at the bandstand in Cobh. The Cân Aderyn Singers from South Wales conducted by Sally Ann Evans performing in Tequila Jacks, Lapps Quay. Dynamics Vocal Ensemble taking part in the Ibec Workplace Choir of the Year Competition in City Hall. The Cork Headway Brain Injury Services and Support Choir conducted by Esther Anna Bennett performing in the Clayton Hotel. The Lilly Ireland choir conducted by mark Milford rehearsing for the Ibec Workplace Choir of the Year Competition. The Chamber Choir of the Collegium Musicum Berlin performing in St Annes Church, Shandon. Members of East Cork Choral society , Middle Magical-75, The Guinness Choir, Cork Fleischmann Symphony Orchestra, Tenor Dr. Gavan Ring and Baritone Gyula Nagy performing with conductor Keith Pascoe at the opening gala of the 70th Cork International Choral Festival. The opening gala of the Cork International Choral Festival at Cork City Hall Members of the Chamber Choir of the Collegium Musicum Berlin performing in St Annes Church, Shandon. Glanmire Community College celebrate their win in the Mixed Voice Post Primary Completion Choirs School Choir. Students from Ashton School celebrate after winning the Irish Federation of Musicians & Associated professions trophy at the National Competition for Schools - Mixed Voice Post-Primary.
Irish Examiner
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Watch: Choral festival at Sunday's Well Tennis Club
Welsh choir Cân Aderyn light up a sunny afternoon at Sunday's Well Tennis Club with a lively Mamma Mia medley, performed as part of the Cork International Choral Festival. Their joyful harmonies brought a burst of ABBA energy to the picturesque Cork setting.
Irish Examiner
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
In profile: Peter Stobart, artistic director of Cork International Choral Festival
Artistic director of the Cork International Choral Festival Peter Stobart has reflected on his journey in the role to date and shared where his love for music and performing originated from. Stobart has been the artistic director of the Cork International Choral Festival since 2020 and the director of music of Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork since October 2015. Stobart took up the position in January 2020, replacing long-term festival and artistic director John Fitzpatrick, who retired after 26 years, and navigating the covid pandemic. Ahead of this year's festival, Stobart shares his journey to date, what he looks forward to most this year, and his background in singing and playing music. Originally from Yorkshire, Stobart has called Ireland home for the past 10 years, having moved here to take up the role of director of music at Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral. During his time as director of music at the cathedral, Stobart became aware of the Cork International Choral Festival and, down through the years, attended many concerts and events across the city. Since taking on the role, the festival has grown year-on-year, and this May bank holiday weekend will see more than 117 performing groups, including 20 international choirs, take part. Peter Stobart at St Fin Barre's Cathedral. Picture: Clare Keogh Touching on his role as director of music at Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, Stobart explained that he manages a choir of 40 members who sing three times a week. 'I've always, I've always conducted choirs of all different types - choral societies and church choirs and chamber choirs and university choirs,' he said. 'When I lived in London, I was doing loads of that. So, that sort of qualified me for the job at the festival, at least. 'But my main involvement throughout my life has been with church music, hence moving to Cork for the Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral role. That role is a full-time job, because I go into lots of schools during the week and do singing and music lessons with mostly primary school children. 'I'm going into six, seven, eight different schools during the week, as well as providing the music for the cathedral services. I've got 40 people in the choir. Ninety-five per cent of those are under the age of 18, and they sing three times a week, and they rehearse twice a week, in addition to the services. So that's quite a big commitment for them. So I run all of that.' Stobart also organises international tours for the choir members, as well as events at Christmas time and on St Patrick's Day, and other civic events, and said singing is at the forefront of those important events at the cathedral. Speaking about what sparked his love for music from a young age, he said: 'I had piano lessons when I was six, and I was in the church choir when I was eight. Then I started playing the organ when I was 12 or 13 and I used to play the violin as well. I was sort of encouraged by my parents, and the school I went to in the UK was very good at having all the extracurricular stuff. I was doing that rather than sports teams and things.' This year's festival is already underway, and Stobart promises a special weekend ahead of celebrating all of the choirs taking part, but particularly the 20 international choirs, who he said 'bring a variety of colourful costumes, as well as singing, multiple different languages, and different styles' to Cork. 'It's such a significant thing,' he says.
Irish Examiner
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
In profile: Donnchadh Mac Aodha, winner of the composition competition at Cork Choral Festival
When Donnchadh Mac Aodha was deciding where to pursue his musical studies, the obvious choice was Dublin, just down the road from his home in Dundalk, Co Louth. But as a traditional Irish and classical musician also interested in contemporary composition, he found the perfect fit further afield, in UCC. 'I was set on Dublin but when I looked into the course specifics, it was that blend of traditional, classical and contemporary that drew me to UCC,' he says. Mac Aodha is currently completing a degree in Irish and music at UCC, where he is a Quercus creative and performing arts scholar. Earlier this year, he was announced as winner of the prestigious Seán Ó Riada composition competition, which celebrates new works from Irish composers. His winning composition, a choral piece entitled Babel, draws on his love for traditional music and the Irish language, and was described by the judges as "captivating" with "a distinct musical identity". It will be performed by Chamber Choir Ireland at St Fin Barre's Cathedral Cork this Friday as part of the Cork International Choral Festival. The decision to study at UCC has paid off both professionally and personally. 'I wanted something that encompassed everything. I have had an absolute ball in terms of the extracurricular stuff as well," says Mac Aodha. Coralia of the University of Puerto Rico performing at last year's Cork International Choral Festival. Picture: Chani Anderson Mac Aodha, who plays tin whistle, flute, trad harp and piano, has cultivated his many talents under the guidance of lecturers including contemporary art music specialist and founding member of Crash Ensemble, John Godfrey, and traditional music scholar and concertina player, Jack Talty. His love for the Irish language is reflected in his use of a poem by Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, from which his composition Babel takes its name. Inspiration struck, as it often does, when Mac Aodha was under creative pressure. 'Ailbhe was actually a lecturer of mine in UCC. The deadline for the composition was probably about three weeks away, and I still had no text. I whipped out some books and started going through them. I found the poem and I just emailed her asking her 'can I please use this'.' Mac Aodha grew up steeped in traditional music. His mother played flute and the family would go to the Fleadh Cheoil and various festivals and summer schools around the country. 'My dad had no choice even though he doesn't play music, although there is a lot of music on his side. 'Music in the blood with poor circulation' is always his line,' he laughs. The various cycles whereby traditional music or the Irish language are deemed to be 'cool' again leaves Mac Aodha somewhat bemused. 'Maybe in terms of outside appreciation, traditional music and the Irish language is on an upward trajectory but it's hard to say that within your own circle, because I've grown up playing traditional music since I was wee and I know so many people that play it. We've always been playing away and we don't need to be kind of rejuvenated and reinvented. I wouldn't see any people that I play with as backwards or old-style.' Outside of his studies, Mac Aodha says he has started listening to a lot of folk music. 'It's always been hard to even define what folk is in Ireland… I listen to a lot of Joshua Burnside, and Ye Vagabonds. I enjoy it, and you can pull stuff from that into your own compositions.' In his own composition Babel, the judges reflected positively on 'the (quite deliberate) absence of harmonic stability'. Mac Aodha is very aware of the balance between composing a challenging work and not alienating the listener, or the performer. "My mum is getting to grips with all this contemporary stuff, and she says, 'So is that piece going to be normal or wacky?'. At the moment, I'm treading some sort of line in between. A lot of the choral scene is amateur musicians, so if it's not enjoyable to sing, they're not going to sing it. That's the way music survives — that it is performed. With choral music, you really want to have something that draws people back to it. There's too much music in circulation for people to be working away at something that they're not enjoying for weeks on end.' Babel will be performed at St Fin Barre's Cathedral Cork as part of a concert performance by Chamber Choir Ireland this Friday, May 2, at 7.30pm. Cork International Choral Festival runs April 30 - May 4. For full details, see Cork International Choral Festival through the years* 1954: The inaugural Cork International Choral Festival is established. 1957: A 21-year-old Luciano Pavarotti gave his first Irish performance at the Cork International Choral Festival, as part of a male voice choir called Societa Corale Gioachino Rossini, from Modena in northern Italy. 1964: Introduction of the International Trophy Competition, which was later renamed the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition in honor of Aloys Fleischmann, a significant figure in the festival's history. 1959: Expansion of the festival to include a vibrant Fringe Fest, bringing choral music beyond traditional concert halls. A concert at Cork City Hall during the Choral Festival in 1955. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive 1962: The Seminar for Contemporary Music began in 1962 with the commissioning of Seán Ó'Riada, Edmond Rubbra and Darius Milhaud and over the following years commissioned multiple distinguished composers including; Flor Peeters (1963), Herbert Howells and Elizabeth Maconchy (1965), William Walton (1974), John Tavener (1990) and Mícheál O'Súilleabháin (2000). 1966: The launch of the Schools Competition, fostering a love of choral music among young singers. 1972: Introduction of the Seán Ó Riada Competition, initially designed to encourage amateur adult Irish choirs to perform original works in the Irish language. By 1976, it had evolved into a composition competition. 2000: Introduction of the Light Jazz and Popular Music Competition, which this year our most popular competition. 2010: A reimagining of the Seán Ó Riada Composition Competition, incorporating anonymous submissions to ensure unbiased judging. 2021: Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival embraced virtual performances, keeping the music alive during a time of global uncertainty. 2021: The launch of the IBEC Workplace Choir of the Year, celebrating the role of music in corporate and community life. 2022: A return to live performances, reaffirming the festival's place at the heart of Cork's cultural scene. 2025: The festival's landmark 70th anniversary, set to feature a special programme of concerts, events, and tributes honouring its legacy. (*Source: Cork International Choral Festival)
