Closing Gala Concert

Sunday 27th October, St. Columb’s Hall, 8pm Presented by Marie-Louise Muir

The Closing Gala Concert will provide a celebratory end to the inaugural City of Derry International Choral Festival. The competitors in the prestigious International Competition will each perform an informal programme of music and the International Competition winner will be announced and awarded the bespoke international trophy, designed by Maurice Harron.

MAURICE HARRON, ARTIST AND SCULPTOR

Maurice Harron was born in Derry, Northern Ireland. After studying at the Ulster College of Art & Design, he taught at schools in Belfast and Derry, and in 1983 began working as a painter and sculptor.

For the last 18 years he has worked to address issues of belief, ethnicity and political tension through his sculpture. Working in public locations, he has made works that explore themes connected to social, historical and cultural identity.

In creating the International Trophy, Maurice has taken the oak tree of Derry as a symbol, with the many strands of roots coming together to form a canopy. The trophy stands on a stainless steel base with many thin rods of stainless steel emerging from the ground to entwine around it and join together in a vertical column. Those at the centre climb to the highest point, while the outer group forms the lower branches. The canopy is made from bronze plate using a design based on the ancient La Tene (Celtic) abstract patterns.

Maurice says, ‘Choral art is the result of many varied and diverse talents coming together to create something amazing. Ordinary people blend voices in harmonies to create extraordinary works’.

26

PROGRAMME

RUDA POLIFONICO, ITALY

1. Oce Nasc - N. N. Kedrova 2. Lux Aurumque - Eric Whitacre

AD SOLEM, ENGLAND

1.El Grillo - Josquin des Prez 2. Il est Bel et Bon - Pierre Passereau

NEW DUBLIN VOICES, IRELAND

1. Mr Blue Sky - ELO, arr. Eoin Conway 2. The Star of the County Down - Traditional Irish, arr. Howard Goodall

POLIFONICA, BELARUS

1. Blessed Virgin - S.Rachmaninov 2. Large Field with Ripe Rye was Talking - Belarussian Folk Song, L.Zakhlevny

VOCI NUOVE, IRELAND

1. The Wishing Tree - Joby Talbot 2. My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord - Moses Hogan

COIS CLADAIGH, IRELAND

1. Leisure - Eamon Murray 2. Jakkobin Isot Poiat - Pekka Kostiainen

INTERVAL

FUNKY VOICES, ENGLAND (VISITING NATIONAL CHOIR)

1. Take That - Gary Barlow, arr. S.Colston 2. Higher - S. Stewart/Stevie Wonder, arr. S.Colston

Closing ceremony and award of the International Trophy

27