2017 CODI Programme Book

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets available from the Millennium Forum Box Offce Newmarket Street, Derry Call +44 (0) 28 7126 4455

Book online at www.millenniumforum.co.uk

N.B. Booking fee of £1 applies per ticket

EVENING CONCERTS

Wednesday 25th October

The Real Group, St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30 £20 (full), £12 (concession), £5 (groups of 10+)

Thursday 26th October

Gloria, Guildhall, 19.30 £12 (full), £8 (concession), £5 (groups of 10+)

Friday 27th October

Tenebrae, St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30 £20 (full), £12 (concession), £5 (groups of 10+) Saint Sister, The Glassworks, 22.30 £5

Saturday 28th October

International Competition, 19.30 £10 (full), £6 (concession), £4 (groups of 10+)

Sunday 29th October

Closing Gala Concert, 19.30 £10 (full), £6 (concession), £4 (groups of 10+)

Full Festival Pass

All events (value of £97)

£60 (full), £50 (concession)

Competition Day Passes

All competitions for one day

£5 (full), £3 (concession), £2 (groups of 10+)

Available to purchase on the door only

For more information see www.derrychoirfest.com.

Welcome to the ffth edition of the City of Derry International Choir Festival. We have fve days of exciting choral music-making to look forward to, with almost 2,000 singers taking part in concert performances, conducting workshops, competitions, choral trails and impromptu performances throughout the city.

Guest artists include two of the most highly regarded international choral ensembles, Tenebrae from London and The Real Group from Sweden. Joining them on the performers’ roster will be the home-grown duo of Saint Sister, who will occupy the late-night slot in The Glassworks on Friday. Following the success of the newly formed Festival Chorus last year, it returns this year for a performance of the exuberant Gloria by John Rutter in the magnifcent setting of the Guildhall.

We extend an especially warm welcome to choirs from Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, England and Ireland, who will compete for the prestigious ‘Oak Tree of Derry Trophy’ in the International Competition. They will be joined by many regular and some new choral friends of the festival in the various school and national competitions and non-competitive performances.

A number of new awards will be presented this year; a clear indication of the increasing support from local businesses and community, and recognition of the festival by national organisations such as the Contemporary Music Centre and the Association of Irish Choirs. Deserving special mention is a beautiful newly commissioned trophy presented by the Kelly family.

This impressive programme would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and funders or without an extraordinary team of volunteers, whose energy, commitment and belief inspire us all to create and enjoy this wonderful festival.

Dónal Doherty Artistic Director of the Festival

WELCOME

A NOTE FROM OUR FUNDERS…

WELCOME TO THE CITY OF DERRY INTERNATIONAL CHOIR FESTIVAL 2017

As Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, I am delighted that we are once again hosting the City of Derry International Choir Festival.

Now in its ffth year, the festival has built on the legacy of City of Culture 2013 and is going from strength to strength. It attracts choirs from across the globe, but it also provides a platform for our local singing talent, with a Festival Chorus combining over 100 singers from choirs in the area, and many school and community choirs participating in the competitions and pop-up events around the city.

The Council is delighted to support the festival, which has gained international recognition at the highest level and which allows singers of all ages and backgrounds to come together, share their experiences and celebrate a wonderful feast of music-making.

On behalf of Derry City and Strabane District Council, I would like to extend my best wishes to everyone associated with the festival and wish it every success.

ARTS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN IRELAND

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted once again to support the City of Derry International Choir Festival, as principal funder, through National Lottery and public funding. This major festival has helped to establish Derry-Londonderry as a centre of excellence for choral singing and is a great example of how the arts can put a place on the map for all the right reasons.

The participation this year of The Real Group and Tenebrae, two of the most celebrated vocal ensembles, further cements the festival’s international reputation. Performances from these ensembles plus the 50 choirs taking part from across Europe will undoubtedly be major attractions and will add to the continuing growth in interest in choral singing here.

As a festival that provides inspiration and opportunity not only to audiences but to an emerging generation of singers and musicians, the City of Derry International Choir Festival is building a very important legacy for the arts. We wish all those taking part in the 2017 festival another tremendous success.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music Arts Council of Northern Ireland

Councillor Maolíosa McHugh Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council

WEDNESDAY 25TH OCTOBER

CONDUCTING MASTERCLASSES

Wednesday 25th October, Great Hall, Ulster University, Magee Equal Voice Masterclass, 10.00 Mixed Voice Masterclass, 13.30

FREE ENTRY, OPEN TO ALL

Guest choir: Ulster University Chamber Choir, directed by Shaun Ryan

Each masterclass will be led by a member of the international panel of adjudicators and will feature the Ulster University Chamber Choir as the resident choir. Sessions will include discussions on choral training, conducting techniques, score preparation, repertoire selection and choir management.

10.00: Registration

10.20: Welcome and introduction

Dónal Doherty, Artistic Director of the Festival

10.30: Session 1: Equal Voice Masterclass/Workshop led by Amy Bebbington

Amy is the Director of Training for the Association of British Choral Directors, an organisation that sits at the forefront of choral conductor training in the UK. Until recently, she was Choral Director for the Royal College of Music Junior Department Choirs, and currently leads the Licentiate Diploma Course (Choral Conducting, Teaching) at the Royal Academy of Music. She was Course Director for the National Youth Choir of Great Britain Girls’ Course this spring and is a regular NYCGB Musicianship Tutor.

12.30: Lunch

13.30: Session 2: Mixed Voice Masterclass/Workshop led by Josep Vila i Casañas Josep is one of the most recognised choral conductors in Catalonia and Spain. Since 2005 he has been a Professor of Choral Conducting at the Music High School of Catalonia. In addition to teaching, he is regularly a guest professor at international masterclasses, and as a chorus master he has collaborated with some of the best conductors in the world, including Daniel Barenboim, Simon Rattle and Gustavo Dudamel.

15.30: Closing Comments

Ulster University Chamber Choir

The Ulster University Chamber Choir has gained popular and critical acclaim for its distinctive performances. Shaun Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Music and Choral Director, has been instrumental in developing the choir’s reputation over the last 15 years. The choir regularly contributes to charity fund-raising, and has been the focus of numerous TV and radio broadcasts.

Association of Irish Choirs

The City of Derry International Choir Festival is delighted to welcome the support of the Association of Irish Choirs (AOIC) in the form of a special bursary to attend its 39th International Choral Conducting Summer School in August 2018. This will be awarded to a conductor at the festival who, in the opinion of the Festival Committee, displays outstanding promise in either the national competitions or as a participant in the conducting masterclasses.

EVENING CONCERT

THE REAL GROUP

St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30

THE REAL GROUP

Emma Nilsdotter Lisa Östergren Anders Edenroth Morten Vinther Janis Strazdins

The Real Group is a ground-breaking a cappella ensemble from Sweden. With voice as its sole instrument, the group has created a unique musical expression drawing on the worlds of jazz, pop and Nordic European choral music. It was founded in 1984 by fve students of the Royal Academy of Music in Sweden. The group quickly gained an international audience and has been touring the world for more than 30 years. Its wide repertoire and musical excellence have enabled it to collaborate with symphony orchestras, jazz groups, pop bands and renowned artists such as Barbara Hendricks, Toots Thielemans and Sir George Martin.

The Real Group is a part of an ongoing special project called LEVELELEVEN in conjunction with the Finnish vocal group Rajaton. Besides the musical collaboration, this cross-border interaction showcases how music can unite and inspire, rather than being divisive or

competitive. The Real Group also focuses on education, and through workshops and coaching aims to inspire singers and teachers around the world. The Real Group will perform a selection of pieces that encompass folk music, jazz tunes and old favourites. They will

also perform some new songs from their forthcoming album ‘Elements’, which will be released in December 2017.

COMPETITIONS

Primary School Competitions

St. Columb’s Hall, 10.30 – 13.30

Primary Unison Competition

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY ELLER GIRLS’ CHOIR, ESTONIA

1. Holy Family Primary School, Omagh (Maura Dolan)

Colours of the Wind, Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz

I Wanna Be Like You, Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

2. Nazareth House Primary School, Derry (Joanna Higgins)

Grizelda, Clifford Crawley

Irish Blessing, Philip Stopford

Primary Partsong Competition

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY MUNDUS CANTAT, POLAND

1. Nazareth House Primary School, Derry (Joanna Higgins)

You’ll Never Walk Alone, Richard Rodgers, arr. Mark Brymer Get on Board This Train, Don Besig and Nancy Price

2. St. Mary’s Primary School, Strabane (Jenny Grant)

Just the Way You Are, Bruno Mars, arr. Adam Anders and Tim Davis Oh, Happy Day/Ain’t No Mountain High Enough from Gospel Train Medley, arr. Alexander L’Estrange

3. St. Colmcille’s Primary School, Claudy (Kellie McLaughlin)

May the Road Rise to Meet You, Trad., arr. Lori True True Colours, Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly

4. Holy Family Primary School, Omagh (Maura Dolan)

Ave Verum, Mozart, arr. George Oakey Ask Me To Sing, Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse

BIG SING WORKSHOP WITH ORLA FLANAGAN

The primary school adjudications will take place immediately after the Big Sing workshop.

EVENING CONCERT

GLORIA

Guildhall, 19.30

Festival Chorus Codetta Ulster University Chamber Choir (Choral Director, Shaun Ryan) Festival Brass Catherine Ennis, Organist Dónal Doherty, Conductor

PROGRAMME

Gloria, Francis Poulenc Kerry Stamp, Soprano I Gloria II Laudamus te III Domine Deus IV Domine fli unigenite V Dominus Deus, Agnus Dei VI Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris

INTERVAL

Final from Organ Symphony No. 1, Louis Vierne Gloria, John Rutter Gráinne Logue, Soprano 1 Kathryn O’Callaghan, Soprano 2 Helen O’Hare, Alto

I Gloria in excelsis Deo II Domine Deus III Quoniam tu solus sanctus

It’s hard to imagine a more enjoyable programme of music for choirs to perform than the two contrasting settings of the Gloria presented for this evening’s concert.

In the frst half, Poulenc’s Gloria will be performed by the combined choirs of Codetta and the Ulster University Chamber Choir, accompanied on the organ with her own transcription from the orchestral score by Catherine Ennis.

This piece was commissioned by the Koussevitsky Foundation of America in 1959. The words from the Mass are set to music of an unmistakable freshness and vivacity. Some critics at the time suggested that it bordered on the sacrilegious; Poulenc replied, ‘While writing it I had in mind those Crozzoli frescoes with angels sticking out their tongues, and also some solemn-looking Benedictine monks that I saw playing football one day’.

The work is divided into six short movements. After a brief introduction, the chorus enters with a prominent dotted fgure to the word ‘Gloria’, which forms the basis of this movement. The animated second movement, ‘Laudamus te’, reveals Poulenc in playful mood, with the chorus for the most part divided into pairs of voices - sopranos and tenors; altos and basses - exchanging a series of short, pithy phrases. In the expressive third section, ‘Domine Deus’, the soprano soloist is heard for the frst time with a typically yearning melody, whilst the chorus is allocated a supporting role. We are then abruptly whisked back to the playground for the brief and chirpy ‘Domine fli unigenite’. The soprano soloist returns for the exquisite ‘Domine Deus, Agnus Dei’, with soloist and chorus sometimes combining and sometimes exchanging lyrical phrases. In the sixth movement a short, majestic opening soon gives way to an animated section at the words ‘Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris’. Peace and serenity suffuse the radiant closing pages of the work but, characteristically, Poulenc cannot resist a last, loud interjection at the frst ‘Amen’, where he briefy recalls the dotted ‘Gloria’ fgure of the very opening, before calm is restored for the fnal ‘Amen’.

Poulenc’s sense of humour and love of life shine through all his music, however solemn the text might be. One of his friends said of him, ‘There is in him something of the monk and the street urchin’. The Gloria brilliantly expresses these characteristics, with its captivating mixture of solemnity and mischievous exuberance.

This work was commissioned by Mel Olson, with the composer himself conducting the premiere in Omaha, Nebraska in May 1974. Rutter structured the text in three movements and scored it for choir, brass, percussion and organ, with an alternative

In the second half of this evening’s concert, the full Festival Chorus will join with Festival Brass and organ for a performance of the triumphantly exuberant setting of the Gloria by John Rutter.

This work was commissioned by Mel Olson, with the composer himself conducting the premiere in Omaha, Nebraska in May 1974. Rutter structured the text in three movements and scored it for choir, brass, percussion and organ, with an alternative version for choir and orchestra. It was published in 1976 by Oxford University Press and we are grateful to them for the provision of rehearsal scores for this evening’s performance.

The three movements follow the fast-slow-fast scheme typical of concertos or classical symphonies. This is one of Rutter’s most ambitious concert works and he describes the three movements as ‘exalted, devotional and jubilant by turns’. His setting is based largely on one of the Gregorian chants with which the text is associated. The particular instrumentation allows for plenty of excitement and punch in the outer movements, contrasted with a hauntingly ethereal middle section.

In contrast to the hushed ending of Poulenc’s Gloria, Rutter’s fnishes in a blaze of affrmative joy.

The Rutter Gloria will be preceded by a solo organ piece, the magnifcent Final from Organ Symphony No.1 by Louis Vierne.

Vierne was organist in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and was renowned as a prolifc composer and virtuoso performer. He composed six organ symphonies, the frst of which was premiered in 1899. It has six movements, with the Final being the most popular. From frst note to last, this movement has a sense of relentlessly driving forward, with one of its most notable features being the melody announced in the pedals and rapid accompaniment in the manual parts. It is breathtaking for both the organist and the audience and serves as the perfect precursor to the opening of Rutter’s Gloria.

CATHERINE ENNIS

This is Catherine’s second visit to the City of Derry International Choir Festival, and follows her recent directorship of the inaugural Derry Guildhall Organ Festival. Catherine Ennis runs the music at the church of another Guildhall, the City of London church of St. Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall. This is the church of the Lord Mayor and Corporation, which also serves many City Livery Companies, including some that are associated with the Honourable Irish Society.

Catherine began playing the organ while at Christ’s Hospital school, was Organ Scholar at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford and later Assistant Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. Recitals and recordings have taken her to many international venues, and as a teacher she has worked for three major London Music conservatoires. She has given masterclasses throughout the UK and abroad, and is a frequent examiner and adjudicator for colleges and festivals.

Catherine is Vice-President of the Royal College of Organists, Director of the John Hill recitals, Trustee of the Nicholas Danby Trust and Past President of the Incorporated Association of Organists. Future engagements include recitals in Germany, in the Oxford Early Music Festival and in the prestigious series at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

DÓNAL DOHERTY

Dónal’s passion for choral music was nurtured as a member of the Schola Cantorum in St Finian’s College Mullingar and later at University College Dublin. He was appointed Head of Music Services for the Western Region of the Education Authority of Northern Ireland in 1996 and assumed responsibility for both the Western and Southern Regions in 2011. Dónal was Director of the Music Promise initiative, a key element of the inaugural UK City of Culture programme in Derry in 2013. In the same year, he founded the frst edition of the City of Derry International Choral Festival.

In his role as Choir Director of Codetta, Dónal has worked with world renowned conductors Sakari Oramo, Vasily Petrenko and David Robertson as part of the BBC Proms series in London. Current initiatives include both the ground-breaking Harmony North project based in North Belfast and the Codetta Junior and Youth Choirs in Derry, which were launched in September 2017.

CODETTA

The international prize-winning choir Codetta was formed in 2001. Since then, Codetta has earned a reputation for choral excellence, having performed in such prestigious venues as the Roundhouse and the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC and closer to home, in the Ulster Hall in Belfast. In December 2015 Codetta performed to an audience in excess of 8 million viewers as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year broadcast from Belfast and joined again with the Ulster Orchestra for the Last Night of the Proms from the Titanic Quarter in September 2016. The choir also tours regularly, most notably for a concert tour of Tuscany in 2012 and to present two concerts at the Sacred Music Festival in Cuenca, Spain, along with Barry Douglas and Camerata in 2014. Codetta was delighted to be awarded frst prize and the Fleischmann International Trophy at the Cork International Choral Festival in May 2017.

ULSTER UNIVERSITY CHAMBER CHOIR

The Ulster University Chamber Choir has gained considerable popular and critical acclaim for its distinctive and dramatic performances presented in beautiful ecclesiastical settings. Shaun Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Music and Choral Director, has been instrumental in developing the choir’s reputation over the last 15 years. The choir regularly contributes to charity fund-raising: BBC Children in Need, The Samaritans, Action Cancer, Hands that Talk, Macmillan Cancer Support, St Vincent de Paul Society/The Salvation Army Christmas Toys Appeal and Foyle Hospice are some of the organisations that have been helped through the group’s charity concerts. The choir has also been the focus of numerous TV and radio broadcasts. In 2013, to mark Derry~Londonderry’s year as UK City of Culture, the Ulster University Chamber Choir was featured on BBC Songs of Praise and UTV’s Lesser Spotted Culture. In 2014, as part of the Sing Out series on BBC Radio Ulster, John Anderson presented a feature on the choir’s spring season of concerts and recorded one of those performances for broadcast. The choir has also featured regularly on Highland Radio and BBC Radio Foyle. In 2012, the group performed at a welcome ceremony for the State Visit to Northern Ireland of State Councillor of China Liu Yandong; the event was attended by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. The choir also performed for President Bill Clinton on his 2014 visit to Derry~Londonderry. In 2016 the Choir was invited by Royal composer Paul Mealor to perform as part of the DCINY Chorus in an evening of his music at Carnegie Hall, New York.

FESTIVAL BRASS

TRUMPET TROMBONE TUBA PERCUSSION

Robert Goodman

Liam Doherty

Paul McCann Ronan McKee

Kevin Harley Ronan Doherty

Stephen Magee

Bob Quick

Eugene Patton

FESTIVAL CHORUS

SOPRANOS ALTOS TENORS

Ann McCay

Abbie Loughridge Aaron Slattery*

Bridgeen Tully* Alice Tate** Alec Moore

Caitlin McCrea** Ann Marie Begley Chris Kerrigan*

Catherine McMinn Brid McGinley Columb Duffy

Cathryn Kinghan** Caoimhe Crerand** Daniel Ferguson**

Clodagh McCullough** Cathy Park Derek Weir**

Debbie Browne Christine Davidson Hector Alonso

Emer McCallion* Christine Diamond John Coyle

Erin Kennedy** Claire Cutliffe* John O’Connor

Gráinne Logue* Connie O’Donnell Jonathan Mairs**

Hayley McGivern* Dawn Stevenson Martin White

Jacqui Armstrong Emma Barr* Matthew Woods** Jenny Huey* Emma Donegan** Noel O’Donnell

Jenny Vance Fiona Crosbie* Peter Easton**

Johanne Ennis Gay Grant Thorin Coffey*

Karol Jackson Grainne Doherty Tony Jackson

Kerry Stamp** Grainne Quinn

Maeve McBride Gráinne Stevenson* BASSES

Maeve Ward* Helen O’Hare* Aaron McGlinchey**

Margaret Brown Jenny Grant* Brendan Doherty*

Margaret McCay* Jude Anderson Colm Rainey*

Margaret Ross* Judith O’Hare Dermot O’Donnell** Marie Fitzpatrick Julia McIvor* Eoghan Doherty*

Moira Burns Maeve Ramsey** Gerry McIvor

Niamh McGowan* Manuela Curulli Jared Green** Nicola McCord** Mary Coyle Kevin Healy* Nicole McClintock* Megan Ryan** Kevin Rainey* Noirin O’Connell Olivia Goodman Lewis Hanlon** Olivia Moreland** Pat Henderson Bond Maurice Kelly*

Paddy Quinn Rachel Gilpin** Stephen Irvine** Patricia O’Donnell Rachel Park Tom Wylie Rachel Coyle* Rebecca Johnson** Rachel Harkin* Rebecca O’Doherty* * Member of Codetta

Rhian Brownlow** Rebecca Rogan*

Siobhan Carroll Roisin Rice* ** Member of Ulster

Stephanie Warne Rosie Brennan University Chamber Choir Tina Cassidy* Sophie Glass** Ursula Doherty

Verity Payne Vicki Quinn Yvette Rainey

WE WISH YOU RESOUNDING SUCCESS.

From our office in Northern Ireland to Citi offices around the globe, we’re delighted to add our voice of support for the City of Derry’s International Choir Festival 2017.

FRIDAY 27TH OCTOBER

COMPETITIONS

Post-Primary School Competitions

St. Columb’s Hall, 10.00 – 14.15

Post-Primary Unison/2-Part Competition

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY FREAMUNDE VOCAL ENSEMBLE, PORTUGAL

1. St. Cecilia’s College, Derry (Claire McGirr)

The Sound of Music, Richard Rodgers, arr. Clay Warnick

The Lord Bless You and Keep You, John Rutter

2. Carndonagh Community School, Carndonagh (Siobhán Cavanagh-Phillips)

Amazing Grace/Pachelbel’s Canon, arr. Jean Anne Shafferman Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen, arr. Roger Emerson

3. St. Joseph’s Gospel Choir, Mayo (Aoife Durcan)

Ave Maria, J.S. Bach, arr. David Angerman African Alleluia, Jay Althouse

4. Thornhill College Junior Choir, Derry (Margaret McCay)

It’s Not My Fault, David McGarrigle

La Cumparsita, Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, arr. Gwyn Arch

5. St. Joseph’s Boys’ School, Derry (Margaret Ross)

The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Ken Johnston and Katherine Tynan Sanctus from Missa Orbis Factor, Gregorian Chant

6. St. Mary’s College, Derry (Emma-Jayne Kelly)

Cabaret, John Kander and Fred Ebb, arr. Kirby Shaw

Remember Me, Bob Chilcott

7. Wesley College, Dublin (Helen Doyle)

Jubilate Deo, Jay Althouse

I’ve Got Peace Like a River, Trad., arr. John Coates Jr.

Post-Primary 3/4-Part Competition

1. Holy Cross College, Strabane (Jenny Stewart)

The Seal Lullaby, Eric Whitacre

Bohemian Rhapsody, Freddie Mercury, arr. Mark Brymer

2. St. Cecilia’s College, Derry (Diana McLaughlin)

A Clare Benediction, John Rutter

Fly Me To The Moon, Bart Howard, arr. Gwyn Arch

3. Wesley College, Dublin (Helen Doyle)

Ballade to the Moon, Daniel Elder

Ev’ry Time I Feel The Spirit, Spiritual, arr. Bob Chilcott

4. Thornhill College Senior Choir, Derry (Elizabeth Quigley)

This Song of Mine, David N. Childs

Cantate Domino, Rupert Lang

BIG SING WORKSHOP WITH AMBROŽ ČOPI

The post-primary school adjudications will take place immediately after the Big Sing workshop.

EVENING CONCERT

Path of Miracles

TENEBRAE

Artistic Director, Nigel Short

ULSTER YOUTH CHAMBER CHOIR Artistic Director, Alan Leech

CODETTA YOUTH GIRLS’ CHOIR Artistic Director, Dónal Doherty

St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30

PROGRAMME

Versa est in luctum, Alonso Lobo

Selection of Tenebrae Responsories, Tomás Luis de Victoria Responsories for Maundy Thursday Nocturn II: Amicus meus osculi me tradidit signa Responsories for Holy Saturday Nocturn III: Sepulto Domino

Footsteps, Owain Park

INTERVAL Path of Miracles, Joby Talbot

Nigel Short

A singer of great acclaim, Nigel was a member of the renowned vocal ensemble The King’s Singers from 1994–2000. Upon leaving the group, he formed Tenebrae, a virtuosic choir that embraced his dedication to passion and precision. Under his direction Tenebrae has collaborated with internationally acclaimed orchestras and instrumentalists, and now enjoys a reputation as one of the world’s fnest vocal ensembles.

Tenebrae

Described as ‘phenomenal’ (The Times) and ‘devastatingly beautiful’ (Gramophone Magazine), award-winning choir Tenebrae, under the direction of Nigel Short, is one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles. The choir is renowned for its highly acclaimed interpretations of choral music, with repertoire ranging from hauntingly passionate works of the Renaissance through to contemporary choral masterpieces.

Tenebrae is regularly engaged with the world’s fnest orchestras and has appeared at major national and international festivals including the BBC Proms, Edinburgh International Festival, Three Choirs Festival, Leipzig Gewandhaus (Germany) and Montreux Choral Festival (Switzerland). The 2017-18 season includes concerts throughout the UK, Europe, the US and the choir’s debut in Australia. Alongside concert performances, the choir presents its inspirational workshop method, The Tenebrae Effect, designed to challenge and advance every participant by instilling skills essential to a Tenebrae performance.

Through its continued dedication to performance of the highest quality, Tenebrae’s vision is to deliver dramatic programming, fawless performances and unforgettable experiences, allowing audiences around the world to be moved by the power and intimacy of the human voice.

SOPRANO

Helen Charlston

Laura Oldfeld

Bethany Partridge

Katie Trethewey

Emma Walshe

ALTO

Mark Chambers

Hannah Cooke

Tom Lilburn

Martha McLorinan

TENOR Ben Alden

Harry Bradford

James Robinson

David de Winter

BASS

Jimmy Holiday Stephen Kennedy

Andrew Mahon

Richard Savage

Choral music doesn’t get more magnifcent than this.

(Classic FM)

Simon Grant

FRIDAY 27TH OCTOBER

ULSTER YOUTH CHAMBER CHOIR

The Ulster Youth Choir was established in 1999 and provides Northern Ireland’s fnest young singers with the opportunity to perform together to the highest possible standard, receiving training from some of the best choral and vocal practitioners from throughout the UK and Ireland. The Ulster Youth Chamber Choir, aged 16-24, represents the upper tier in the UYC family. Previously the chamber choir has recorded with the Gabrieli Consort and Players, and more recently has performed at the Ulster Hall and Queens University Belfast as well as recording a new CD to be released later this year.

CODETTA GIRLS’ CHOIR

Both the Codetta Junior and Youth Choirs were launched in September 2017 to provide a choral pathway for singers from age 9 to adult within the Codetta family of choirs. The members of the choirs are drawn from schools throughout the Derry City and Strabane District Council area and meet for weekly rehearsals throughout term time. The choirs have grown out of what were previously the City of Derry Civic Choirs.

Following a busy frst few months of rehearsals, the girls from the Youth Choir are excited and privileged to be singing alongside one of the most renowned choral groups in the world for the performance of Owain Park’s Footsteps.

Over the coming months, both the Junior and Youth choirs are looking forward to preparing for the Codetta Christmas Concert on December 22nd, when all three Codetta choirs will perform together for the frst time.

LATE-NIGHT CONCERT

SAINT SISTER

The Glassworks, 22.30

Formed in November 2014, Saint Sister is the creation of Morgan MacIntyre and Gemma Doherty. Their music draws from early Celtic harp traditions, 60s folk and electronic pop to create ‘atmosfolk’— a mix of soulful vocal harmonies, dreamy synth and electro-acoustic harp.

Following an early performance on Irish national television, one of their frst gigs saw them open the stage for Arcade Fire’s Will Butler. Their debut EP, ‘Madrid’, recorded with Alex Ryan (bassist with Hozier), was released in November 2015. Having received incredible support on Irish radio, the lead single was championed by Huw Stephens and Phil Taggart, and went on to be playlisted

on BBC Radio 1 and German national radio, 1Live.

Since the release, the band has toured extensively throughout Ireland, the UK and Germany. It made its US debut in March, and has performed in Paris and Warsaw.

Numerous festival appearances include BBC Introducing at Glastonbury, Latitude, Electric Picnic, Longitude and an impressive live TV performance on RTE’s Other Voices.

Following two sold-out headline shows in Dublin, Saint Sister play their frst headline Irish tour this November, before supporting Mutual Beneft across the UK.

SATURDAY 28TH OCTOBER

COMPETITIONS

National Equal Voice Competitions

St. Columb’s Hall, 13.00 – 14.30

National Female Voice Competition, 13.00

1. CanBelto Ladies Choir, Dublin (Jimmy O’Byrne)

It Only Takes a Moment, Jerry Hermann, arr. Kirby Shaw Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?, Hughie Cannon, arr. Greg Gilpin

2. Allegri, Derry (Maurice Kelly)

Patapan Fantasia, Bernard de la Monnoye, arr. Audrey Snyder

Even When He Is Silent, Kim André Arnesen

3. Cappella Lyrica, Cork (Maria Judge)

The Seal Lullaby, Eric Whitacre

De Angelis, Petr Eben

National Male Voice Competition, 13.30

1. Rosemount Male Voice Choir, Derry (Raymond Kelly)

Shenandoah, American folk song, arr. J. Hindmarsh

Tell My Father, Jack Murphy and Frank Wildhorn, arr. A. Ramsey

2. Portadown Male Voice Choir, Armagh (Maurice Cushnie)

Exsultate Justi, Lodovico da Viadana, arr. R. Vené

The Song of the Jolly Roger, C.F. Chudleigh Candish

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY INISHOWEN GOSPEL CHOIR, DONEGAL

The Equal Voice adjudications will take place after the Male Voice Competition.

National Mixed Voice Competition, 14.30

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY SJØLUND CHAMBER CHOIR, DENMARK

1. Strabane Chamber Choir, Tyrone (Gerard Bradley)

I Am Not Yours, Z. Randall Stroope

Jubilate Deo, Peter Anglea

2. Cantamus, Derry (Raymond Kelly)

Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel), Billy Joel, arr. K. Shaw

Over the Rainbow, Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harbeg, arr. J. Forbes

3. Lumina, Waterford (Niall Crowley)

Sakura, Trad., arr Tōru Takemitsu Alleluia, Jake Runestad

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY MELODIES & MEMORIES, THE GLISSANDO GREATS

National Popular, Jazz & Gospel Music Competition, 15.30

1. Rosemount Male Voice Choir, Derry (Raymond Kelly)

Angels, Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, arr. C. Hussey

Step In Time, Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, arr. P. Kern

2. CanBelto Ladies Choir, Dublin (Jimmy O’Byrne)

Kumbaya, Trad., arr. Kirby Shaw Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet, Greg Gilpin and John Parker

3. Cantamus, Derry (Raymond Kelly)

Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Elton John and Tim Rice, arr. K. Christopher

You Are Mine, David Haas, arr. M. Hayes

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY ACCOLADE, NEWRY

BIG SING WORKSHOP WITH HERMIA SCHLICHTMANN

Supported by the Association of Irish Choirs

The adjudication of the National Mixed Voice and National Popular, Jazz & Gospel Music Competitions will take place immediately after the Big Sing workshop.

proud sponsor of city of derry international choral festival 2017

The 4* City Hotel is set in the heart of the City of Londonderry on the banks of the River Foyle. The hotel is 5 minutes walk from the famous historic Walled City which boasts excellent high street shopping and tourist attractions such as the Tower Museum and the Guildhall. The City Hotel also is the perfect place to base yourself for a few days whilst exploring other areas of North West Ireland such as Donegal & Causeway Coast.

(Limited to 40 spaces)

SATURDAY 28TH OCTOBER

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30

Presented by Stephen McCauley, BBC

The International Competition will undoubtedly be the highlight of the City of Derry International Choir Festival, featuring 7 competitors who will compete for the prestigious ‘Oak Tree of Derry’ trophy.

For more details on the International Choirs see page 54

PROGRAMME

1. Collegium Vocale, Norway (Conductor, Ketil Jule Bjørnstad Belsaas)

Snart Kysser Hun Sin Venn I Rosenhagen, Torbjørn Dyrud

Ecco Mormorar L’Onde, Claudio Monteverdi Rotala, Juris Karlsons

Ned I Vester Soli Glader, Folk tune, arr. Grete Pedersen

2. Mundus Cantat, Poland (Conductor, Beata Wróblewska)

Laudate Dominum, Marek Raczyński

Ave Virgo Sanctissima, David Azurza Cucú, Cucú!, Juan del Encina Cecílíada, Marcin Wawruk Bogoróditse Djévo, Arvo Pärt

3. Freamunde Vocal Ensemble, Portugal (Conductor, Sílvio Cortez)

Crucifxus, Antonio Lotti

The Conversion of Saul, Z. Randall Stroope

Laudate Dominum, Giedrius Svilainis Óh! Ferreiro, Sílvio Cortez

4. Laetare Vocal Ensemble, Ireland (Conductor, Róisín Blunnie)

Ecco Mormorar L’Onde, Claudio Monteverdi

Rest, Ralph Vaughan Williams

The Old Woman, Rhona Clarke

Dieu! Qu’il l’a Fait Bon Regarder, Claude Debussy

Kalējs Kala Debesīs, Selga Mence

INTERVAL

5. Eller Girls’ Choir, Estonia (Conductor, Külli Lokko)

Fair Phyllis, John Farmer Zwei Beter, Arvo Pärt It Sounded As If the Streets Were Running, Jonathan Dove Kuka Nukkuu Tuutussasi, Anna-Mari Kähärä

6. Sjølund Chamber Choir, Denmark (Conductor, Martin Legéne Jensen) Sicut Iuvenis Amat Virginem, Bartholomaeus Stockmann How Long, O Lord, Egil Hovland Ebbe Skammelsen, Folk tune, arr. Brian Gronbaek Jensen

7. Chantage, England (Conductor, James Davey) Laudibus in Sanctis, William Byrd Daemon Irrepit Callidus, György Orbán Chorale After an Old French Carol, Benjamin Britten El Hambo, Jaakko Mäntyjärvi

Join us at our Resonance Bar Festival Club, St. Columb’s Hall Ballroom immediately after this concert for a ceilidh and some impromptu singing!

SUNDAY 29TH OCTOBER

COMPETITIONS

National Competitions

St. Columb’s Hall, 13.00 – 16.00

National Sacred Music Competition, 13.00

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY COLLEGIUM VOCALE, NORWAY

1. Lumina, Waterford (Niall Crowley)

Clamabat Autem Mulier, Cristóbal de Morales

Mitte Manum Tuam, James MacMillan

2. Codetta Junior Choir, Derry (Margaret Ross)

Taste and See, Christopher Walker

I Got a Robe, Spiritual, arr. Michael Neaum

3. St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Girls’ Choir, Dublin (Blanaid Murphy)

Lift Thine Eyes, Felix Mendelssohn

Haec Dies, Colin Mawby

4. Cappella Lyrica, Cork (Maria Judge)

Ubi Caritas, Ola Gjeilo

Jaakobin Pojat, Pekka Kostiainen

5. Codetta Youth Choir, Derry (Margaret Ross)

Kyrie from Missa Cantate, Bob Chilcott

Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit, Spiritual, arr. Ken Burton

6. CanBelto Ladies Choir, Dublin (Jimmy O’Byrne)

Salvation is Created, Pavel Tschesnokoff, arr. Russell Robinson

Benedicamus Domino, Brad Printz

National Vocal Ensemble Competition, 14.15

1. Classic Harmony, Wicklow (Frank Kelly)

Fair Phyllis I Saw Sitting All Alone, John Farmer

Embraceable You, George and Ira Gershwin, arr. Kirby Shaw

2. The Pachelbelles, Derry

The Windmills of Your Mind, Michael Legrand

How High The Moon, Morgan Lewis, arr. Gwyn Arch

3. The Codettes, Derry

Run Children Run, Stephen Hatfeld

Sprig of Thyme, Trad., arr. Michael Neaum

National Youth Choir Competition, 15.00

1. Cappella Lyrica, Cork (Maria Judge)

Nigra Sum, Pablo Casals

Geantraí, Michael McGlynn

2. Codetta Junior Choir, Derry (Margaret Ross)

The City, Ēriks Ešenvalds

Simple Gifts, Trad., arr. Alexander L’Estrange

3. Harmony North, Belfast (Michelle Magee)

The Storm is Passing Over, Gospel, arr. Catherine Jordan

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Harold Arlen, arr. Joanna Forbes

4. St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Girls’ Choir, Dublin (Blanaid Murphy)

Laudamus Te, Antonio Vivaldi

No Sanctuary, Michael Holohan

5. Codetta Youth Girls’ Choir, Derry (Margaret Ross)

Cantate Domino, Rupert Lang

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Manning Sherwin

6. Cross-Border Youth Choir, Belfast/Dublin (Lynsey Callaghan)

O Radiant Dawn, James MacMillan

Cantate Domino, Claudio Monteverdi

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY ELLER GIRLS’ CHOIR, ESTONIA

The adjudication of the National Sacred Music, National Vocal Ensemble and National Youth Choir Competitions will take place immediately after the guest performance by Eller Girls’ Choir.

SUNDAY 29TH OCTOBER

Closing Gala Concert

St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30

Presented by Eoghan Doherty, JOE.ie

The Closing Gala Concert will provide a celebratory end to the ffth edition of the City of Derry International Choir Festival. The International Competition winner will be announced and awarded the ‘Oak Tree of Derry’ trophy, and the competitors in the prestigious International Competition will each perform a celebratory programme.

For more details on the International Choirs see page 54

PROGRAMME

GUEST PERFORMANCE BY

HARMONY NORTH & CODETTA

YOUTH CHOIR

1. Sjølund Chamber Choir, Denmark (Conductor, Martin Legéne Jensen)

Vesleblomme, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger

I Skovens Dybe Stille Ro, Danish folk tune, arr. Morten Schuldt-Jensen

2. Freamunde Vocal Ensemble, Portugal (Conductor, Sílvio Cortez)

Song of Praise, Nan-Chang Chien

O Pato, Fernando Ariani

3. Mundus Cantat, Poland (Conductor, Beata Wróblewska)

Wana Baraka, Swahili folk song

Reboczi, Marek Raczyński, inspired by Kashubian

4. Chantage, England (Conductor, James Davey)

Cantate Domino, Mårten Jansson

The Way You Look Tonight, Jerome Kern, arr. A. Simmons

5. Eller Girls’ Choir, Estonia (Conductor, Külli Lokko)

Forging the Sampo, Veljo Tormis

The Running Polka, Traditional

6. Collegium Vocale, Norway (Conductor, Ketil Jule Bjørnstad Belsaas)

No Vi’ Eg A’ Te’ Jondalen Og Fri, Norwegian folk tune, arr. Henrik Ødegaard, Ketil Belsaas

Telemarkspringar, Norwegian folk tune, arr. Henrik Ødegaard

7. Laetare Vocal Ensemble, Ireland (Conductor, Róisín Blunnie)

It’s Strange About Stars, Seán Doherty

My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord, Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan

INTERVAL

AWARDS CEREMONY

Closing ceremony of the festival, presentation of special awards and announcement of the winning choir of the 2017 International Competition.

Special Awards

The festival is delighted to announce that a number of special prizes will be awarded to choirs this year and is grateful to all of its supporters for their part in making this possible. All of the special awards will be announced as part of the awards ceremony at the Closing Gala Concert on Sunday 29th October.

• The Bernadette Kelly Memorial award for most promising school choir

• The Bishops Daly & Mehaffey award, presented by the Inner City Trust, for an outstanding performance in the school competitions

• Association of Irish Choirs Conducting Scholarship for the most promising conductor in the national competitions or a participant in the conducting masterclasses

• CMC award for the best performance of a piece by a composer from Ireland (all choral works found in the Contemporary Music Centre’s online library are eligible for consideration)

• Derry City and Strabane District Council award for outstanding contribution to the festival

• Bishop’s Gate Hotel award for an outstanding performance of a work composed before 1750 in the International Competition

• City Hotel award to the conductor of the most interesting and varied programme in the International Competition

Join us at the Closing Night Festival Club, City Hotel immediately after this concert for a drink, a dance and some impromptu singing!

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 ‘Oak Tree of Derry’ 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’.

Big

Sing Workshops, St. Columb’s Hall

A series of entertaining, fun workshops exploring the building blocks of successful choral singing, led by inspiring performers from the festival programme.

Big Sing Workshop (primary schools) Orla Flanagan Thursday 26th October

Big Sing Workshop (post-primary schools) Ambrož Čopi Friday 27th October

Big Sing Workshop (open to all) Hermia Schlichtmann

Supported by the Association of Irish Choirs Saturday 28th October, 16.15 Festival Club

Following an exciting evening of choral music-making, why not join us in the atmospheric surroundings of the Festival Club, on the ground foor of St. Columb’s Hall via the Orchard Street entrance (Saturday night) or the City Hotel (Sunday night)? It’s the perfect way to meet new friends and renew old acquaintances or just sit back and enjoy impromptu performances. You might even be inspired to join in the singing!

Saturday 28th October, Resonance Bar, St. Columb’s Hall, 22.00 (with ceilidh) Sunday 29th October, City Hotel, 22.00 (with live band)

MERCHANDISE

Festival merchandise will be available for sale throughout the festival in the foyer of St. Columb’s Hall. This year the festival has again teamed up with Piecemakers to produce bespoke wooden representations of St. Columb’s Hall and other landmark venues for the festival and the city. Please see the special presentation display in the foyer. All priced at £4.

Wishing the City of Derry International Choral Festival every success from all at

CHORAL & SACRED TRAILS

Saturday 28th October

TIME VENUE CHOIR

11.30 – 11.50 Sainsbury’s Accolade, Newry

TIME CHURCH CHOIR

10.00 Carlisle Road Methodist Church Laetare Vocal Ensemble, Ireland

11.00 St. Columb’s Cathedral Eller Girls’ Choir, Estonia

11.00 Christ Church Freamunde Vocal Ensemble, Portugal

11.30 First Derry Presbyterian Mundus Cantat, Poland

12.00 St. Columba’s Church, Long Tower Classic Harmony, Wicklow

12.30 St. Eugene’s Cathedral Sjølund Chamber Choir, Denmark CHORAL TRAILS (see map overleaf)

Thursday 26th – Sunday 29th October

12.20 – 12.35 Derry Train Station Sjølund Chamber Choir, Denmark

13.30 – 13.50 Ollie’s Ebrington Rosinka, Newry

14.00 – 14.15 City Hotel Mundus Cantat, Poland

14.20 – 14.35 City Hotel Freamunde Vocal Ensemble, Portugal

14.40 – 14.55 City Hotel Classic Harmony, Wicklow

15.00 – 15.15 City Hotel Momentum/Pink Ladies, Derry

15.20 – 15.35 City Hotel Doire Calgach Singers, Derry

Sunday 29th October

TIME VENUE CHOIR

13.00 – 13.20 Foyleside Shopping Ctr Accolade, Newry

13.30 – 13.50 Garden of Refection Doire Calgach Singers

14.00 – 14.20 Foyleside Shopping Ctr Collegium Vocale, Norway

14.30 – 14.50 Craft Village Lumina, Waterford 15.00 – 15.30 Spruce House, Altnagelvin Hospital Choir, Derry Altnagelvin

15.00 – 15.20 Asda, Strabane Freamunde Vocal Ensemble, Portugal

15.30

15.50 Craft Village Pink Ladies/Momentum, Derry 16.00 – 16.20 Foyleside Shopping Ctr Chantage, England 20.30 – 20.50 Carnhill Resource Ctr Momentum, Derry

ADJUDICATORS

Josep Vila i Casañas, Spain

(Chair of the Adjudicating

Panel)

Josep is one of the most recognised choral conductors in Catalonia and Spain. His repertoire covers a cappella choral music from all ages as well as vocal/orchestral works from the Baroque period to the present day. He has been the main conductor of choirs such as the Orfeó Català and the Cor de Cambra del Palau de la Música in Barcelona, the Spanish Radio Choir and Cor Lieder Càmera, which he founded in 1990. As a chorus master he has collaborated with some of the best conductors in the world, including Daniel Barenboim, Daniele Gatti, Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel and Franz Brüggen.

He is the author of a large catalogue of pieces for choirs, both a cappella and with varied instrumental accompaniment. Some of his more recent and successful compositions include the motet Salve Regina, the Missa Sanctus-Benedictus, the cantata Veni Creator Spiritus, frst performed in May 2016 at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona, and the Missa Sanctus-Benedictus.

Since 2005 he has been a Professor of Choral Conducting at the Music High School of Catalonia. In addition to teaching, he is regularly a guest professor at international masterclasses.

Hermia Schlichtmann, Germany

As a graduate choirmaster and church musician, Hermia Schlichtmann works in many areas of choral and organ music. Her musical and choral work has taken her abroad to countries such as France, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Ireland and the US.

She works at the University of Music and the Performing Arts in Frankfurt / Main, Germany, as a lecturer in conducting, score playing and vocal coaching, training conductors, church musicians and composers. She gives seminars on voice training, conducting and choral conducting at the regional and federal levels of the German Federal Singers’ Association.

In 2014 she opened her own music studio in Wölfersheim, near Frankfurt. There she teaches piano (classical, blues, jazz), organ, conducting for choir and orchestra, improvisation and vocal coaching.

Her concert activities with her oratorio choir ‘KonzertChor’ in Bergisch Gladbach and her choirs in Friedberg-Ockstadt are all highly sought after. She is also renowned for her management of the specialist feld of choirmaster / conducting at the Wetterauer Musical Summer Academy FESTIVOKAL, and the GermanAmerican Choral and Cultural Festival in Ilbenstadt, Mainz, Frankfurt and Bad Nauheim.

Orla Flanagan, Ireland

Orla Flanagan is Assistant Professor of Music at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. She studied choral conducting with Professor Péter Erdei at the Kodály Institute in Hungary and holds a Doctorate of Music in Performance (Choral Conducting) from the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Orla conducts the mixed-voice choir Mornington Singers in Dublin. The choir has just returned from a successful trip to the Polifonico Internazionale Guido d’Arezzo in Italy where they were awarded 2nd Prize in the Mixed Voice category, and 3rd Prize in both the Sacred and Secular categories. As a conductor, Orla has also gained numerous awards at international competitions, including the MacCurtain & McSwiney Award for programming at Cork International Choral Festival on three occasions, and a special prize for interpretation at the 10th International Choral Competition, Maribor, Slovenia. Orla and the choir are committed to the promotion of contemporary music and have recently released a CD of Irish choral works entitled Under-Song.

Orla has also appeared with various professional choral ensembles, including Milltown Chamber Choir and EnsemBéal, and as a guest conductor with the National Chamber Choir of Ireland. She enjoys giving choral workshops, and adjudicating at festivals nationally and internationally.

ADJUDICATORS

Ambrož Čopi, Slovenia

Ambrož Čopi studied composition and piano at the Ljubljana Academy of Music, and his compositions have been performed and recorded around the world. In 2014 he was awarded the Gallus Medal, Slovenia’s highest award in the feld of music. In 2016 he received recognition from the Ljubljana Conservatoire of Music and Ballet for his outstanding artistic achievements with the Conservatoire’s Chamber Choir and his promotion of the Conservatoire. In the same year he received a prestigious national award, the Preseren Fund Prize.

Ambrož teaches at the Art Grammar School in Koper and Ljubljana Conservatoire of Music, where he has been conductor of the Chamber Choir since 2010. He also conducts the Academic Choir of the University of Primorska and the chamber choir Aegida. Over the years, the choirs he has conducted have won numerous prizes in competitions at home and abroad, and in 2009 the Academic Choir of the University of Primorska reached the fnal of the European Grand Prix in Choral Singing in Tours. Ambrož is regularly invited to be a member of the adjudicating panel at choral events and competitions, and he often lectures at choral music seminars in Slovenia and further afeld.

Amy Bebbington, United Kingdom

Amy is a passionate advocate for choral singing and choral conductor training. She is sought after for her dynamic and engaging teaching style, and her wealth of choral pedagogical experience.

Graduating with First Class Honours and a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance, Amy went on to be awarded a Doctor of Musical Arts, specialising in Choral Conducting. She is currently the Director of Training for the Association of British Choral Directors, an organisation that sits at the forefront of choral conductor training in the UK.

Until recently, Amy was Choral Director for the Royal College of Music Junior Department Choirs, and currently leads the Licentiate Diploma Course (Choral Conducting, Teaching) at the Royal Academy of Music. She was Course Director for the National Youth Choir of Great Britain Girls’ Course this spring and is a regular NYCGB Musicianship Tutor.

Amy recently established her own Choral Conducting Masterclass Series, and she has worked on BBC2’s The Choir: Sing While You Work and led choral direction training days for the Military Wives’ Choirs’ Foundation. She has adjudicated for Choir of the Year, Music for Youth National Festival and the Cheltenham Music Festival, among many others.

INTERNATIONAL CHOIRS

Chantage, England

Conductor: James Davey

Chantage, directed by James Davey, was formed in 1999 and quickly established itself in London as a stylish and energetic young chamber choir. It is now one of the UK’s leading amateur choirs, drawing its singers from all over the country and from all walks of life.

Winners of the Grand Prix at the Malta International Choir Festival in 2015 and BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year competition in 2006, Chantage released a top-selling Christmas CD with EMI in 2008, recorded live with Elbow at Abbey Road Studios in

2009, and is frequently featured on Classic FM and BBC radio and TV (including a stint as the ONE Show’s ‘Complaints Choir’).

The choir made its debut at the BBC Proms in 2014, premiering Meld by Benedict Mason, rated by The Guardian newspaper as being in the top 10 Classical performances of the year.

Collegium Vocale, Norway

Conductor:

Ketil Jule Bjørnstad Belsaas

Collegium Vocale is one of the leading mixed voice amateur choirs in Norway and was founded in 1971. Ketil Jule Bjørnstad Belsaas has been the choir’s conductor since 2010. Although the choir has its rehearsals in Hamar, its 30 members are drawn from all over the region. The choir’s repertoire ranges from church music to contemporary, folk and popular music.

In recent years the choir has achieved excellent results in national and international competitions, including gold medals at Musica Mundi, Malta (2009), Riva del Garda, Italy (2013) and the International Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf in Germany (2007). In the 2012 Norwegian National Competition of Choir Music the choir received two gold diplomas and it was awarded a further two gold diplomas in the 2015 National Competition. Collegium Vocale performs with professional Norwegian and international soloists. The choir is also engaged as a festival choir and as a seminar choir for students of choir music.

INTERNATIONAL CHOIRS

Eller Girls’ Choir, Estonia

Conductor: Külli Lokko

Eller Girls’ Choir was founded in 2010 when a music studio was set up in Heino Eller Tartu Music College. Its singers are all aged 14 to 19 and study at high schools in Tartu or at Heino Eller College. The choir’s current members have been singing together since November 2016. Some of the conducting students of Heino Eller College, Karina Kivikas, Kai-Ly Remmelkoor and Jaanus Karlson, work with the choir as choir masters and assistant conductors.

Taking part in international competitions has been an important part of the choir’s activities, alongside concerts at school and in Tartu. In 2013, the choir won 1st prize in the youth category of Malta’s International Choir Competition. In 2015, it won 1st prize in the youth choir category and 2nd prize in the sacred music category at the International Canta al Mar Competition in Spain. The choir was also awarded a special prize for best performance of the competition for its interpretation of ’Peace upon you, Jerusalem’ by Arvo Pärt.

Freamunde Vocal Ensemble, Portugal

Conductor: Sílvio Cortez

Freamunde Vocal Ensemble was established in October 2004. Directed by Maestro Sílvio Cortez since then, it recorded its frst CD in 2007. Its repertoire is diverse and carefully selected by the maestro, and the choir particularly enjoys singing folk music. In addition to numerous performances in Portugal, Freamunde Vocal Ensemble has participated in festivals in Spain, Italy, Norway and Greece.

At the Cantonigròs International Music Festival, Barcelona (July 2008) the choir was awarded 6th place and went on to win the Vivace International Choir Festival in

Hungary (August 2008). It also took part in the III International Choir Festival in Randers, Denmark (August 2009) and the 16th International Choral Festival in Provence, France (July 2011).

It has performed a number of large-scale works, including Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, Fauré’s Requiem and, most recently, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis at the opening concert of the 2013 Days of Music at Belém Cultural Centre. It has also appeared on the TV programmes Câmara Clara and Portugal no Coração.

INTERNATIONAL CHOIRS

Laetare Vocal Ensemble

Conductor: Róisín Blunnie

Laetare Vocal Ensemble is a mixed choir based in Dublin. The choir was formed in September 2014, and since then has enjoyed a vibrant and varied range of performance and recording opportunities. Laetare has won awards at a number of festivals, including National Choir of the Year at the Navan Choral Festival, Premier Choir at the Mayo International Choral Festival, and the Sacred Music, Mixed Choir and W. B. Yeats prizes at the Sligo International Choral Festival. The choir has a particular interest in contemporary music and was delighted to win the CMC Trophy for the Performance of Irish Contemporary Music at the 2016 Cork International Choral Festival.

Conductor Dr Róisín Blunnie is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and the Kodály Institute in Hungary. She was Head of the Music Department at Mater Dei Institute in Dublin until the Institute’s recent incorporation into Dublin City University, and she is now based in the School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music in DCU’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Laetare recently released a CD of choral works by Róisín’s DCU colleagues, composers Seán Doherty, Rhona Clarke and John Buckley.

Mundus Cantat, Poland

Conductor: Beata Wróblewska

The SSW Festival Choir Mundus Cantat was founded in August 2009 and in September 2012 Sopot University Sopocka Szkoła Wyzsza took the choir under its wings. The choir has taken part in choral festivals in Mexico, Serbia, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Italy and Spain.

In January 2013 Mundus Cantat won the Golden Ribbon at the VIII Competition of Carols and Christmas Songs in Chełmno, Poland, and it won its frst Grand Prix the following summer at the Dvořák International Choir Festival in Prague, Czech Republic.

Since August 2015 the choir has been directed by Beata Wróblewska, a lecturer in Gdańsk Music Academy. Under her guidance the choir won two silver diplomas and third prize at the 2015 lnternational Choral Competition ‘Canco Mediterrania’ in Lloret de Mar, Spain, and a silver diploma at the 2016 International Choral Festival ‘Liviu Borlan’ in Baia Mare, Romania.

Each year Mundus Cantat hosts the International Choir Festival Mundus Cantat in Sopot and Gdansk.

INTERNATIONAL CHOIRS

Sjølund Chamber Choir, Denmark

Conductor: Martin Legéne Jensen

Sjølund Chamber Choir is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. In spring 2016 the choir celebrated its 50th anniversary. It therefore has a long history and is renowned throughout Denmark. Since January 2017 the choir has been conducted by Martin Legéne. He was a pupil of two former conductors, Morten Schuldt-Jensen and Jan Scheerer. For almost 30 years the choir has thus followed the same musical approach, which has created a long tradition of understanding the common space created when choir and conductor work together.

The choir’s ethos is that the singers give of themselves individually whilst simultaneously giving themselves over to the common project. The singers work hard during rehearsals, tours and concerts to accomplish this, and the close cooperation between singers and conductor is visible and audible to the audience.

Over the years, the choir has competed successfully in choir competitions in Wales, Austria, Hungary and Malta. Most of its concerts take place in churches, and its repertoire ranges from early Renaissance and Baroque to music by contemporary composers.Laetare recently released a CD of choral works by Róisín’s DCU colleagues, composers Seán Doherty, Rhona Clarke and John Buckley.

The Walled City

EVENING CONCERT PRESENTERS

Stephen McCauley, BBC (International Competition)

Saturday 28th October, St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30

Stephen McCauley is a presenter and producer on BBC Northern Ireland. He is the host of ‘Electric Mainline’ and ‘Stephen McCauley’ on BBC Radio Foyle and ‘Soundscapes with Stephen McCauley’ on BBC Radio Ulster.

‘Electric Mainline’ has become an integral catalyst within Northern Irish music. On a typical programme, the listener is presented with Stephen’s tireless search for a bold and contrasting mix of local and international hard-core punk, post-classical, electronica, indie and experimental acoustic.

In 2013 he made his debut on BBC Radio 6 Music with a week-long series of programmes. In March 2015 he embarked on an ambitious new weekly programme for BBC Radio Ulster called ‘Soundscapes with Stephen McCauley’ in which he blends feld recordings and spoken word with contemporary classical and electronic music. He also presents a daily 2-hour afternoon request show on BBC Radio Foyle.

Eoghan Doherty, JOE.ie (Closing Gala Concert)

Sunday 29th October, St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30

Eoghan is Content Editor of the award-winning website, JOE.ie. He is an experienced TV and radio broadcaster, contributing to productions on BBC, RTÉ, TV3, UTV and Today FM, as well as currently presenting and producing The JOE Show, Ireland’s frst weekly social media chat show.

He frst joined Today FM in 2007, reviewing flms on The Ray Foley Show, and since then he has presented and contributed to The Movie Show (RTÉ), The Today Show (RTÉ), Ireland’s Search And Rescue (RTÉ), The Seven O’Clock Show (TV3), The Irish Film And Television Awards (TV3) and Ireland AM (TV3).

Since joining JOE in 2013, Eoghan has overseen the development of the site into one of Ireland and the UK’s most prominent online publishers. As a flm journalist he has interviewed numerous Hollywood stars including Samuel L. Jackson, Robert DeNiro, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Denzel Washington, Margot Robbie, Daniel Craig and Will Ferrell.

A graduate of Music and English Literature at University College Dublin, Eoghan is an oboist, violinist and a member of the internationally acclaimed, Derry-based chamber choir, Codetta.

Maria Cutliffe Martin Flanagan Mary Furey Maurice Kelly Niamh McGowan Nicky Fallon Nicole McClintock Olivia Goodman Paddy Quinn Peter O’Donnell Rachel Coyle Rachel Harkin Rachel Tennis Rebecca Tennis Rebecca O’Doherty Sadie Bergin Sean Doherty Tina Cassidy

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY 25TH OCT

Conducting Masterclasses

Great Hall, Ulster University, Magee

10.00 – 16.00

THURSDAY 26TH OCT

Primary School Unison Competition St. Columb’s Hall

10.30 – 11.00

Primary School Partsong Competition St. Columb’s Hall 11.00 – 12.00

Big Sing Workshop with Orla Flanagan (primary schools) St. Columb’s Hall 12.30 – 13.00

Adjudication of primary competitions St. Columb’s Hall 13.00 – 13.30

Choral Trail performance by Sjølund Chamber Choir, Denmark Foyle Hospice 14.00 – 14.20

FRIDAY 27TH OCT

Choral Trail in city centre and community locations throughout the day 09.30 – 21.00

Post-Primary Unison /2-Part Competition

St. Columb’s Hall

10.00 – 11.45

Post-Primary 3/4Part Competition St. Columb’s Hall 11.45 – 12.30

Big Sing Workshop with Ambrož Čopi (post-primary schools) St. Columb’s Hall 13.00 – 13.45

Adjudication of postprimary competitions St. Columb’s Hall 13.45 – 14.15

SATURDAY 28TH OCT

Choral Trail in city centre and community locations throughout the day 11.30 – 16.00

National Female Voice Competition St. Columb’s Hall. 13.00 – 13.30

National Male Voice Competition St. Columb’s Hall. 13.30 – 14.00

Adjudication of Equal Voice Competitions. St. Columb’s Hall 14.00 – 14.30

National Mixed Voice Competition St. Columb’s Hall. 14.30 – 15.15

National Popular, Jazz & Gospel Music Competition. St. Columb’s Hall 15.30 – 16.00

Big Sing Workshop with Hermia Schlichtmann (open to all) St. Columb’s Hall. 16.15 – 17.00

SUNDAY 29TH OCT

Sacred Trail

City Churches

10.00 – 13.30

Choral Trail in city centre and community locations throughout the day

13.00 – 15.30

National Sacred Music Competition St. Columb’s Hall

13.00 – 14.00

National Vocal Ensemble Competition St. Columb’s Hall

14.15 – 14.45

National Youth Choir Competition St. Columb’s Hall 15.00 – 16.00

The Real Group St. Columb’s Hall

19.30 – 21.30

Gloria Guildhall 19.30 – 21.30

Tenebrae St. Columb’s Hall 19.30 – 21.30

Saint Sister The Glassworks 22.30 – 23.30

Adjudication of Mixed Voice and Popular, Jazz & Gospel Competitions St. Columb’s Hall. 17.00 – 17.30

International Competition St. Columb’s Hall. 19.30 – 22.00

Festival Club (ceilidh)

Cinema Bar, St. Columb’s Hall 22.00

Adjudication of Sacred Music, Vocal Ensemble and Youth Competitions St. Columb’s Hall 16.30 – 17.00

Closing Gala Concert and Awards St. Columb’s Hall 19.30 – 22.00

Festival Club City Hotel 22.00 – 01.00

www.derrychoirfest.com www.millenniumforum.co.uk