TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets available from the Millennium Forum Box Office 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 24 October
Ulster Orchestra and Festival Chorus, Guildhall, 19.30 £25 (full), £15 (concessionary/groups)
Thursday 25 October
VOCES8, St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30 £20 (full), £10 (concessionary/groups)
Friday 26 October
The Marian Consort, Christ Church, 19.30pm £15 (full), £10 (concessionary/groups)
Late-Night Sing, Ballroom, St. Columb’s Hall, 22.30 £5
Saturday 27 October
International Competition, St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30 £12 (full), £8 (concessionary/groups)
Sunday 28 October
Closing Gala Concert, St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30 £12 (full), £8 (concessionary/groups)
Full Festival Pass
All events (value £95) £75 (full), £60 (concessionary)
Competition Day Pass
All competitions for one day £5 (full), £3 (concessionary/groups)
Available to purchase on the door only
For more information see www.derrychoirfest.com.
Welcome to the sixth edition of the City of Derry International Choir Festival, an exciting celebration of song, people and place. This festival is now firmly established in the cultural calendar of Ireland and the UK, and enjoys a growing reputation throughout the international choral world.
With such a comprehensive programme, it is difficult to focus on particular highlights, but a few elements deserve special mention. First among these is the Every Voice Fringe Festival, curated by local choir Allegri and providing even more opportunities for participation by local choirs. The Ulster Orchestra returns for our Opening Gala Concert in the magnificent surroundings of the city’s Guildhall. The 130-strong Festival Chorus, along with a stellar quartet of soloists, will be conducted by Ragnar Rasmussen from Norway in a performance of Mozart’s Requiem. The other Gala Concerts feature two of the most sought after international choral ensembles, VOCES8 and The Marian Consort. Over 1,000 young singers will also have the opportunity to sing with VOCES8 when they lead the Big Sing school workshops.
Joining the 70 local and national choirs participating in the festival will be an impressive line-up of international choirs competing for the prestigious Oak Tree of Derry Trophy. This year we welcome choirs from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Wales, Ireland and, for the first time, a choir from Colombia. A very special event will mark the opening of the festival in Magee College, Ulster University, where the focus for the International Symposium will be ‘Singing, Health and Wellbeing’. These few highlights can only begin to explore the rich variety of musical treats that lie ahead.
This impressive programme would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and funders. Underpinning all is the dedication and expertise of a core management team, supported by a Festival Board and an extraordinary team of volunteers, whose energy, commitment and belief inspire us all to create and enjoy the sixth edition of this wonderful festival.
Dónal Doherty Artistic Director of the FestivalWELCOME
A NOTE FROM OUR FUNDERS…
WELCOME TO THE CITY OF DERRY INTERNATIONAL CHOIR FESTIVAL 2018
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 sixth year, the festival has built on the legacy of City of Culture 2013. Once again our reputation as the city of song will be well represented on an international stage. Not only does the festival attract choirs from across the globe; it also shines a light on our local singing talent, and I am particularly pleased to see a significant number of community concerts happening across the city, with Choral Trails and performances at many Sunday services through the Sacred Trail. Derry truly is a city with a great choral tradition at its heart, and it is exciting to see school and community choirs participating in competitions, concerts and pop-up events around the city.
The Council welcomes the opportunity to support this festival, which has already gained international recognition at the highest level and which provides a platform for singers of all ages and backgrounds to come together, share their experiences and celebrate a joyful 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 City of Derry International Choir Festival has been a great success story for the city and for the growth in interest in choral singing and music it has precipitated.
This year it continues to offer audiences some of the most sought after performers from around the world, with the VOCES8 ensemble and The Marian Consort, plus a host of choirs and singers travelling from as far afield as Colombia, Estonia and Iceland.
Local choirs are given the opportunity to shine, notably through the Opening Gala performance featuring the Ulster Orchestra and the Festival Chorus. In addition to enjoying all the wonderful music, people of all ages will have the chance to actively participate in this celebration of song, through the range of competitions, workshops, choral trails, community concerts, the Jazz Big Sing and - a welcome new development this year - the Every Voice Fringe Festival.
The Arts Council is proud to be a principal funder of the City of Derry International Choir Festival, through our National Lottery funds, as it continues to develop the audience for choral music and to engage the whole city in song.
Ciaran Scullion Head of Music Arts Council of Northern IrelandSYMPOSIUM ON ‘SINGING, HEALTH & WELLBEING’
Ulster University, Magee
FREE ENTRY, OPEN TO ALL
The symposium will focus on a research paper by Dr Hilary Moss, University of Limerick, entitled ‘Sing Yourself Better: The Effects of Singing in a Choir on Health and Wellbeing’, the largest international study of its kind to date. It will include contributions from experts in the field, a panel discussion and a Q&A session. There will also be a special performance by Melodies and Memories, a choir that welcomes older members of the community, especially those living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Panel: Professor Brian Irvine MBE, Ulster University, Composer, Conductor
Sophie Lee, PhD Candidate, UL, MSc, BA(Mod), LRIAM Dermot O’Callaghan, Association of Irish Choirs Dr Neil Black, Assistant Clinical Director of Acute Services and Consultant Physician, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Western Trust
09.30: Registration
10.00: Welcome, followed by panel discussion
11.00: Performance by Melodies and Memories, directed by Fiona Logue 11.20: Q&A session
11.50: Closing comments
CONDUCTING MASTERCLASS
FREE ENTRY, OPEN TO ALL
Guest choir: Ulster University Chamber Choir, directed by Dr. Shaun Ryan
The masterclass will be led by Josep Vila i Casañas, 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, Sir Simon Rattle and Gustavo Dudamel.
This session will include discussions on choral training, conducting techniques, score preparation, repertoire selection and choir management.
12.45: Registration 13.00 – 15.00: Conducting Masterclass
Ulster University Chamber Choir
The Ulster University Chamber Choir has gained popular and critical acclaim for its distinctive performances. Dr. 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 fundraising, and has been the focus of numerous TV and radio broadcasts.
ULSTER ORCHESTRA AND FESTIVAL CHORUS
Guildhall, 19.30
Presented by John Toal, BBC
Ulster Orchestra
Ragnar Rasmussen, Conductor
Dónal Doherty, Chorus Master
PROGRAMME
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, Mozart
I Molto Allegro
II Andante III Menuettto
III Allegro Assai
INTERVAL
Requiem Mass in D minor, Mozart
Laura Sheerin, Soprano
Doreen Curran, Alto
I Introitus: Requiem aeternam
II Kyrie
III Sequenz: Dies Irae
Tuba Mirum
Rex Tremendae
Recordare
Confutatis Maledictis Lacrimosa
IV Offertorium: Domine Jesu Hostias V Sanctus VI Benedictus VII Agnus Dei VIII Communio: Lux Aeterna
The Ulster Orchestra is delighted to bring a programme of Mozart to the City of Derry International Choir Festival. The programme opens with his Symphony No. 40, the middle of a trilogy of symphonies composed in the same 10-week period in 1788. At the time, Mozart was beset by financial woes, the illness of his wife and the failure of the Viennese audience to warm to his latest opera, Don Giovanni. Despite this, he wrote the three symphonies with no commission and no apparent prospect of performance, and they turned out to be a great final trilogy of symphonic works. Symphony No. 40 is regarded as both one of the icons of musical classicism and an early sign of the romantic era on the horizon. It is a powerful work that always leaves a profound impact on listeners, with its dramatic modulations, rhythmic drive and fiery drama.
The concert’s second half sees the Orchestra joined by the 2018 Festival Chorus and soloists to perform Mozart’s Requiem. The story behind the work is a total pageturner: from the odd commission, issued anonymously from Count von Walsegg (who intended to pass the work off as his own in memory of his late wife), to an already-ill Mozart, who believed he had been cursed to write his own requiem, through his first attempt to take on writing a Mass for the Dead and finding an extraordinary voice in which to do so, to his untimely death aged 35, leaving the work only two thirds completed. To add further intrigue, it was discovered in the 1950s that a section had been torn from the final page of the manuscript, meaning that, as Mozart worked on the Requiem on his deathbed, it’s highly likely that someone stole the last notes ever written by the composer. It’s no wonder Hollywood made a film about it.
All drama aside though, Mozart’s writing in the Requiem fuses all his historical researches in counterpoint with his own advanced style into a piece that is extraordinarily powerful and uniquely heartbreaking. The Requiem looks death in the face in an attitude of profound sadness and loss throughout, though the sublime Recordare gives a glimpse of the serenity of Paradise. The heartwrenching beauty of the piece is a stunning and revolutionary final work from one of the world’s foremost musical geniuses.
ULSTER ORCHESTRA
Founded in 1966, the Ulster Orchestra has been at the forefront of musical life in Northern Ireland and the Orchestra’s full-time musicians form the region’s only professional symphony orchestra.
In 2014 the Ulster Orchestra appointed Rafael Payare as its Chief Conductor. Payare joins a distinguished line of past principal conductors including Bryden Thomson, Vernon Handley, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Dimitry Sitkovetsky,, Thierry Fischer and Kenneth Montgomery. The relationship between Rafael Payare and the Orchestra was further cemented in 2016 when the conductor was made Music Director of the Ulster Orchestra. 2014 also marked the year when Jac van Steen’s relationship with the Orchestra was recognised through his appointment as Principal Guest Conductor.
With a mission to enrich the lives of people living in Northern Ireland, those visiting, and those who encounter it through international touring and regular radio and TV broadcasts with both BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio 3, the Orchestra strives for excellence in all it undertakes.
The Ulster Orchestra gives around 40 evening and lunchtime concerts each season in its home, the Ulster Hall, and in the Belfast Waterfront. The Orchestra performs for the BBC Radio 3 invitational concert series at the Ulster Hall and in front of tens of thousands for the BBC’s Proms in the Park celebrations each year.
RAGNAR RASMUSSEN
Ragnar Rasmussen is Professor of Choir Conducting in the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tromsø and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim. He is the artistic director /conductor of Kilden Vocal Ensemble (Norway), Utopia & Reality Chamber Choir (Europe) and the UArctic World Ensemble (Canada, Scotland, Russia and Norway). He was conductor of the Norwegian National Youth Choir from 2008 to 2010, the World Youth Choir in 2010 and the Catalan Youth Choir in 2014.
Ragnar works frequently as a guest conductor for professional choirs and orchestras, he gives masterclasses for choral conductors throughout Europe and other parts of the world, and he has served on adjudicating panels at international choir and conduction competitions. As a composer, he has written several a cappella works, vocal/instrumental works and an opera, and in 2012 he was recognised as a member of the Norwegian Society of Composers.
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 Head of Music Services for the Western and Southern Regions of Northern Ireland during the period 1996-2016 and was Director of the Music Promise initiative in 2013, a key element of the inaugural UK City of Culture programme in Derry. Dónal fulfilled a long-held ambition in founding the City of Derry International Choir Festival the same year.
As Director of the internationally recognised chamber choir Codetta, he has worked with 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.
LAURA SHEERIN
Laura Sheerin, from Derry, obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and was the recipient of the Young Musicians’ Platform Award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the BBC for 2013-15.
On the operatic stage, Laura has performed such roles as Micaëla (Carmen) and Dido (Dido and Aeneas). Concert highlights include performances with the Ulster Orchestra and BBC Radio and Bach’s St. John Passion with the Chiswick Choir and Orchestra, and next year Laura will perform the role of Mimì (La Bohème) with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Zapopan, Mexico. Laura is delighted to have received invitations to sing at the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera House in their upcoming seasons.
DOREEN CURRAN
Born in Derry, Doreen Curran studied music at the DIT College of Music, Dublin and was awarded a BMus Performance Degree with First Class Honours. In 2000 she entered the Royal Northern College of Music and completed her studies at the National Opera Studio.
Doreen’s numerous operatic roles have included Ottavia (L’incoronazione di Poppea) for English National Opera and Mercedes (Carmen) for Glyndebourne Touring Opera. Solo engagements include Mahler’s 2nd symphony, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Handel’s Messiah in the Royal Festival Hall. She has performed with the National Symphony of Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra, and she has given recitals throughout Ireland, England, France, Germany and America.
BENITO RODRIGUEZ
Benito Rodriguez, from Guadalajara, Mexico, began his career in 2010 in the chorus of the Jose Cuervo Foundation in Tequila, and in 2011 he won the Plácido Domingo Scholarship. He has sung in many parts of the world, including the US, Canada, Israel, Italy, France and Dubai. This year, he performed alongside internationally acclaimed soprano Sumi Jo in a concert for the United Nations, and he has sung several times for Maestro Plácido Domingo, who has helped in the development of his career.
Benito has performed principal roles with many prestigious international houses, including the Operas of Québec and Montreal, Florida Grand Opera and New York City Opera. In spring 2019 he will perform Rodolfo from Puccini’s La Bohème in the Placido Domingo Theatre in Guadalajara with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Zapopan.
BRIAN MCALEA
Northern Irish baritone Brian McAlea graduated in music from the University of Oxford and subsequently won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is a regular concert soloist, having performed Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s The Creation and Bach’s St. John Passion. Notable operatic roles have included Liberto in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, Tobias Mill in Rossini’s La cambiale di matrimonio and Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.
Brian has also performed with some of the country’s most notable ensembles, including the Gabrieli Consort, the Choir of the Age of Enlightenment, the Dunedin Consort, Britten Sinfonia Voices and Chamber Choir Ireland, and he is a founding member of Northern Ireland’s award-winning ensemble Sestina.
SOPRANOS ALTOS TENORS
Ann McCay
Andrea O’Donnell
Bridgeen McManus Angela Tourish
Bronagh Deeny Aoife Mullan
Alec Moore
Catherine McMinn Bríd McGinley Chris Kerrigan
Ciara McGilloway Caitriona Clay Columb Duffy
Dara Duddy Carmel Doherty Dara Collins
Debbie Browne Carole Leonard Dave Flanagan
Deborah Cunningham Catherine Hemelryk James Sarsteiner
Eimear O’Gorman Cathy Park Joe Deery
Emer Dunne Cecile Engel Jonny Mairs
Emily McMinn Christine Deane Louis Fields
Emily Roddy Christine Diamond Martin Meehan
Emma-Louise Bond Connie O’Donnell Martin White
Freda Mooney Dawn Stevenson Neil Black
Gráinne Logue Deirdre Kelpie Nicky Morton
Gráinne McAnaney Emma Barr Noel O’Donnell
Jacqui Armstrong Gaye Grant Ross Duncan
Jenny Duddy Gwen Garrett Tony Jackson
Jenny Huey Gráinne Stevenson Victor Goodman
Joanna Higgins Helen O’Hare
Johanne Ennis Jennifer Doherty
BASSES
Kate Higgins Jennifer McGill Aaron McGlinchey
Kathryn Ellis Jenny O’Donnell Brendan Doherty
Kerry Stamp Joan Gallagher Colm Doherty
Laura Brady Joanne Armstrong Colm Rainey
Laura McNutt Judith O’Hare Dermot O’Donnell
Lauren Jones Julia McIvor Eddie Murray
Leona McWilliams Karen Wray Eoghan Doherty
Leonie McGinty Laura O’Donnell James Cooke
Maeve Byrne Mairéad Nic Bhloscaidh Jared Green
Maeve McAteer Margaret Martin Kevin Healy
Maggie McAteer Mary Coyle Malachy McGlinchey
Margaret Brown Mary Kinsella Markus Michel
Margaret McCay Mary Ellen McGuirk Matthew Edwards
Margaret Ross Megan Grant Maurice Kelly
Maureen White Moya O’Leary Paul Gorman
Merit Büker Nicole Moloney Peter Barry
Niamh McAleer Noelle Devlin
Nicole McClintock Olivia Goodman
Shaun Doherty
Tom Wylie
Noirin O’Connell Patricia McCann Tommy Nunan
Oonagh Haran Rachel Craig
Patricia O’Donnnell Rebecca O’Doherty
Rachel Coyle Roisin Rice
Rachel Harley Sara Godfrey
Rachel Kelly Sarah Nawn Ben McGonigle
Siobhan Carroll Sharon Joyce
Stephanie Warne Shauna Ennis
Una Morrison Síle Shanks
Sinead Coyle
Una Grieve
Ursula Doherty
Verity Payne Yvette Rainey
Yvonne Meehan Zoe Gosling
Pick
Recreate PMS(from pdf)
COMPETITIONS
Primary School Competitions
St. Columb’s Hall, 09.45 – 14.30
Primary Unison Competition
1. Ebrington Primary School, Derry (Deborah Armstrong)
When She Loved Me, Randy Newman
I Love To Sing, Mark & Helen Johnson
2. Holy Family Primary School, Omagh (Maura Dolan)
Where Is Love?, Lionel Bart
The Fairy Tree, Vincent O’Brien
3. Nazareth House Primary School, Derry (Joanna Higgins)
Steal Away, Spiritual Get Happy, Harold Arlen
4. Holy Family Primary School, Derry (Claire Doherty)
Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Harold Arlen
Popular from Wicked, Stephen Schwartz
5. Ardnashee School and College, Derry (Bríd Cutliffe)
Do-Re-Mi, Rodgers and Hammerstein
Tomorrow, Charles Strouse
GUEST PERFORMANCE BY UIS UNIVERSITY CHOIR, COLOMBIA
Primary Partsong Competition
1. Nazareth House Primary School, Derry (Joanna Higgins)
Ave Maria, Giulio Caccini, arr. Jonathan Wikeley
Bring Me Sunshine, Arthur Kent, arr. Hawley Ades
2. St. Mary’s Primary School, Strabane (Jenny O’Donnell)
A Clare Benediction, John Rutter
Blackbird, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, arr. Audrey Snyder
3. St. Oliver Plunkett Primary School, Derry (Lauren Jones)
Joshua Fought The Battle of Jericho, Spiritual, arr. Barry Carson Turner
Feed The Birds from Mary Poppins, Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman, arr. Cristi Cary Miller
4. Gaelscoil Adhamhnáin, Letterkenny (Síle Ní Sheainc and Sinéad Ní Dhomhnaill)
An Mhaighdean Mhara, Trad., arr. Síle Ní Sheainc and Sinéad Ní Dhomhnaill
Cúnnla, Michael McGlynn
5. Holy Family Primary School, Derry (Claire Doherty)
Walls Come Tumbalin’ Down, Jean Anne Shafferman Who Will Buy?, from Oliver, Lionel Bart
6. St. Mary’s Primary School, Draperstown (Edel Graham)
Can You Hear Me?, Bob Chilcott
Do-Re-Mi, Rodgers and Hammerstein
7. Holy Family Primary School, Omagh (Maura Dolan)
Feed The Birds from Mary Poppins, Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, arr. Cristi Cary Miller The Circus, Johann Strauss Sr., arr. Henry Geehl
GUEST PERFORMANCE BY FOYLE COLLEGE, DERRY
BIG SING WORKSHOP WITH VOCES8
The primary school adjudications will take place immediately after the Big Sing workshop.
VOCES8
St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30
The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring globally, the group performs an extensive repertory both in its a cappella concerts and in collaborations with leading orchestras, conductors and soloists.
VOCES8 has performed at many notable venues including Wigmore Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus and Tokyo Opera City, and this season they will add the Sydney Opera House to that list. Touring highlights of the season include concerts throughout the UK and Europe, across the US and Japan, and debut visits to Australia and Lithuania.
With an on-going programme of recordings, videos and live broadcasts, VOCES8 is heard regularly on international television and radio. The ensemble is a Decca Classics artist and
has released acclaimed recordings that have all reached the top of the classical charts. A new album is planned for next year and 2019 will also see the premiere of a commission by Jonathan Dove to mark the culmination of his period as the group’s Composer in Residence.
VOCES8 is passionate about music education and is the flagship ensemble of the music charity VCM Foundation. Engaging in a broad
range of outreach work that reaches up to 40,000 people a year, the group runs an annual programme of workshops and masterclasses at the Foundation’s home in London. Dedicated to supporting promising young singers, the group awards eight annual choral scholarships through the VOCES8 Scholars initiative. These scholarships are linked to the annual Milton Abbey Summer School at which amateur singers of all ages are invited to work and perform with
VOCES8. The ensemble is proud to be the Associate Ensemble for Cambridge University and delivers a Master’s programme in choral studies.
Tonight’s programme will include some of the group’s favourite pieces, ranging from Bach to Ben Folds. Sit back and enjoy!
COMPETITIONS
Post-Primary School Competitions
St. Columb’s Hall, 10.00 – 14.30
BIG SING WORKSHOP WITH VOCES8
Post-Primary Unison/2-Part Competition
1. St. Cecilia’s College, Derry (Ryan Quinn)
It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), Duke Ellington and Irving Mills The Lily And The Rose, Bob Chilcott
2. St. Louise’s Comprehensive College, Belfast (Ciara Hogarty)
Lunar Lullaby, Jacob Narverud ¡Cantamos!, James M. DesJardins
3. St. Joseph’s Boys’ School, Derry (Margaret Ross)
Follow the Heron, Karine Polwart, arr. Peter Hunt Salve Regina, Gregorian chant
4. St. Mary’s College, Derry (Emma-Jayne Kelly) Ave Maria, David N. Childs Cabaret, John Kander and Fred Ebb
5. Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana (Maeve Byrne)
Beauty And The Beast, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, arr. Roger Emerson Adiemus, Karl Jenkins
6. Presentation Secondary School, Cork (Anne Dunphy)
For The Beauty Of The Earth, John Rutter
Believe from The Polar Express, Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard, arr. Mark Hayes
7. Thornhill College Junior Choir, Derry (Kevin Healy)
Ubi Caritas, Victor C. Johnson
I’m Gonna Sing When The Spirit Says Sing, James M. DesJardins
GUEST PERFORMANCE BY DELICATON, GERMANY
Post-Primary 3/4-Part Competition
1. Holy Cross College Chamber Choir, Strabane (Jenny Stewart)
Deep Peace, Ronan Doherty
Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson, arr. Deke Sharon
2. St. Mary’s College, Derry (Emma-Jayne Kelly)
Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend, Leo Robin and Jule Styne
Adiemus, Karl Jenkins
3. Presentation Secondary School, Cork (Anne Dunphy)
Asailín Pharis, Seán Ó Tuama and Séamus de Barra
Someone To Watch Over Me, The Man I Love, I’ve Got A Crush On You (Medley), George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, arr. Teena Chinn
4. Thornhill College Senior Choir, Derry (Elizabeth Quigley)
Lullaby, Daniel Elder
Cantate Domino, Rupert Lang
5. Loreto Grammar School, Omagh (Gerard Bradley)
Salve Regina, Ebenezer Prout
I Love My Love, Dana Wilson
GUEST PERFORMANCE BY NOORUS MIXED CHOIR, ESTONIA
The post-primary school adjudications will take place after the guest performance by Noorus Mixed Choir.
THE MARIAN CONSORT
St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30
Rory McCleery, Director Charlotte Ashley Carris JonesLucy
Cox Guy CuttingElspeth Piggott Ashley Turnell
Angharad Rowlands Michael Craddock
Helen Charlston Edmund Saddington
PROGRAMME - In Sorrow’s Footsteps
Stabat Mater, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Ave Maria, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Super flumina Babylonis, Tomás Luis de Victoria Stabat Mater, Gabriel Jackson (new commission)
INTERVAL
Miserere mei, Deus, Gregorio Allegri Salve Regina à 6, Tomás Luis de Victoria Miserere mei, Deus, James MacMillan
The Marian Consort presents paired settings of two of the most emotionally charged sacred texts of the Christian tradition: Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere, considered by many to be the archetype of musical settings of this most intensely personal of penitential psalms, is contrasted with James Macmillan’s highly personal response to this prayer, in the composer’s idiosyncratic and moving style. Palestrina’s magisterial double-choir Stabat Mater, which relates and shares in Mary’s suffering and anguish, and which Richard Wagner described as being ‘full of unspeakable emotion’, is heard alongside a fresh response to the emotional depths of this extraordinary text from one of the UK’s foremost choral composers, Gabriel Jackson. This brand-new setting also offers the opportunity for young singers to perform alongside the 10 voices of The Marian Consort, involving and engaging them directly in the highest level of professional choral singing.
THE MARIAN CONSORT
The Marian Consort is a Gramophone Award-nominated and internationally renowned early music vocal ensemble, recognised for its dynamic freshness of approach and innovative presentation of a broad range of repertoire. Under its founder and director, Rory McCleery, this astounding ensemble has given concerts throughout the UK and Europe, features regularly on BBC Radio 3, and is a former ‘Young Artist’ of The Brighton Early Music Festival.
Known for its engaging performances and imaginative programming, the group draws its members from amongst the very best young singers on the early music scene today. Their repertoire encompasses the music of the 15th to 18th centuries, with a particular focus on the exploration of lesser-known works, often bringing these to the attention of the wider public for the first time. The Marian
Consort is also a proud exponent of contemporary music, juxtaposing latter-day pieces and Renaissance works in concert in order to shed new light on both. The Marian Consort is also committed to inspiring a love of singing in others, and has led participatory educational workshops for a wide range of ages and abilities.
The Marian Consort has to date released eight CDs with Delphian Records, all of which have met with considerable critical acclaim. Their latest recording, ‘Music for the Queen of Heaven’, a collection of contemporary Marian anthems, including several commissions, was released in October 2017 and has been universally lauded, with reviewers describing it as ‘deliciously outstanding’, ‘a glorious vocal coup-de-theatre’ and ‘flawless throughout’.
CODETTA GIRLS’ CHOIR
Both the Codetta Junior and Youth Choirs were launched in September 2017 to provide a choral pathway for singers from age nine 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 first few months of rehearsals, the girls from the Youth Choir were privileged to participate with Tenebrae in a performance of Owain Park’s
LATE-NIGHT SING
Ballroom, St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30
ARDÚ A CAPPELLA CHORUS KIRKJUKÓR HRUNA- OG HREPPHÓLASÓKNA
ENCORE CONTEMPORARY CHOIR
THE PAUL MCINTYRE JAZZ TRIO
Organised in partnership with Allegri and the Every Voice Fringe Festival, this year’s late-night concert brings together Dublin-based ensemble Ardú A Cappella Chorus, Kirkjukór Hruna- og Hrepphólasókna from Iceland and Derry’s Encore Contemporary Choir. The night will round off with a special performance by The Paul McIntyre Jazz Trio.
ARDÚ A CAPPELLA CHORUS
Ardú A Cappella Chorus was formed in early 2018 as an energetic new contemporary a cappella ensemble consisting of young singers from Ireland and further afield. In March 2018 it performed on BBC TV as part of its St. Patrick’s Day celebration event from St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast. The chorus also sang at the Sugar Club in Dublin as part of the Irish International A Cappella Festival in June 2018. It recorded vocals on Gravity, the contemporary a cappella album released by Ardú in September 2018.
KIRKJUKÓR HRUNA- OG HREPPHÓLASÓKNA
Kirkjukór Hruna- og Hrepphólasókna, conducted by Stefan Thorleifsson, is a church choir founded in 1951 in the Hrunamannahreppur community. Today the community has around 800 inhabitants and 45 of them sing in the choir. The choir sings both secular and sacred music and, because of its wide musical approach, it has grown over the last few years.
ENCORE CONTEMPORARY CHOIR
Encore Contemporary Choir, directed by Emmet Doherty, focuses exclusively on contemporary music and promotes a strong social bond amongst its members, providing an outlet for like-minded people to share their love of music. It already has a sell-out concert in the Waterside Theatre under its belt, and has given numerous well-received performances for clients such as Derry City & Strabane District Council and the Gaeltacht of Donegal.
THE PAUL MCINTYRE JAZZ TRIO
Paul McIntyre performs regularly at international jazz festivals and for numerous broadcasters. He has held appointments as Lecturer in Music at several universities in Ireland and in the UK. In support of his artistic practices he received a Major Individual Award from the Arts Council in 2013. He is joined by double bassist Alan Niblock and drummer Tommy Thomas for this concert.
COMPETITIONS
National Equal Voice Competitions
St. Columb’s Hall, 10.00 - 13.00
National Female Voice Competition, 10.00
1. Thornhill College Alumni Choir, Derry (Elizabeth Quigley)
The Seal Lullaby, Eric Whitacre
De Angelis, Petr Eben
2. Mayo Chamber Choir, Mayo (Niamh O’Kelly)
Even When He Is Silent, Kim André Arnesen
Beidh Aonach Amárach, Trad., arr. Niamh O’Kelly
3. Allegri, Derry (Maurice Kelly)
Anahorish, text by Seamus Heaney, arr. Michael Holohan
Mille Cherubini In Coro, Franz Schubert, arr. Linda Spevacek
4. Riviera Sound, Torquay (Chris Bullen)
In My Life, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, arr. Carolyn Schmidt
Dancing Queen, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus, arr. Elaine Gain
5. The Park Singers, Dublin (Órla Gillan)
Only In Sleep, Ēriks Ešenvalds
The Syncopated Clock, Leroy Anderson, arr. Ko Matsushita
6. CanBelto Women’s Choir, Dublin (Jimmy O’Byrne)
Even When He Is Silent, Kim André Arnesen
Ag Críost An Síol, Sean O’Riada, arr. Mark Armstrong
7. Sonata Singers, Drogheda (Siobhán Seberry)
Lift Thine Eyes, Mendelssohn
In The Empty Hills, Michael Holohan
8. The Lynn Singers, Mullingar, (Dervilla Conlon Maloney)
Esti Dal, Zoltán Kodály
Canción De Los Tsáchilas, Michael Sample
National Male Voice Competition, 11.30
1. Co. Sligo Golf Club Male Voice Choir, Sligo (Niamh Fitzpatrick)
Shenandoah, Folk tune, arr. Jack Hindmarsh
Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Irving Berlin arr. Denys Hood
2. Rosemount Male Voice Choir, Derry (Raymond Kelly)
Steal Away, Spiritual, arr. Maurice Jacobson
We Rise Again, Leon Dubinsky, arr. Stephen Smith
3. Portadown Male Voice Choir, Armagh (Gordon Speers)
Shenandoah, Folk tune, arr. Alice Parker and Robert Shaw
The Jovial Beggar, Cecil Armstrong Gibbs
4. Close Shave Chorus, Glasgow (Eoin Millar)
Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen, arr. Eoin Millar
Daydream Believer, John Stewart, arr. Eoin Millar
The adjudication of the National Equal Voice Competitions will take place after the National Male Voice Competition.
National Mixed Voice Competitions
St. Columb’s Hall, 14.00 – 18.00
National Mixed Voice Competition, 14.00
1. Cantamus, Derry (Raymond Kelly)
A Million Dreams, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, arr. Mac Huff
This Marriage, Eric Whitacre
2. NUI Staff Singers, Galway (Michel Durham-Brandt)
All Too Soon, Folk song, arr. Stephen Hatfield
The Lover’s Chant, Matthew Emery
3. Viva Voce, Cork (Bernadette Kiely)
To The Mothers In Brazil, Lars Jansson, arr. Gunnar Eriksson
Fix Me, Jesus, Robert Morris
4. Strabane Chamber Choir, Tyrone (Gerard Bradley)
Sleep, Eric Whitacre
I’m A Train, Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood, arr. Peter Knight
National Popular, Jazz & Gospel Music Competition, 14.45
1. Close Shave Chorus, Glasgow (Eoin Millar)
Make You Feel My Love, Bob Dylan, arr. Eoin Millar
Love Yourself, Justin Bieber, arr. Eoin Millar
2. CanBelto Women’s Choir, Dublin (Jimmy O’Byrne)
Follow Me Down To Carlow, Folk song, arr. Percy E. Fletcher
Down By The Salley Gardens, Folk song, arr. Mark Armstrong
3. North Dublin Community Gospel Choir, Dublin (Jonathan Davies Wright)
Steal Away, Spiritual, arr. Mark De Lisser
The Edge Of Glory, Stefani Germanotta, Paul Blair and Fernando Garibay, arr. Mark Brymer
4. NUI Staff Singers, Galway (Michel Durham-Brandt)
Walk Together, Children, Spiritual, arr. Moses Moses Hogan
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, U2, arr. Deke Sharon
5. Rosemount Male Voice Choir, Derry (Raymond Kelly)
She, Charles Aznavour, arr. Alan Simmons
Let The River Run, Carly Simon, arr. Kirby Shaw
6. Riviera Sound, Torquay (Chris Bullen)
Can’t Buy Me Love, George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, arr. Tom Gentry
And So It Goes, Billy Joel, arr. Peter Nugent
7.
Viva Voce, Cork (Bernadette Kiely)
Shenandoah, Spiritual, arr. James Erb Adiemus, Karl Jenkins
8. Strabane Chamber Choir, Tyrone (Gerard Bradley)
Autumn Leaves, Joseph Kosma, arr. Andrew Carter
Let’s Do It, Cole Porter, arr. David Blackwell
9. Ardú A Cappella Chorus, Dublin (Ciarán Kelly)
Waiting On The World To Change, John Mayer, arr. Deke Sharon Blame It On The Boogie, Mick Jackson, Dave Jackson and Elmar Krohn, arr. Roel Griffioen THE
National
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 2018.
SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
St. Columb’s Hall, 19.30
Presented by Stephen McCauley, BBC
The International Competition will undoubtedly be a highlight of the City of Derry International Choir Festival, featuring eight competitors who will compete for the prestigious Oak Tree of Derry trophy.
For more details on the International Choirs see pages 58-65
PROGRAMME
1. Chorus Iucundus, Finland (Conductor: Timo Lehtovaara)
Eräänä Yönä, Erkki Salmenhaara Anima Mia, Perdona, Claudio Monteverdi So Are You, Juhani Komulainen Malagueña, Einojuhani Rautavaara Spain, Chick Corea, arr. Timo Lehtovaara
2. Namdal Vocal Ensemble, Norway (Conductor: Tor Halvard Nilsen) Matona, Mia Cara, Orlande de Lassus Unicornis Captivatur, Ola Gjeilo Herre Jesus Gi Meg Nåde, Folk tune, arr. Bjarne Sløgedal
3. Blagovest Chamber Choir, Latvia (Conductor: Aleksandrs Brandavs)
Psalm No. 150, Georgs Pelēcis Sicut Cervus, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Concerto For Choir, Part II, Alfred Schnittke
4. Laetare, Ireland (Conductor: Róisín Blunnie)
Timor Et Tremor, Orlande de Lassus
Stetit Angelus, Rihards Dubra The Cloud-Capp’d Towers, Ralph Vaughan Williams The Destroyer, Seán Doherty
INTERVAL
5. UIS University Choir, Colombia (Conductor: Juan Manuel Hernández-Morales) Ave Maria, Josquin des Prez Iré A Santiago, Roberto Valera Alleluia, Jake Runestad Quítate De Mi Escalera, Folk tune, arr. Juan Manuel Hernández-Morales
6. Côr CF1, Wales (Conductor: Eilir Owen Griffiths)
Rytmus, Ivan Hrušovský
Jesu, Dulcis Memoria, Tomás Luis de Victoria Y Gelynnen, Trad., arr. William Mathias Alleluia, Fredrik Sixten
Circle of Life, Elton John and Tim Rice, arr. Fidel Calalang Jr.
7. Noorus Mixed Choir, Estonia (Conductors: Taavi Hark/Maarja Helstein)
Cantate Domino, Hans Leo Haßler Ostermorgen, Rudolf Tobias Beati Quorum Via, Charles Villiers Stanford Meri On Tõusnud, Karl Petti Näärisokk, Gustav Ernesaks
8. Delicaton, Germany (Conductor: Volker Bernhart)
Il Est Bel Et Bon, Pierre Passereau Abschied, Mathieu Neumann Benedicamus Domino, Krzysztof Penderecki
My Soul’s Been Anchored In The Lord, Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan
Join us at our Resonance Bar Festival Club in St. Columb’s Hall Ballroom immediately after this concert for a céilí and some impromptu singing!
COMPETITIONS
National Competitions
St. Columb’s Hall, 12.00 – 16.30
National Sacred Music Competition, 12.00
1. CanBelto Women’s Choir, Dublin (Jimmy O’Byrne)
Agnus Dei, Ivo Antognini
Be Thou My Vision, Hymn, arr. Mark Armstrong
2. The Lynn Singers, Mullingar (Dervilla Conlon Maloney)
O Lucidissima Apostolorum Turba, Karen P. Thomas
Pange Lingua, György Orbán
3. Mayo Chamber Choir, Ballina (Niamh O’Kelly)
Cantate Domino, Michelle Roueché
Salve Regina, Josu Elberdin
4. Codetta Youth Choir, Derry (Margaret Ross)
Ave Maria, Javier Busto
Follow The Star!, Alan Bullard
5. The Park Singers, Dublin (Órla Gillan)
Hosanna, David Conte
Cantate Domino, Michelle Roueché
National Vocal Ensemble Competition, 13.00
1. Octavoce, Edinburgh
Hail, Gladdening Light, Charles Wood
Feeling Good, arr. Jim Clements
2. Classic Harmony, Ashford (Frank Kelly)
Ubi Caritas, Ola Gjeilo
Java Jive, arr. Kirby Shaw
3. Cuisle, Dublin (Leanne Fitzgerald)
I Say A Little Prayer, Aretha Franklin, arr. Tom Wiggall
Fields Of Gold, Sting, arr. Carol Canning
4. Riviera Sound, Torquay (Chris Bullen)
Fever, Eddie Cooley and John Davenport, arr. Tedda Lippincott Wake Me Up, Tim Bergling, arr. Deke Sharon
5.
The Park Singers Chamber Choir, Dublin (Órla Gillan)
A Winter’s Prayer, Anne-Marie O’Farrell Flare, Dale Trumbore
6. Close Shave Chorus, Glasgow (Eoin Millar)
My Luve Is Like A Red, Red Rose, Robert Burns, arr. Eoin Millar 500 Miles, Craig Reid and Charles Reid, arr. Eoin Millar
National Youth Choir Competition, 15.00
1. Codetta Junior Choir, Derry (Margaret Ross)
In Paradisum, Gabriel Fauré
Sing, Sing, Sing!, Louis Prima, arr. Philip Kern
2. Harmony North, Belfast (Laura Dynes)
The Gospel Train, Spiritual, arr. Alexander L’Estrange
She Moved Through The Fair, Trad., arr. Peter Hunt
3. Cross Border Youth Choir, Belfast/Dublin (Lynsey Callaghan)
Sing Joyfully, William Byrd Nyon Nyon, Jake Runestad
4. Codetta Youth Choir, Derry (Margaret Ross)
Furusato, Teiichi Okano, arr. Bob Chilcott
The Subway Piranhas, Thea Musgrave
GUEST PERFORMANCE BY THE EVERY VOICE FRINGE FESTIVAL CHORUS
The adjudications of the National Sacred Music, National Vocal Ensemble and National Youth Choir Competitions will take place immediately after the guest performance by the Every Voice Fringe Festival Chorus.
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 sixth 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 pages 58-65
PROGRAMME
GUEST PERFORMANCE BY
THE EVERY VOICE FRINGE FESTIVAL CHORUS
Every Voice, text by Mícheál McCann, music by Dr. Shane Lynch
1. Blagovest Chamber Choir, Latvia (Conductor: Aleksandrs Brandavs) Es Esmu Vīna Koks, Georgs Pelēcis Pūt, Vējiņi!, Folk song, arr. Imants Ramiņš
2. Namdal Vocal Ensemble, Norway (Conductor: Tor Halvard Nilsen)
Gjendines Bådnlåt, Trad., arr. Gunnar Eriksson Blå Kveill, Arvid Hansen and Tove Knutsen, arr. Ola Graff
3. Noorus Mixed Choir, Estonia (Conductors: Taavi Hark/Maarja Helstein)
ABBA Capella, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus, arr. Roine Jansson
4. Chorus Iucundus, Finland (Conductor: Timo Lehtovaara)
Suru, Anna-Mari Kähärä Butterfly, Mia Makaroff
5. DelicaTon, Germany (Conductor: Volker Bernhart)
Flieger, Grüß Mir Die Sonne, Hans Albers, arr. Volker Bernhart Queetles, Brian May, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, arr. Volker Bernhart
6. Côr CF1, Wales (Conductor: Eilir Owen Griffiths)
Diogel Wyf, Trad., arr. Eilir Owen Griffiths
This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
7. Laetare, Ireland (Conductor: Róisín Blunnie)
Underneath The Stars, Kate Rusby, arr. Jim Clements Bagairt Na Marbh, Michael Holohan
8. UIS University Choir, Colombia (Conductor: Juan Manuel Hernández-Morales)
Elijah Rock, Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan
El Manolo, Luis Fernández, arr. Juan Alberto Fernández
INTERVAL AWARDS CEREMONY
Closing ceremony of the Festival, presentation of special awards and announcement of the winning choir of the 2018 International Competition.
SPECIAL AWARDS AND WORKSHOPS
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 during the Closing Gala Concert on Sunday 28 October.
• Bernadette Kelly Memorial award for most promising school choir
• 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
• Visit Derry award for an outstanding competitive or non-competitive performance by a visiting national or international choir
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)
VOCES8
Thursday 25 October
Big Sing Workshop (post-primary schools)
VOCES8
Friday 26 October
Big Sing Jazz Workshop (open to all), in association with AOIC
The Paul McIntyre Jazz Trio and Ragnar Rasmussen
Saturday 27 October, 16.30
Nov-Mar
Apr
June-Aug
EVERY VOICE FRINGE FESTIVAL
The City of Derry International Choir Festival is absolutely delighted to partner with local choir Allegri this year on the inaugural Every Voice Fringe Festival.
Managed and facilitated by Allegri, in partnership with the City of Derry International Choir Festival, the Every Voice Fringe Festival takes place throughout Derry and Strabane in September and October 2018, offering performance, workshop and learning opportunities for vocal ensembles in the region.
The festival’s Engagement Team has worked closely with the City of Derry International Choir Festival to build upon the success of its community programme of previous years and take the high standard of music-making on to the streets and into the hearts of as many local people as possible.
Following on from the Stand Up and Sing! Gala Concerts and Kids’ Workshop in September, the Fringe Festival will culminate in a packed schedule of events between 20 and 28 October, including over 60 non-competitive performances by local, national and international choirs.
from Maurice Kelly, Creative Director of the Every Voice Fringe Festival
The Every Voice Fringe Festival has sought to harness the enthusiasm, energy, talent, commitment and sense of pride in the shared and historic choral traditions of the myriad choirs and singing groups in the greater north-west area. It is a celebration of all those people, young and old, from all walks of life, who join together in song at weekly rehearsals out of a shared love of singing together and the benefits this simple and universal activity brings.
This dedication is deeply rooted in the strong foundations laid by our own local choral giants of the past, on whose shoulders we stand. We sing together to remember these greats and to acknowledge all our yesterdays. We sing together to nurture our todays and share a little piece of ourselves with other people. And, perhaps more importantly, we sing together today that our children will continue to sing together for all their tomorrows.
EVERY VOICE FRINGE FESTIVAL COMMISSIONED WORKS
Allegri is delighted to have been able to commission two very special works as part of the inaugural Fringe Festival. In 2016 the choir collaborated with Dr. Shane Lynch, one of this year’s festival adjudicators, when he visited Derry to perform with the Washington and Lee University Singers. They have kept in contact ever since and this year Allegri commissioned Dr. Lynch to compose two pieces for the festival.
The first of these, Beauty’s in Your Singing, with lyrics penned by Derry poet Mícheál McCann, carries a strong message of self-belief and promotes positive mental health. It received its première at the Setting Choral Foundations Kids’ Workshop in September.
The second piece, entitled Every Voice, is a setting of another text by Mícheál McCann. It is a choral work that focuses on inclusion and finding your own voice, using music to encourage self-empowerment and increase confidence. It will be performed by the Every Voice Festival Fringe Chorus at the Closing Gala Concert and Awards Ceremony on Sunday 28 October.
EVERY VOICE FESTIVAL FRINGE CHORUS
The Every Voice Festival Fringe Chorus beings together around 80 singers drawn from choirs in Derry, Donegal and Tyrone. In addition to its performance of Every Voice, the Every Voice Festival Fringe Chorus will give a guest performance in St. Columb’s Hall during the National Competitions on Sunday 28 October. It will perform two pieces: ¡Cantar! by Jay Althouse and Adiemus by Karl Jenkins.
EVERY VOICE FRINGE FESTIVAL
WORKSHOP AND PROCESSION OF SONG
The Gasyard, 13.00 – 19.00
13.00 – 17.00 Vocal workshop with Dr. Shane Lynch and Maurice Kelly
18.30 – 19.00 Procession of Song to First Derry Presbyterian Church
JOY! SACRED CONCERT
First Derry Presbyterian Church, 19.30
COMMUNITY CONCERTS
(See map on page 52)
DATE/TIME VENUE CHOIRS
Monday 22 October Church of Ireland Allegri, Derry City & Strabane
18.30 – 19.30 Centre, Newbuildings District Council Choir
Tuesday 23 October Holywell Trust Garden The Pink Ladies, Voices of the Foyle, 18.30 – 20.00 of Reflection Momentum, DelicaTon (Germany)
Friday 26 October Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin Doire Calgach Singers, KKHH 12.30 – 14.00 (Iceland), Foyle Down Syndrome Trust Choir, DelicaTon (Germany)
Friday 26 October Ballroom, St. Columb’s Ardú Vocal Ensemble, KKHH 22.30 – 00.30 Hall (Iceland), Encore Contemporary Choir, Paul McIntyre Jazz Trio
Saturday 27 October St. Patrick’s Hall, Chorus Iucundus (Finland), 13.00 – 14.00 Strabane Encore Contemporary Choir, Holy Cross College Choir
Saturday 27 October Studio 2, Skeoge KKHH (Iceland), Studio 2 Show 15.00 – 16.30 Choir, Classic Harmony, The Mood Swings
Sunday 28 October North West Cancer North West Cancer Centre Choir, 14.00 – 15.00 Centre, Altnagelvin The Pink Ladies Cancer Choir, Hospital Altnagelvin Hospital Choir
Sunday 28 October St. Columb’s Park Voices of the Foyle, St. Oliver Plunkett Primary School, 15.30 – 16.30 House UIS University Choir (Colombia)
Sunday 28 October Craft Village Big Belfast Choir, Rathlin Sound 16.30 – 17.30 Choir, Blagovest Chamber Choir (Latvia)
CHORAL TRAILS (See map on page 52)
Saturday 20 October
TIME VENUE CHOIR
14.00 – 14.20 Foyleside Shopping Centre Encore Contemporary Choir and Every Voice Fringe Festival Chorus 16.30 – 18.00 Asda, Strabane Derg Valley
Wednesday 24 October
TIME VENUE CHOIR
17.30 – 18.30 Everglades Hotel Allegri Kids, Rosemount Male Voice Choir
Thursday 25 October
TIME VENUE CHOIR
13.00 – 14.00 Seagate Springtown Voices, Namdal Vocal Ensemble (Norway)
14.00 – 14.30 Foyle Disability Resource Centre Chorus Iucundus (Finland) 15.00 – 15.30 Foyle Hospice UIS University Choir (Colombia) 17.30 – 18.30 City Hotel Chorus Iucundus (Finland), Springtown Voices
Friday 26 October
TIME VENUE CHOIR
09.30 – 10.30 Ardnashee School and College Doire Calgach Singers, Blagovest Chamber Choir (Latvia)
14.00 – 14.30 Glenview Community Centre Namdal Vocal Ensemble (Norway) 15.00 – 15.20 Abbey House UIS University Choir (Colombia)
Saturday 27 October
12.00 – 17.00 City Hotel Classic Harmony, Ardú Vocal Ensemble, The Mood Swings, Inishowen Gospel Choir, Big Belfast Choir, Sing Club, Co. Sligo Golf Club Male Voice Choir, Song for the Soul, Momentum, North West Cancer Centre Choir 12.00 – 14.00 Foyleside Shopping Centre Big Belfast Choir, Rathlin Sound Choir, KKHH (Iceland), North Dublin Gospel Choir 15.30 – 17.00 The Sandwich Co. Rathlin Sound Choir, Sing Club, Inishowen Gospel Choir
ADJUDICATORS
JOSEP VILA I CASAÑAS, SPAIN
(Chair of the AdjudicatingPanel)
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. Josep has served as the resident conductor of choirs such as the Orfeó Català choral society (1998-2016), the Radiotelevisión Española Choir (2007- 2010) and the Lieder Càmera Choir (1990- 2006).
He has also worked as a guest conductor with the Spanish National Choir, the Swedish Radio Choir and the Choir of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. In his role as a choral conductor, he has worked alongside leading orchestral conductors on the international music scene, including Daniel Barenboim, Sir Simon Rattle and Gustavo Dudamel.
He is the author of a large catalogue of compositions, and he has written an extensive body of works for children’s and youth choirs, for mixed a cappella choirs and for choir and orchestra.
Since 2005 Josep has been a Professor of Choral Conducting at the Music High School of Catalonia. In addition to teaching, he gives seminars and masterclasses on a regular basis in a number of cities in Europe and Latin America.
DR. SHANE LYNCH, USA
Dr. Shane Lynch is a noted conductor, composer, and music educator at Washington and Lee University (Virginia, USA), where he assumed the position of Director of Choral Activities in 2009. He conducts the University Singers, Cantatrici (women’s choir) and the Men’s Glee Club, and oversees the university’s innovative and unique conductor mentorship/teacher preparation programme
An active composer interested in a wide variety of compositional styles and mediums, Shane’s music is known for its wide tonal
palette, integrated performance movement and creative use of unusual texts. Shane’s composition Joseph and Grace premiered in Dublin for the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising and recently won the 2017 National Collegiate Choral Organization composition competition, one of the highest honours for professional American choral composers.
Prior to his appointment at Washington and Lee, Shane served as Visiting Director of Choral Activities at Monmouth College (Illinois) and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wisconsin, in addition to holding several positions in church music and teaching high school science.
URŠA LAH, SLOVENIA
Urša Lah studied Musical Education in the Ljubljana Music Academy and Choral Conducting in the University of Tromsø (Norway).
With mixed youth choir Veter, APZ Tone Tomšič University of Ljubljana and the National Radio Chamber Choir, she has been involved in many premiere performances, and won many first prizes, golden plaques, special prizes and conducting awards at national and prestigious international choral competitions, including the Grand Prix of Europe (Debrecen, 2008).
In recognition of her valuable work with choirs, Urša received the highest award of the Municipality of Ljubljana for cultural achievement in 2008, and in 2009 the award of Public Fund for Cultural Activities of the Republic of Slovenia. for Cultural Activities. Urša now lives in Norway, where she conducts the Choir of Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. She also teaches Ensemble Leading and Choral Conducting in the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and works as Chorus Master for Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra. She lectures at educational seminars for choral conductors, is a frequent member of adjudicating panels at international choral competitions, is a guest conductor of recognised ensembles and is one of two artistic leaders of the international chamber choir Utopia & Reality.
ADJUDICATORS
MARK DULEY, IRELAND
Mark Duley was born in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, and studied at Auckland University, the North German Organ Academy and Amsterdam’s Sweelinck Conservatorium. He came to Ireland in 1992 and has held several major posts in the country, including Organist and Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Chorus Master to the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, Artistic Director of the Irish Baroque Orchestra and Artistic Director of Pipeworks.
As conductor and organist, he has appeared with most of the major Irish ensembles, including the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the National Chamber Choir, the Irish Baroque Orchestra and his own chamber choir, Resurgam. He has performed at many of Ireland’s premier festivals, including the Wexford Opera Festival, the Cork International Choral Festival and the Kilkenny Arts Festival. He has given organ recitals in all major Irish venues, as well as in the UK and his native New Zealand.
Mark is one of Ireland’s most well known choral specialists, and he has led workshops and masterclasses for choirs and conductors in Ireland, the UK and continental Europe. Aside from a busy freelance career, currently Mark holds the posts of Organist at the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, Galway, FounderDirector of St. Nicholas’ Schola Cantorum, and Artistic Director of Resurgam.
JÜRGEN BUDDAY, GERMANY
Jürgen Budday is Artistic Director and Founder of the Maulbronn Chamber Choir and was the Artistic Director of the Monastary Music Festival of Maulbronn at the first UNESCO World Heritage Site of Baden-Württemberg from 1979 until 2013. With the Maulbronn Chamber Choir he has won several first prizes in festivals and
competitions, and released over 20 recordings, including 10 Handel oratorios.
IIn 1998, Jürgen received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and, in 2002, he was appointed Chairman of the Advisory Choir Board at the German Music Council, taking over responsibility for the overall management of the German Choir Competition and acting as the jury chair.
In 2011, he was appointed a Professor by the Prime Minister of BadenWürttemberg and received the George Frideric Handel Ring in 2013. In 2014, he was appointed Artistic Director of the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf and made an honorary citizen of the town of Maulbronn.
Jürgen regularly features as a juror on international panels of adjudicators.
INTERNATIONAL CHOIRS
BLAGOVEST CHAMBER CHOIR, LATVIA
Conductor: Aleksandrs BrandavsThe Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir ‘Blagovest’ from Latvia was founded in 1990 with the aim of popularising forgotten treasures of Russian sacred music, which forms most of the choir’s repertoire. The choir has a wide range of interests, from monophonic neumatic chants to polyphonic choral concertos and compositions by contemporary composers. Its repertoire also includes secular masterpieces, Latvian choral classics and folk songs.
The choir has received numerous awards and prizes in various international choral competitions and festivals, and it won the 3rd European Choir Games in 2017 and the Grand Prix of Nations in Riga (Latvia) and Colombo (Sri Lanka), in the the Sacred A Cappella category.
Blagovest has recorded seven CDs and taken part in a number of inspiring collaborations with well-known singers, choirs and composers in Latvia and abroad.
CHORUS IUCUNDUS, FINLAND
Conductor: Timo Lehtovaara
Chorus Iucundus is a mixed-voice youth choir from the Puolalanmäki Upper Secondary School in Turku, Finland. The school has a special music department and its choir consists of 28 talented singers. The repertoire performed by the choir ranges from Monteverdi madrigals to newly composed contemporary music, folk songs and pop music.
Chorus Iucundus is an active performer in Turku’s musical life. In addition to its usual concerts, it has been involved in two modern operas, and it has recently taken part in the Tampere Vocal Music Festival, where it won two gold awards, and the VocalEspoo International Festival, where it came second in ‘The best school choir in Finland’ competition.
The choir’s conductor, Timo Lehtovaara, is one of Finland’s leading choral conductors.
INTERNATIONAL CHOIRS
CÔR CF1, WALES
Conductor: Eilir Owen GriffithsCF1 is a mixed choir based in Cardiff. Since its inception as a Youth Association by conductor Eilir Owen Griffiths in 2002, CF1 has developed into one of Wales’ most competitive mixed choirs.
The choir has had considerable success in many choral festivals, including the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Cheltenham Choral Festival and North Wales Choral Festival. It has also won the Mixed Choirs Category of the Côr Cymru Competition and the Mixed Choir Competition of the National Eisteddfod of Wales (2017). In 2014 CF1 was named BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year.
The choir enjoys performing on the international stage and has travelled to the United States, Poland, Canada, Italy and Ireland, as well as across England and Wales. Some of CF1’s highlights include performing at the official opening of the Wales Millennium Centre in 2004 and singing in the Millennium Stadium before rugby matches, including the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
DELICATON, GERMANY
Conductor: Volker BernhartDelicaTon is a male voice choir established in the year 2000. It is the choir’s strong belief that choral music has a magical quality that brings people, cultures and worlds together, combining the body and soul with our emotions. Singing has a great impact on listeners and should always be an enriching experience. The choir’s repertoire comprises many different styles of music, catering to the wide-ranging musical tastes of their audiences.
The choir has taken part in many festivals in Germany and abroad. In July 2012 it won the grand prix title of ‘Choir of the World’ at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, having been the first German choral ensemble to have ever taken part. The choir was also awarded a gold diploma at the 2011 Johannes Brahms Choir Competition in Wernigerode and at the 2014 World Choir Games in Riga in the Male Chamber Choir and Sacred Music categories.
INTERNATIONAL CHOIRS
LAETARE VOCAL ENSEMBLE, IRELAND
Conductor: Róisín BlunnieLaetare Vocal Ensemble was formed in September 2014, and since then has been regularly active in concert performance, competition, collaboration and recording. In 2017 Laetare released a CD of works by Irish composers Seán Doherty, Rhona Clarke and John Buckley entitled In Circling Flight, and it featured as backing choir on the critically acclaimed album West to the Evening Sun by singer-songwriter Ailie Blunnie.
The choir has a particular interest in contemporary music, regularly commissioning works from leading
Irish composers, and it has picked up contemporary performance awards at a number of festivals.
Choral festival awards include National Choir of the Year at the Navan Choral Festival, Premier Choir at the Mayo International Choral Festival, the Victor Leeson Trophy for ‘Ireland’s Choir of the Year’ at the Cork International Choral Festival and 2nd prize at the 2017 City of Derry International Choir Festival.
NAMDAL VOCAL ENSEMBLE, NORWAY
Conductor: Tor Halvard NilsenNamdal Vocal Ensemble was founded in 2014 by conductor Tor Halvard Nilsen. To date, approximately 160 singers have auditioned to become a member of the choir, and the ensemble currently comprises 22 amateur singers from a number of rural communities in central Norway. The choir’s overall aim is to give audiences memorable, high-quality musical experiences and its repertoire ranges from classical to pop, ballads and folk music, all performed a cappella.
Tor Halvard Nilsen was educated in music at Høgskolen i Nesna (Norway), Hamburger Konservatorium (Germany) and the University of Michigan (USA). In recent years, he has had further education in choir conducting with Professor Ragnar Rasmussen in Tromsø (Norway). As a freelance conductor, he is engaged as a guest conductor for choirs, orchestras and groups in Norway and abroad. He was awarded the Rana Community Culture Award in 1990 and the Trygve Hoff Honorary Award in 1998.
INTERNATIONAL CHOIRS
NOORUS MIXED CHOIR, ESTONIA
Noorus Mixed Choir was established in 1960 and, since then, it has participated in a wide range of international choral competitions across Europe, released six albums, and performed in many large-scale collaborative vocal and instrumental pieces, both live and recorded. Since 2012, the choir’s Lead Conductor has been Maarja Helstein, and Maarja was joined by Taavi Hark as Assistant Conductor in 2017.
Noorus Mixed Choir’s repertoire mainly comprises works by well-known Estonian composers, although in recent years the choir has increased its focus on the commissioning and performance of new pieces by young Estonians. Reflecting the choir’s name (Noorus means ‘Youth’), the choir’s creative leadership believes it important to encourage and promote fresh works written by the emerging generation of young Estonian composers.
UIS UNIVERSITY CHOIR, COLOMBIA
Founded in 1962, the UIS University Choir, made up of students and graduates from the academic programmes of the Industrial University of Santander, is a pioneer of Santander’s choral groups and one of the oldest university choirs in Colombia.
It has won international competitions in Hungary, Greece, Italy, Spain, Argentina and South Korea, and has performed large-scale choral works and productions in a number of
cultural venues in South America, the United States, Italy and France.
The choir organises the Santander Choral Festival and it is currently directed by Professor Juan Manuel Hernández-Morales, a graduate of the music programme in the Industrial University of Santander and winner of the ‘Conductor’s Prize’ at Busan Choral Festival, South Korea in October 2014.
EVENING CONCERT PRESENTERS
JOHN TOAL, BBC
Opening Gala Concert, Guildhall, Wednesday 24 October, 19.30
John Toal’s musical career began when, aged 5, he sang The Friendly Cow on stage at Newry Feis. He studied music at QUB before joining the BBC in 1989. He now presents ‘Classical Connections’ on Sunday afternoon, and ‘The John Toal Show’ on Saturday mornings on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle.
Earlier this year he won the Celtic Media Awards Radio Presenter of the Year and ‘Classical Connections’ won Gold in the Specialist Music Programme category at the IMRO Radio Awards.
STEPHEN MCCAULEY, BBC International Competition, St. Columb’s Hall, Saturday 27 October, 19.30
Stephen McCauley is the host of ‘Electric Mainline’ and ‘Stephen McCauley’ on BBC Radio Foyle, and ‘Soundscapes with Stephen McCauley’ on BBC Radio Ulster.
In 2013 he made his debut on BBC Radio 6 Music with a week-long series of programmes, and in March 2015 he embarked on an ambitious new weekly programme for BBC Radio Ulster called ‘Soundscapes with Stephen McCauley’ in which he blends field recordings and spoken word with contemporary classical and electronic music. He also presents a daily two-hour afternoon request show on BBC Radio Foyle.
EOGHAN DOHERTY, JOE.IE
Closing Gala Concert, St. Columb’s Hall, Sunday 28 October, 19.30
Eoghan is Content Editor of the award-winning website JOE.ie. 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. He is an experienced TV and radio broadcaster, contributing to numerous productions on BBC, RTÉ, TV3, UTV and Today FM, as well as currently presenting and producing ‘The Big Reviewski’, Ireland’s No. 1 film and TV podcast.
A graduate of music and English literature from University College Dublin, Eoghan is an oboist, violinist and member of the acclaimed Derry-based chamber choir Codetta.
+353 61 213311 www.limericksings.com
THANK YOU!
FESTIVAL STAFF
Dónal Doherty, Artistic Director
Matthew Greenall, Executive Director, Walled City Music
Fiona Crosbie, Festival Manager
FESTIVAL FUNDERS
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Derry City and Strabane District Council
Inner City Trust, Derry Arts & Business Northern Ireland
Enkalon Foundation
FESTIVAL SPONSOR Tourism NI City Hotel, Derry Airporter
Caldwell & Robinson
Bishop’s Gate Hotel City Roofing and Asphalt Services Limited
MEDIA PARTNERS Derry Journal
FESTIVAL PARTNERS
Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland
Association of Irish Choirs
Foyleside Shopping Centre
The Sandwich Co. City Cabs
FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL
Allegro Friends Des & Jennifer Rainey
James & Pat Crosbie
Seamus Brady
Andante Friends Aideen Campbell
Andrea O’Donnell
Ann & Tommy McCay
Charlie & Celine McDaid Judith O’Hare
Joy Tennis
Largo Friends Bríd & Don McGinley
Cora Morrison Eoghan Doherty
SPECIAL THANKS
TO: Shane Tumilty, Lumière Events Ltd.
John Gallagher, Lumière Events Ltd.
Big Moo Design, Graphic Design
Peter Meenagh, Web Design
Professor Frank Lyons, Ulster University
Dr. Shaun Ryan, Ulster University
Professor Brian Irvine MBE, Ulster University
Stewart Smith, Ulster University
Anne Bergin, EA Music Service
Michelle Ramsay, Principal, Model Primary School
Caroline Cutliffe, Festival Accompanist
Ben McGonigle, Festival Chorus rehearsal pianist
Patricia McCormack, Flowers
Gráinne Stevenson, Festival Manager (Maternity Cover) Bronagh Deeny, Festival Assistant
FESTIVAL BOARD Philip Gilliland, Chair OF DIRECTORS
Anthony McGurk
Colm Rainey Joy Tennis Martin White
EVERY VOICE FESTIVAL Maurice Kelly, Creative Director FRINGE STAFF
VOLUNTEERS
Aaron Slattery
Aaron McGlinchey
Aisling Armstrong
Aisling McCorkell
Angela Tourish Betty Bradley Brendan Doherty
Bríd McGinley Bridgeen Tully Chris Kerrigan Chris Rodgers Cillian Doherty
Claire McGirr Colm Doherty
Dermot O’Donnell Des Rainey Eamonn Boast
Eimear O’Gorman
Emer Dunne
Emma Barr
Emma Hutton
Eoghan Doherty
Fidelma Legge
Gaye Grant Gerard Kelly
Margaret Kelly, Festival Manager
Rachel Tennis, Festival Manager
Naiomh Ashford, Festival Coordinator
Emmet Doherty, Ríana Lynch, Julie McLaughlin, Tina McPhillips, Naoimh Moore, Paddy Quinn, Festival Engagement Team
Gráinne Doherty
Hayley McGivern
Helen O’Hare
Jacqui Armstrong
James Cooke
Jenny O’Donnell
Jenny Huey
Jill Flanagan
John Huw Cleghorn
Judith O’Hare
Julia McIvor
Kate Deeny Kathryn O’Callaghan
Kerri O’Kane
Kerry Stamp
Kevin Healy
Linda Morgan
Louis Fields
Maeve Doherty
Maeve Byrne
Mairéad Nic Bhloscaidh
Majella Coyle
Margaret Hannaway
Margaret McCay
Margaret Ross
Maria Cutliffe
Marie Humphreys
Martin Flanagan
Mary Furey Maurice Kelly
Megan Ryan Niamh McGowan
Nicky Fallon
Nicky Morton Nicole McClintock
Olivia Goodman
Paddy Quinn
Pat Crosbie
Peter O’Donnell
Rachel Coyle
Rachel Tennis Rebecca Tennis
Rebecca O’Doherty
Roisin Rice
Sadie Bergin
Seán Doherty
Stephanie Warne Stewart Smith Tina Cassidy Ursula Doherty
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY 24 OCT
‘Singing, Health and Wellbeing’ Symposium
Ulster University, Magee
10.00 – 12.00
THURSDAY 25 OCT
Primary School Unison Competition
St. Columb’s Hall 10.00 – 11.00
Primary School Partsong Competition St. Columb’s Hall 11.00 – 12.30
FRIDAY 26 OCT
Big Sing Workshop with VOCES8 (post-primary schools)
St. Columb’s Hall 10.00 – 10.45
Post-Primary Unison / 2-Part Competition St. Columb’s Hall 10.45 – 12.15
Conducting Masterclass Ulster University, Magee 13.00 – 15.00
Big Sing Workshop with VOCES8 (primary schools) St. Columb’s Hall 13.00 – 14.00
Adjudication of primary competitions St. Columb’s Hall 14.00 – 14.30
Post-Primary 3/4Part Competition St. Columb’s Hall 12.45 – 14.00
Adjudication of Post-Primary School Competitions
St. Columb’s Hall 14.00 – 14.30
SATURDAY 27 OCT
National Female Voice Competition St. Columb’s Hall 10.00 – 11.30
National Male Voice Competition St. Columb’s Hall 11.30 – 12.30
Adjudication of Equal Voice Competitions St. Columb’s Hall 12.30 – 13.00
National Mixed Voice Competition St. Columb’s Hall 14.00 – 14.45
National Popular, Jazz & Gospel Music Competition St. Columb’s Hall 14.45 – 16.30
SUNDAY 28 OCT
National Sacred Music Competition St. Columb’s Hall
12.00 – 13.00
Opening Gala Concert with Ulster Orchestra and Festival Chorus Guildhall 19.30 – 21.30
VOCES8 St. Columb’s Hall 19.30 – 21.30
The Marian Consort Christ Church 19.30 – 21.30
Big Sing Workshop with The Paul McIntyre Jazz Trio and Ragnar Rasmussen (open to all) St. Columb’s Hall 16.30 – 17.30
Adjudication of Mixed Voice and Popular, Jazz & Gospel Competitions St. Columb’s Hall 17.30 – 18.00
National Vocal Ensemble Competition St. Columb’s Hall 13.00 – 14.00
Late-Night Sing Ballroom, St. Columb’s Hall 22.30 – 12.30
International Competition St. Columb’s Hall 19.30 – 22.00
Festival Club (céilí) Ballroom, St. Columb’s Hall 22.00 – 01.00
National Youth Choir Competition St. Columb’s Hall 15.00 – 16.00
Adjudication of Sacred Music, Vocal Ensemble and Youth Competitions St. Columb’s Hall 16.00 – 16.30
Closing Gala Concert and Awards St. Columb’s Hall 19.30 – 22.00
Festival Club City Hotel 22.00 – 01.00
www.derrychoirfest.com