Fantastic weekend of music and song

THOUSANDS of music lovers descended on New Ross last weekend for the 33nd annual Aims Choral Festival.

St Michael’s Theatre and the Pastoral Centre on Robert Street were the venues for all the junior competitions on Friday, wheN some great new talent was uncovered, giving individuals a real opportunity to shine.

Adjudicators Roisin Blunnie, Aine Mulvey and Margaret Rossiter had their work cut out for them as they struggled in many cases to pick an outright winner. More than 20 choirs and 50 soloists competed over eight competitions.

Saturday saw the gala night concert which featured some of the south east’s most talented musical societies including New Ross Musical Society, St Michael’s Theatre Musical Society, Avonmore Musical Society, Oyster Lane Musical Society, Kilkenny Musical Society, Enniscorthy Musical Society and Carnew Musical Society. Meanwhile Friday’s Cameo Competitions winners The David Hennessey Stage School performed their winning piece from Seussical. The concert was a huge success and was enjoyed by all who attended.

Sunday saw a large number of choirs compete over 12 competitions. These brought competitions to new heights with a range of music to suit all tastes frommixed choirs, female choirs, male choirs, musical cameo, chamber music, sacred music and gospel music.

Record crowds squeezed into St Michael’s Theatre, the parish church and the pastoral centre to hear music and singing of the highest standard which was commented on by adjudicators Ite O’Donovan, Mark Armstrong, Deidre Moynihan, Geoffrey Spratt, David Milne and Margaret Rossiter.

The AIMS Awards nominations were also announced on Sunday in St Michael’s Theatre, with successful nominations locally and throughout the county including over 18 nominations going to musical societies in the south east region. It was a really successful day for our own local societies with St. Michael’s Musical Society being nominated for the Spirit of Aims award for their production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. While New Ross Musical Society received three nominations, Best Director: Derek Shannon, Best Comedienne: Caroline O’ Connell and Best Technical for their production of Singin in the Rain.

The winners will be announced at the Aims Awards Ceremony in The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney on Saturday, June 17.

The choral festival committee would like to thank those who helped out in any way over the weekend and to every soloist and choir who competed.