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SINGERS from all over county Wexford will come together for Festival of Choirs, a three-day event held in Gorey in aid of Wexford Hospice Homecare.

More than 20 choirs consisting of singers ranging in ages from four to 80 will perform from Friday, May 11, until Sunday, May 13, across four different venues in Gorey.

No tickets are required for each performance, but there will be a bucket collection at the door in aid of the local charity.

This year, a new objective is to try encourage people who have never sung before to come to a singing class in Gorey Civic Centre Offices on Saturday, May 12.

The objective of the festival is to fundraise for the Wexford Hospice Homecare by showcasing the musical talent of people from county Wexford and to provide a forum where choirs can come together to sing in a non-competitive way.

Wexford Hospice Homecare has been in existence for over 25 years and provides home care nursing and support for people who have been diagnosed with cancer. Funds raised at the festival will go directly to the charity.

The schedule is as follows: Friday, May 11 – Primary School Choirs at 3.30 p.m., in Gorey Little Theatre and Jazz, Light and Popular Music at 8 p.m., in Gorey Little Theatre; Saturday, May 12 – Singing Class for Beginners at 1 p.m., in Gorey Library and Courtroom (booking required) and Acapella and Georgian Singing at 2.30 p.m., in Gorey Library and Courtroom; Sunday, May 13 – Sacred Music at 7 p.m., in St Michael’s Parish Church.

Choirs taking part include: Primary Schools – Ballycanew School Choir, Ballyduff School Choir, CILA School Choir St Aidan’s, and Bunscoil Loreto Gorey Choir; Jazz, Light and Popular Music – Creagh School Choir, Castlebridge Singers, Silvertones, New Ross Singers, Rolling Tones, and Gorey Choral Group; Acapella and Georgian Singing – Quay Note Singers, Stagefright, Valda Chamber Choir, and Wexford Georgian Ensemble; Sacred Music – St Michael’s/Craanford Singers, Ballygarrett Parish Choir, Cantabile Choir, and Enniscorthy Gospel Choir.

The Rolling Tones at Gorey Library for the launch of the ‘Festival of Choirs’ which runs from May 11 to 13. From left: Tom Smyth, Michael Wade, Padraic Loughlin, Paul Brown, Dewi Williams, Dermot Fitzgerald, Vincent Andrews, Gay Dunne and Dan O’ Leary.