Choral music to spill onto streets
Choral music will spill out onto the streets of Sligo next week during the 29 th Annual Sligo International Choral Festival.
This year’s festival features several fringe events designed to bring music to more ears, such as ‘Acapella in the City’, which will see choirs performing in local pubs, restaurants, shopping centres, various stores and even barber shops on Saturday 18th November.
The ‘Festival Club’ will take place at the Sligo Park Hotel from 10.30pm Saturday, giving audiences a chance to meet competitors and for the singers to let their hair down after the competitions.
On Sunday 19 th November, churchgoers throughout Sligo town will enjoy the divine voices of the choirs during the following services:
•Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 12.00noon
•St. John’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, 10.30am
•St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church, 10.00am
•Sligo Presbyterian Church, 11.30am
•Sligo Methodist Church, 10.15am
•St. Joseph’s Church, Ballytivnan, 11.00am
•Calry Church of Ireland, The Mall. 11.00am
The Choral Festival will see 53 Irish and International choirs arrive in Sligo from 17 th19 th November.
Manus Mc Guire and Emily Flack, Harmony Federation, and the Combined Mercy College, Ursuline College and Summerhill College Choirs will headline an event at the Knocknarea Arena, IT Sligo on Friday 18th November.
Competitions for the 2017 event will take place in both the Knocknarea ARENA at the IT Sligo Campus on Friday 17 th and Saturday,18th November, and at the Cannes Major - Clayton Hotel, and the Knocknarea ARENA on Saturday, November 18th. This year’s competi- tions will include, Barber Shop Choirs, Young People, Gospel Choirs, Work based Choirs, and Choirs in Churches on Sunday, November 19 th Sunday as part of Sunday morning Worship.
On Saturday evening, the Grand Prix, Prize Winners competition will take place in the Knocknarea ARENA.
“With many events taking place in venues around the town of Sligo there will be great opportunities for audiences to engage with all forms of choral music over the three days of the festival,” said festival Chairman, Sean Larkin at the launch of the festival last week.
“As usual there are the core competitions which the choirs will be taking part in but choirs will also be popping up in pubs, restaurants, shopping centres and even barber shops on Saturday 18th November, bringing choral music onto the streets of the town,” he added.
Tickets to the Gala Concert Friday can be purchased online at www.sligochoralfest.com and are available from the Tourist offices Sligo and nationwide and in Liber bookshop in Sligo town.