The Big Sing is back – here’s when you can take part in Cork’s biggest sing-along
Brought to you by Cork International Choral Festival.
It’s the city’s biggest sing-song.
After two years on pause, The Cork International Choral Festival’s always-popular event The Big Sing is back, returning to Cork City Hall on Saturday, April 30th.
During this fun participative public event, singers of all ages and levels of experience are invited along to be part of the largest choir of the 67th annual festival, ensuring that everybody is given the opportunity to exercise their vocal chords in one of the most acoustically superb venues in Ireland.
The best bit? You don’t even need to be able to sing.
It’s simply about lending your voice and experiencing the sheer joy and sense of community that lies at the heart of choral singing. No preparation is necessary either as music and lyrics will be handed out on the day, with expert guidance from composer and conductor Carmel Whelan and songwriter and artist, Justine Nantale.
All you have to do is turn up at 4.15pm on April 30th, no need to register. You can find more detail on The Big Sing here.
A programme designed to delight
At this year’s launch event, Festival Director Peter Stobart outlined a diverse Cork International Choral Festival programme designed to not only thrill choral fans but delight people throughout the city and county for five days from April 27th to May 1st, 2022.
The festival will be opened by an exclusive Cork City Hall Gala Concert celebrating G.F. Handel’s masterpiece, the ‘Messiah’, performed by outstanding soloists and the wonderful Sestina choir from Northern Ireland.
Choir-In-Residence Chamber Choir Ireland, under the baton of conductor Paul Hillier, will give the premiere performance of the winning composition of the 2022 Seán Ó Riada composition competition ‘Behind This Light’ on Friday, while a new co-commission from John Luther Adams, A Brief Descent into Deep Time, will explore the ‘space’ between the environment and human culture, and time as measured on a geological scale, passing ‘metaphorically through 1.7 billion years of descent through the layers of the Grand Canyon’ (Adams) during a gala concert in the beautiful surrounds of St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
Meanwhile, singers from all over Ireland, Europe, and beyond will also participate in national and international trophy competitions, fringe concerts, workshops, and free public performances in more than 90 venues throughout Cork city and county, some of which are in new and unexpected locations.
The Cork International Choral Festival is supported by the Arts Council, Fáilte Ireland, Cork City Council, and Cork County Council. Festival Tickets are now live on corkchoral.ie.
