Festival trails spread music in the community

In addition to the competitive schedule and official concerts, participating choirs will step off the stage and onto community choral trails and concerts, appearing in numerous pop-up locations in the city.

Managed by local choir Allegri, the inaugural Every Voice Fringe Festival has already put on kids’ workshops, a sacred concert in First Derry Presbyterian Church, and two gala concerts in Derry and Strabane.

For the remainder of the festival, you can catch informal performances from the visiting choirs in venues such as Foyleside, The Craft Village, City Hotel, Altnagelvin Hospital and many more.

Ten churches will also play host to visiting choirs during their Sunday morning services on October 28 as part of the festival’s Sacred Trail. This year’s exciting festival line-up sees choirs coming from as far afield as Colombia, Estonia, Norway, Wales, Latvia, Finland, Germany and Ireland.

The Every Voice Fringe Festival adds another dimension to the formal events taking place in St. Columb’s Hall, the Guildhall and Christ Church, as singers spill out into the streets and bring their music to the public. All community concerts and Choral Trail performances are free of charge. A number of events will run across the weekend as part of The City of Derry International Choir Festival.

Today, Friday, October 26, will see the post-primary school competitions and workshops, and the In Sorrow’s Footsteps with The Marian Consort. On Saturday, October 27 the National competitions for Female Voice, Male Voice, Mixed Voice and Popular, Jazz & Gospel Music will be held, as well as the International Competition. Sunday, October 28 will see the National competitions for Sacred Music, Vocal Ensemble and Youth Choirs as well as the Closing Gala Concert and Awards Ceremony. An initiative of Codetta choirs with the support of Walled City Music, the festival is already establishing itself firmly on the global calendar of international choral festivals.

For more details see www. derrychoirfest.com.

Tickets for all evening concerts are currently on sale from the Millennium Forum Box Office.