Cornish Male Voice singing remains high on the agenda for many sons of Cornwall.
In every corner of the land, on a weekday evening, groups of men gather for their regular practice.
Whether that be with the oldest Choir, 108 year-old “Marazion Apollo” or one of the newest, smallest groups, the six-man “Thraw’d Together”, the enthusiasm of yesteryear still burns brightly within their breasts.
Nowhere is this more evident than in practising for up-coming events. Perhaps that will be a little, unofficial Summer Evening Concert on the harbour wall, or a major Festival involving many Choirs and many,many men.
2013 promises to be a special year with two such major events in the calendar:
1. The ever-popular 6th Cornwall International Male Voice Festival will be held on 2 – 6 May 2013. This brings Male Voice Choirs to Cornwall from many different countries. Competition for tickets is always fierce. (details below).
2. The first weekend in November 2013 sees a return of the Massed Cornish Choirs to the Royal Albert Hall in London. On our previous visits these Cornish voices have been received in the City with great acclaim – pity there aren’t many seats available for the English.
More information: http://www.cimvcf.org.uk/
Or Contact:
10 Kings Avenue, Falmouth, TR11 2QH
Kernow
Ph: 01326 318376
A follow up information release:
Are you Cornish or of Cornish descent? The Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival celebrates the fine tradition of male voice singing for which Cornwall is so proud! More male voice choirs per head of population exist in Cornwall than anywhere else in the UK. One in every 200 men in Cornwall sing in choirs – compared to a national average of one in 1700!
The International Festival brings together male choirs (both young and old) from across the world to enjoy and share their love of singing. Nothing can surpass the male voice sound.
From 2nd – 6th May 2013 the Sixth Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival will be take place with over 50 participating choirs; nearly thirty of these will be from Cornwall.
Choirs from Australia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Russia, France and Germany have already said they are coming and we are expecting more.
Other Cornish Attractions at this time are Trevithick Day at Camborne on Sat. April 27th; Padstow ‘Obby ‘Oss on Wed. May 1st and Helston Furry Day on May 8th.
Nineteen concerts will take place, one in almost every major town across Cornwall. These will be hosted by Cornish choirs anxious to demonstrate true Cornish hospitality. A further four International Gala concerts will be held in Truro; at the Methodist Church (for young voice choirs), the Cathedral and two concerts at the Hall for Cornwall. As well as the host Cornish choir all concerts will feature choirs from the UK and across the world.
Full concert details and ticket purchase arrangements will appear on the Festival website.
During the day, choirs will sing at many of Cornwall’s famous tourist attractions. Visiting choirs sing at Lanhydrock, Heartlands (a new development celebrating the Cornish Diaspora), St Michael’s Mount, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, The Eden Project, Pendennis Castle , Tate St Ives and the National Maritime Museum at Falmouth. Choirs are also encouraged to sing wherever they are whether in town centres or on the beaches!
The Festival is home to the largest male voice choir competition in Europe -22 choirs competed in 2011 before an audience of over 700 people. In 2013 these will take place at the Hall for Cornwall on Saturday 4 May.
As an educational charity, the Festival engages local school children in singing activities, introducing them to singing cultures from outside the UK and demonstrating that boys of all ages can sing and do so very successfully. Master classes and workshops are also organised for directors of choirs and, repertoire workshops will be organised in 2013,
Festivals such as this require a huge team to organise and staff. Cornwall has that volunteer support in abundance. However, we always seek more. If you are intending to come to the Festival and want to volunteer your support, this would be greatly appreciated. If you were able to sponsor a particular Festival activity that would be welcomed.
Further details of the Festival are available from its website, http://www.cimvcf.org.uk, the Festival Director, Peter Davies (peter@cimvcf.org.uk or Skype petercimvcf, tel. +44 1778 347381 GMT + 1 in summer time). The Festival also has an embryonic presence on Facebook (search for “Cornwall”) and Twitter.
We look forward to welcoming you. Please let us know you are coming!