Around 5,000 singers will take part in Cork’s longest running festival, which is expected to generate €10m for the local economy.
The organisers of the 65th Cork International Choral Festival expect 50,000 visitors to come to the city from May 1 - 5 for the globally-renowned event.
The festival will be spread across 90 venues in the city and feature national and international competitions, non-competitive performances and a gala concert.
There will also be fringe concerts and informal public performances, which will see choirs popping up throughout Cork city and county in new and unexpected locations, including Blarney Castle and Gardens, St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh and the Methodist Church, Kinsale.
Details of this year's festival were launched at a special function in City Hall last night, where the gala concert will take place on opening night.
It will celebrate the work of the Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius and Danish composer, Carl Nielsen.
The renowned Fleischmann Choir and Cork School of Music (CSM) Symphony Orchestra will be joined on stage by the CSM Junior Children’s Chorus and the CSM Senior Children’s Chorus for a performance of Sibelius’ Symphony No 1, and Nielsen’s Fynsk Forår and Hymnus Amoris.
Other festival highlights include Helene Stureborg’s Chamber Choir.
Chamber Choir Ireland will, meanwhile, give a world premiere performance of Street After Street at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
A series of free concerts and performances will be staged around the city as part of the Fringe Concerts, Choral Trail and Afternoons at the Atrium of the Clayton Hotel, Lapps Quay, with plenty of impromptu night time performances in the hotel’s festival club.
The annual Big Sing also returns to Cork City Hall on May 4, inviting singers of all ages and levels of experience to form the largest choir of the festival, ensuring that everybody is given the opportunity to use their voice.