[13
APR 00] COVENTRY CATHEDRAL NEWS
Singers Prepare For Church Music Festival
Choirs
from all points of the compass are coming together to sing in heavenly
harmony at the International Church Music Festival in Coventry in
June.
The
festival, which visits Coventry biannually, features more than 800
choral singers from across the world.
The
singers will come together for a four-day celebration of church music
in the city. Around half of them are from church choirs in the United
States.
Coventry
Cathedral provides the focus for the festival, which runs from 21–24
June, and acts as host to four main concerts.
But
for 2000 there will be a different approach, with the highlight being
a free open-air concert in Broadgate.
Countries
represented at this year’s event include, Bulgaria, Ghana, Greece,
Israel, India, The Netherlands, Poland and the Slovak Republic.
Many
of the countries are sending singers in the shape of scholarship
choirs, who will be lodging with local families and sharing their
talents in music workshops for Coventry children.
They
will also take part in two international concerts held on the Thursday
and Friday evening.
Local
schoolchildren will play their part in the festival by attending the
Friday afternoon schools concert.
The
main feature of the festival will be the Gala concert held on Saturday
evening, conducted by Sir David Willcocks.
Sir
David is a former Director of the Royal College of Music who conducted
massed choirs and trumpeters for the VE and VJ commemorations in
London.
Festival
Co-ordinator Claire Monks said:
“Coventry’s
International Church Music Festival is one of the largest festivals
of its type in the country and will have a greater community focus
this year, with free outside concerts in the city centre, workshops
in schools and the ever popular schools concert”.
It
is the ninth time the city has hosted the International Church Music
Festival, which started in 1984 and alternates between Coventry and
Bern in Switzerland.
The
festival is organised by US-based Fest Corps Inc, in partnership with
Coventry Cathedral and Coventry and Warwickshire Promotions.
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