Review and pictures: Cork Choral Festival off to a noteworthy start at City Hall
Tenor Conor Prendiville on stage at City Hall for the opening night of Cork International Choral Festival. Picture: Darragh Kane
Those attending the Opening Gala Concert for the Cork International Choral Festival on Wednesday night were greeted by a chorus of excited chatter and cheers with hundreds of children in attendance at City Hall for a programme celebrating young voices. In his opening remarks, Lord Mayor Fergal Dennehy spoke of the creativity and community at the heart of the event, which has been bringing its own distinctive energy to the city for more than 70 years.
The programme began with by Benjamin Britten, a bold but apt choice. Originally composed in 1948 for combined school choirs, it is the story in song of the remarkably eventful life of Saint Nicolas, the patron saint of children and the inspiration for the figure of Santa Claus.
This performance featured the beautifully lyrical tenor of Conor Prendiville alongside singers from St Mary’s Cathedral and Continuum Youth Choir, Dublin and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, accompanied by an orchestral ensemble under the baton of Blánaid Murphy.
The combined singers gave a spirited and often affecting rendition, capturing the drama and playfulness of what is a challenging piece. The cohesiveness of the performance was especially noteworthy given that the choirs had only come together for the first time in the afternoon.
After the interval, there was quite the vibe shift for the opener in the second part of the programme, a selection of songs from the hugely popular performed with much verve and enthusiasm by the students from CADA Performing Arts in Cork city.
It was followed by the world premiere of written by the choral festival’s artistic director Peter Stobart especially for the festival performance; the multi-tasking musician also conducted. There was a real sense of anticipation as the 300 young singers from schools across the city and county filed on to the stage, a logistical feat in itself.
The choral snapshots of some of Shakespeare’s best-known works went from the menacing (Macbeth) to the melancholic (Romeo and Juliet), all of it executed with a wonderful energy and admirable focus, given that it was past many of the performers’ bedtimes. The evening came to an end with a joyful and jazzy homage to and a sea of children waving from the stage as they soaked in the applause.
Stobart had earlier extolled the many benefits of embracing music from a young age and it was there for all to see as the children revelled in the applause, waving to their families from the stage, and making memories that will last a lifetime.
Events for the 71st Cork International Choral Festival continue over the weekend. See www.corkchoral.ie
