Sing when you’re winning at 62nd Cork choral festival

Yet another hugely successful Cork International Choral Festival came to a conclusion last night with an awards ceremony for the top talent who had performed over the last four days.

The 62nd festival, of which the Irish Examiner is a media partner, saw Cork City play host to 5,000 national and international singers and thousands of visitors flocking to the city to witness more than 100 events, the majority of which were free.

One of the highlights came on Thursday night when Sweden’s The Real Group played to a packed Cork City Hall.

At last night’s awards ceremony, Helene Stureborg’s Kammarkr, also from Sweden, won the Fleischmann International Trophy, taking 91.56% of the vote.

DelicaTon Freigericht from Germany was awarded the Lady Dorothy Mayer Memorial Trophy for their performance of ‘Von Den T?uren’ by Richard Strauss during the same competition.

The title of Ireland’s Choir of the Year and recipient of the Victor Leeson Perpetual Trophy was Voci Nuove, Cork, conducted by Lynsey Callaghan.

The top prize in the national competition for chamber choirs went to Galway’s Sing ‘n’ Tonics conducted by Peter Mannion, while the highest award in the national competition for male voice choirs went to Portadown Male Voice Choir, conducted by Gordon Speers. PfizerPfonics from Cork won the title in the mixed voice choirs competition. They were conducted by Bernadette Kiely while the female choirs competition was won by the Park Singers from Dublin, conducted by Orla Gillian.

In the youth choirs category, fist prize was awarded to Cork School of Music Senior and Youth Choirs, Cork, conducted by Maria Judge and James Taylor.

The national competition for light jazz and popular music was won by the Gorey Choral Group from Wexford, who were conducted by Eithne Corrigan.

In the national schools competitions, Cór Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh Cailíní from Bishopstown, Cork, conducted by Maeve-Ann O’Brien, won the primary school competition.

In the post-primary competition Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ Choir, from Limerick, conducted by Orla Colgan Ahern, were victorious.

Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ Choir were also named school choir of the festival and winner of the John Cunningham Trophy.