The City of Derry International Choir Festival starts today (21 October) and runs until Sunday 25 October, with a programme of online events, including a world premiere of a new work by composer Brian Irvine. 

A New Topography of Love was composed specifically for the festival by Irvine with writer and filmmaker John McIlduff and their production company Dumbworld and will be performed at 7pm tomorrow (22 October) by Derry chamber choir Codetta and the Beckmann Foundation Choir from Tequila, Mexico. The piece reflects on how much of a gift our voices are and how it can take a crisis to realise what is of most value to us. The work will be accompanied by a visual animation. 

This evening at 7pm, the opening concert of the festival will take place, featuring a virtual choir of pupils from post-primary schools across Derry, Strabane, Omagh and Donegal for a  performance of ‘Amazing Grace’, aiming to inspire hope amidst difficulty. Six-piece a cappella group Ardú will perform on Friday (23 October) from The Glassworks in Derry, including in their repertoire new arrangements of pop songs including David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ by Bill Withers.

Chamber choir Tenebrae will perform on Saturday, live-streaming from St Stephen Walbrook Church in London, and, on Sunday, a choir comprised of 350 voices from across the world will close the festival with a performance of ‘Danny Boy’, under conductor and choral composer Bob Chilcott. 

Also taking place during the week is a virtual choir trail featuring a series of performances from choirs across the world and the Sing Joyfully symposium where six panellists will discuss the implications of current Covid-19 guidelines in relation to singing and performing and share their experiences of ways to progress and adapt in this new situation.

The Derry Choir Fest Podcast series will also launch, comprising five interviews with festival guests including choral conductors Ragnar Rasmussen and Josep Vila i Casañas. There will also be a festival playback series, featuring brand new festival footage from previous years, and a workshop with Artistic Director of Tenebrae Nigel Short.

For more information on the City of Derry International Choir Festival and to watch the events, visit: https://derrychoirfest.com/