Limerick choirs hit all the right notes at choral festival

THE SOUND of harmonious voices echoed around Limerick as 275 singers from around the world converged at the 11th Annual Limerick Sings International Choral Festival.

Over three days, choirs from Ireland, the United States, Norway, and Iceland captivated audiences with their performances.

The festival commenced with a sold-out choral workshop led by the internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble, The King's Singers, at UCH Limerick on June 9.

Here, participants were immersed in an a capella experience and later that evening, The King's Singers took the stage for the festival's opening gala concert.

Saturday morning, saw the Limerick Sings Outdoor Chorus Festival, comprising singers from various choirs across the globe, join forces at the Cliffs of Moher. Bathed in warm sunlight, they rendered a breathtaking rendition of What a Wonderful World, capturing the attention of the cliffs' visitors.

Under the guidance of renowned choral director Ruaidhrí Ó Dálaigh and The Ramparts choir, the singers achieved a remarkable harmony after a single 45-minute rehearsal earlier that morning.

Saturday evening witnessed another mesmerizing concert, Choirs in Concert, held at Redemptorist Church in Limerick city. Limerick Chamber Choir, Vocation and Singers Marin from the United States, Voices of Limerick, and Háskólakórinn from Iceland filled the venue with their distinct sounds.

Throughout the weekend, the festival's attendees were treated to various exciting events, including the Choral Trail, where pop-up performances took place at iconic locations such as Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, the Hunt Museum, the International Rugby Experience, and Milford Care Centre. Additionally, the choirs serenaded the residents of Milford Care Centre.

The grand finale took place on Sunday afternoon at Holy Trinity Church in Adare. The final concert showcased the exceptional talents of choirs such as Silvertones from Wexford, Voices of the Boyne from Louth, VoiceOver from Waterford, Kingswood Community Choir from Dublin, and Aoide Voices from Limerick.

With a sold-out audience, the choirs sang popular songs like Beautiful Day and I'll Tell Me Ma. The festival drew to a close with Aoide Voices' rendition of SiyahambaI, a traditional Zulu song.

Expressing her joy, Sinead Hope, the Artistic Director of Limerick Sings International Choral Festival, said: "Seeing the festival grow from strength to strength makes all the planning efforts worthwhile.

"Witnessing choirs from near and far come together as strangers and leave as friends, experiencing our wonderful city and region, is hugely gratifying and uplifting. It will be hard to surpass 2023, but we are already making plans for 2024!"

The Limerick Sings International Choral Festival, presented by the University Concert Hall Limerick, was made possible with the generous support of The Arts Council, Limerick City & County Council, RTÉ Supporting the Arts, Limerick Leader, and Sing Ireland.

The non-competitive festival serves as a platform to encourage and promote choral singing in Limerick and the wider mid-west region, fostering connections between choirs from diverse traditions across Ireland, Europe, and the United States.

For updates and news about the 2024 Festival, scheduled for June next year, visit limericksings.com.