A selection of choirs from across the UK and Ireland are set to compete in a new Festival of Choirs on the Isle of Man.In total 14 different singing groups will be looking to be crowned Choir of the Festival and walk away with a prize fund of £1,500.
The competition has been organised by Isle of Man Tourism and has three separate entry classes – men’s, ladies and mixed voice. Political member for tourism on the island, Geoff Corkish, explained that the festival was also a way of promoting singing.
“The festival is a concept I have wanted to promote for some time
and [I] am really excited that it is getting off the ground,” he said. “There are few events of
this kind in the UK and our objective is to galvanise choral singing and give choirs another goal to aim at by way of a friendly festival, yet one with a real competitive edge.”
And his hard work seems to be paying off, as eight choirs based in Ireland, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Norfolk and Essex will compete alongside six choirs from the Isle of Man.
It is perhaps testament to the increasing popularity that choral groups have been experiencing in recent months, with many citing the meteoric rise of popular TV programmes, such as Glee, for the revival.
Indeed, earlier this week, the Norwich Evening News reported that a record number of school pupils from the region took part in a celebration of choral singing at a local venue.
Director of music for one of the schools involved in the performance, Miles Neville, told the news provider that he believed the experience of singing in a large group and the prestige of being able to perform had helped boost choral group numbers.