1,500 young singers from all corners of the county to gather for Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath’s Singfest 2017 ‘Big Sings’ and Gala Concert
Tomorrow, more than 1,500 children and young people will flock to Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) for a three-day festival of choral singing to mark the culmination of Singfest 2017. Developed out of a groundbreaking choral residency presented by Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath (MGOW) in partnership with the Association of Irish Choirs, Singfest 2017 will play out its epic concluding weekend with two ‘Big Sings’ (Thursday 8 and Friday 9 June) and a very special Gala Concert on Saturday 10 June.
Artistic Director Greg Beardsell and young singers at the 2016 Singfest Big Sing Days (1)
During the three days, 1,200 young singers from MGOW partner schools and 300 members of the Singfest Festival Choirs will be guided by international choral conductor Greg Beardsell and a team of expert musicians from the Irish Youth Choir and MGOW, who have been working closely with the children and young people in preparation for this momentous occasion since October 2016.
The Singfest Festival of Choral Singing is funded through the Music Generation/Arts Council Partnership to give young singers a chance to train with leading professionals, develop their singing skills and have fun!
Speaking about this major musical celebration, MGOW Development Officer Margaret Broome said: ‘We’re delighted to be back in Athlone for the second annual Singfest Gala Concert and Big Sing weekend – a celebration of the phenomenal work, energy and commitment shown by each of these wonderful young singers since last October. We are truly grateful to the remarkable musician team, including our partners in the Irish Youth Choir and of course Artistic Director Greg Beardsell, for guiding the choirs along their musical journey. We are sure that our choirs are going to bring the house down when they take to the stage this weekend!’
Young musicians from the Singfest Young Voices Choir perform at 2016 Gala Concert in Athlone IT
For the second successive year, Singfest 2017 has seen the creation of three community-based choirs for children and young people – The Junior Choir for ages 8 – 10; The Young Voices Choir for ages 11 – 14; and the Senior Choir, a four-part choir for young people ages 14 – 19. The members of these choirs, who come from all areas of Offaly/Westmeath, from Mullingar to Birr and Edenderry to Athlone, have been working together with the professional choral conductors on a monthly basis to develop their repertoire and ensemble singing. They will present a showcase of their work at 4pm on Saturday 10 June, at a large-scale Gala Concert in AIT.
Singfest’s in-school element saw pupils of MGOW’s partner schools all learning a shared repertoire and developing their choral singing skills over the last six months. This aspect of the project will culminate in two days of ‘Big Sings’, each bringing together 600 pupils for a series of workshops and group rehearsals. At the ‘Big Sing’, the singers will pack the auditorium completely, acting as both audience and choir – there won’t be a seat left in the house!
As well as creating unique opportunities for budding young singers, Singfest offers a chance for local, national and international professionals to work in partnership, share learning and extend their skills in choral development under the leadership of Singfest Artistic Director, Greg Beardsell. The inspiring Singfest musician team includes professional musicians of the Irish Youth Choir and MGOW. All are experienced performers, vocal coaches, conductors and educators who have a wealth of experience in working with young singers of all ages.
Also performing in the momentous Gala Concert performance will be members of the MGOW instrumental team who will provide an inspiring accompaniment.
About Singfest
Singfest builds on the strong foundation of performance music education laid by Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath musicians, who have worked with partner schools over the last four years to further encourage choral and group singing activities. The Singfest residency was delivered in and outside of school environments, as Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath musicians expanded their weekly classes to including training in new vocal skills, new and unfamiliar music and more opportunities for pupils to experience the enjoyment of learning to sing together well. As part of the project the Singfest team, which includes musicians from Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath and from the Irish Youth Choir, have challenged established perceptions of promoting singing in the classroom and provided expert guidance in developing good vocal and singing technique.
Singfest is presented by Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath in partnership with the Association of Irish Choirs.
Funded under the Music Generation/Arts Council Partnership. Supported by Athlone Institute of Technology.
About Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath (MGOW)
MGOW musicians currently provide weekly performance music education sessions to thousands of primary school pupils, grounded in the Kodaly approach to developing musical understanding. Through participation in singing games, this whole-class approach develops strong musicianship skills for children and young people as they learn to listen, respond and ultimately perform music in a way that is exciting and participative.
MGOW is a music education service for children and young people in counties Offaly and Westmeath. It is part of Music Generation – Ireland’s National Music Education Programme, initiated by Music Network, co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships. Locally, MGOW is managed by Offaly/Westmeath Music Education Partnership and funded by Offaly County Council, Westmeath County Council and Laois-Offaly Education and Training Board.
For further information: facebook.com/musicgenerationof
Biography: Greg Beardsell
Greg Beardsell is Artistic Director of the Irish Youth Choir, Conductor of the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland, Deputy Artistic Director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and Choral Director for the Gabrieli Consort and Players’ education initiative, Gabrieli ROAR. He works worldwide as a conductor, singer, adjudicator, workshop leader and presenter.
In recent years, Greg has held the directorships of the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, Ulster Youth Choir, Wooburn Singers and has worked with the St. Endellion Festival Chorus, BBC Symphony Chorus, London Bach Choir and the London Symphony Chorus. He has collaborated with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Edward Gardner and Sir Colin Davis. Greg has directed the Sagittarian Consort of Cambridge, the Classical Soloists Orchestra, period specialists La Nuova Musica, the National Youth Orchestras of Ireland and Ulster, the City of London Sinfonia, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra.
He has presented seminars on conducting, choral techniques and teaching strategies for the MusicEdExpo, Cambridge University, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Music Generation, Ark Schools, Musical Futures, Cornell University New York and music education hubs across the UK.
Ever keen to collaborate, Greg has worked with electro-acoustic musicians, Irish folk bands, Indian musicians, dance companies and jazz bands. He is a member of the Lip Factory, an a cappella unit of beatboxers, singers and improvisers headed up by world-renowned beatboxer Shlomo. http://www.gregbeardse
