Derry Choir Festival is back with a bang for its tenth festival this October

The City of Derry International Choir Festival is planning a full return to singing this October as it prepares for its tenth edition of the award-winning festival.

Organisers have been receiving entries from choirs across the world for their International Competition and singing groups of all shapes and sizes across the UK and Ireland have signed up in their droves to take part in the 5-day feast of competitions, concerts, pop-up performances and workshops.

The festival will open with a spectacular gala concert on Wednesday 19 October in the Millennium Forum with a Festival Chorus made up of singers from across Derry and the Northwest. The choir will perform the epic Carmina Burana by Carl Orff alongside Northern Ireland’s premier symphony orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, led by esteemed opera conductor Gabriel Bebeșelea.

Soloists for the performance will include Derry’s own operatic sensation, Laura Sheerin, internationally-renowned tenor Benito Rodriguez and rising star baritone Omar Lara, from the Opera Studio Beckmann, Mexico.

Rehearsals are set to begin for Festival Chorus at the end of June and the festival is inviting registration from those who love to sing and would like to be part of this exciting Opening Gala Concert celebration.

Artistic Director, Dónal Doherty, commented “We’re back, and what an opening night of fireworks we have in store. The first magnificent chords of Carmina Burana are surely some of the most recognisable sounds in the whole choral repertoire. I cannot wait to hear the thrilling sound of the 100-voice festival chorus combined with the full forces of the Ulster Orchestra and the exciting international line-up of soloists, all led by the brilliant young Romanian conductor Gabriel Bebeșelea. There cannot be a more fitting opening to this, our tenth festival. It promises to be a night of joy and celebration – it should not be missed, so put a big star on Wednesday 19 October in the diary now!”