Book online: www.millenniumforum.co.uk (Booking fees apply)
EVENING CONCERTS
WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER
A Night at the Opera with Festival Chorus, Ulster Orchestra and Irish National Opera Millennium Forum, 19:30
£22 (full), £14 (concessionary), £8 (groups 10+)
THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER
The Marian Consort Guildhall, 19:30
£22 (full), £14 (concessionary), £8 (groups 10+)
FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER
Humanophones
Millennium Forum, 19:30
£22 (full), £14 (concessionary), £8 (groups 10+)
Cathedral Light 20|25 with Codetta and New Dublin Voices
St. Eugene’s Cathedral, 22:00
Retiring collection on the door
SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER
International Competition Guildhall, 20:00
£15 (full), £10 (concessionary), £6 (groups 10+)
SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER
Closing Gala Concert and Awards Millennium Forum, 20:00
£15 (full), £10 (concessionary), £6 (groups 10+)
FULL FESTIVAL PASS
All events
£100 (full), £70 (concessionary)
COMPETITION DAY PASS
All school or national competitions for one day
£5. Available to purchase on the door only
Free Events
FREE EVENTS
WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER
Festival Forum 2025, Ulster University, 10:00
Conducting Masterclass, Ulster University, 12:00
SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER
Big Sing Workshop with Humanophones Millennium Forum, 16:00
WEDNESDAY 22 – SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER
All community events are free entry
• Community Concerts
• Choral Trails
• Sacred Trails
Foreword
Welcome to the 13th edition of the City of Derry International Choir Festival. The number 13 will prove to be very lucky for the thousands who will enjoy this year’s exciting and adventurous programme of singing and choral music in its many and varied guises.
Regular attendees of the festival will recognise some small but significant changes to this year’s programme, not least on the opening night, when we host A Night at the Opera, featuring a superb line-up of soloists, along with the Ulster Orchestra and the massed voices of the Festival Chorus, all under the baton of exciting American conductor Ryan Mc Adams. I’m very pleased to say that this concert will be presented in collaboration with Irish National Opera.
Contrast is the order of the day when looking forward to
the ethereal beauty of the Marian Consort under their founder and director, Rory McCleery, on Thursday in the Guildhall, followed on Friday in the Millennium Forum by the raw energy of Humanophones, on their first visit to the UK and Ireland. This electrifying sevenmember French troupe delivers a genre-defying blend of jazz, pop, funk, soul and world music – not to be missed!
Friday’s programme will close with a programme of sacred music, performed in the appropriately beautiful setting of St Eugene’s Cathedral by two of the most accomplished choral ensembles in Ireland: New Dublin Voices and Codetta.
Added to these gala concerts will be thousands of primary and post-primary pupils participating in workshops and competitions. Ulster University will host a choral conducting workshop led by Josep Vila i Casañas and a Festival Forum
led by Sing Ireland, where the focus will be on exploring the SWAN project – singing for those living with additional needs. Thousands of singers in more than 100 choirs (including, for the first time, singers from the Philippines and Nigeria) will bring the city and the whole north-west region alive with singing over the five days of the festival.
I wish to record my sincere thanks to all our funders, sponsors, supporters and volunteers, who continue to help make the City of Derry International Choir Festival a bright, shining beacon of artistic excellence for the city, the region and the country.
I look forward to welcoming you to this magnificent celebration of song.
Dónal Doherty
Artistic Director of the Festival
Dónal Doherty, Artistic Director of the Festival
As Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, it is a true honour to welcome all the talented musicians, singers and performers from around the world to our historic city for this year’s City of Derry International Choir Festival.
I want to extend my sincere congratulations to the festival organisers: their tireless work has made this event a highlight on our annual calendar and a key part of our city’s identity. This festival grows more popular and more celebrated each year, and that is a testament to their dedication.
The festival is a source of immense pride for our city. It not only showcases incredible local and international talent, but also significantly boosts our cultural and tourism sectors. Music has a unique power to bring people together, and this event successfully unites our communities in song and celebration.
To all of our visitors and participants: I hope you feel the warm welcome for which our city is known. I encourage you to take some time to explore our rich history and vibrant culture.
Derry City and Strabane District Council is very proud to be associated with the City of Derry International Choir Festival. I’m personally looking forward to attending the performances and experiencing the magic of the festival first-hand. My very best wishes to everyone involved for a successful and memorable event!
Councillor Ruairí McHugh Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council
Councillor Ruairí McHugh , Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council
A Note From Our Principal Funder
Speaking about the unlimited expressive potential of the human voice, the legendary singer Nina Simone described it as “the only pure instrument”, with “notes that no other instrument has”.
With the City of Derry International Choir Festival, we are lucky to have so many opportunities to see and hear this unique instrument in action, in a city which is internationally famous for music and song.
From gala concerts and choral trails to schools and community programmes, competitions and workshops, the options for enjoying choral music as a participant or audience member are many and varied.
The Arts Council believes that access to arts experiences is a fundamental right, which plays a crucial role in fostering creativity, personal development, and bringing communities together.
We are delighted to once more be providing the principal support for this year’s City of Derry International Choir Festival, with game-changing investment from The National Lottery.
Our thanks as always to the festival team for creating another wonderful celebration of choral music for us all to enjoy together.
Ciaran Scullion Head of Music and Opera Arts Council
of Northern Ireland
City of Derry
International Choir Festival is a proud member of
Black Forest Voices – Kirchzarten, Germany | CantaRode International Choral Festival & Competition – Kerkrade, Netherlands | City of Derry International Choir Festival – Derry, Ireland | Cork International Choral Festival – Cork, Ireland | Festivals under the label of EUROPEAN CHORAL ASSOCIATION – Bonn, Germany: Europa Cantat junior 2026 – Girona, Catalonia, Spain; Europa Cantat 2027 – Liepāja, Latvia | European Youth Choir Festival Basel – Basel, Switzerland | European Music Festival for Young People – Pelt (Neerpelt), Belgium | Golden Gate International Choral Festival – Oakland, California USA | Harmonie Festival –Lindenholzhausen, Germany | Festivals under the label of IFCM – International Federation of Choral Music – Lisboa, Portugal: World Choral Expo – Lisboa, Portugal, World Symposium of Choral Music – changing places | International Baltic Sea Choir Competition –Jurmala, Latvia | International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf – Marktoberdorf, Germany | International Choral Festival Flanders-Genk – Genk, Belgium | International Choral Competition Ave Verum – Baden, Austria | International Choral Competition Gallus Maribor – Maribor, Slovenia | International Choral Festival of Preveza – Preveza, Greece | International Choral Music Festival Barcelona – Barcelona, Spain | International Festival Universitas Cantat – Poznań, Poland | Japan Vocal Music Festival – Yokohama, Japan | Montana International Choral Festival – Missoula, Montana USA | Musica Sacra International – Marktoberdorf, Germany | San Juan Canta International Choir Festival and Competition – San Juan, Argentina | Sborove slavnosti * Czech Choir Festival – Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic | Singapore International Choral Festival – Singapore | Tallinn International Choral Festival – Tallinn, Estonia | Tampere Vocal Music Festival – Tampere, Finland | Tokyo International Choir Competition – Tokyo, Japan | Tolosa Choral Contest – Tolosa, Spain
Festival Forum 2025
Recital Room, Foyle Arts Building, Ulster University Magee, 10:00 – 11:30
FREE ENTRY, OPEN TO ALL
In partnership with Sing Ireland, the 2025 Festival Forum will take an in-depth look at the SWAN project (Singing with Additional Needs), an international project that seeks to draw on best practices from multiple European countries to include people in collective singing who have additional needs due to disabilities and/or physical or psychological health issues.
Presentations by Daniel Clements (Sing Ireland), Bríd Cutliffe (Ardnashee School and College, Derry) and Siobhan Heaney (Hive Cancer Support Choir, Derry)
The SWAN project aims to:
• Collect, scale and promote best practices in collective singing for people with additional needs
• Provide transnational opportunities for collective singing professionals to engage with the best practices of other countries
• Develop and make use of digital tools to support people with additional needs in participating
• Make knowledge internationally accessible.
Conducting Masterclass
Recital Room, Foyle Arts Building, Ulster University Magee, 12:00 – 14:00
FREE ENTRY, OPEN TO ALL
A practical, interactive and inspirational conducting masterclass led by renowned choral director and adjudicator Josep Vila i Casañas from Catalonia.
Participants will have the opportunity to conduct a piece of music with the Ulster University Chamber Choir, honing their conducting skills and learning from other aspiring conductors.
This workshop is also open to the public for those who would like to view the session.
Guest choir: Ulster University Chamber Choir
Musical Director: Shaun Ryan
The Ulster University Chamber Choir has gained popular and critical acclaim for its distinctive performances.
Shaun Ryan, Senior Lecturer
in Music and Choral Director, has been instrumental in developing the choir’s reputation over the last 15 years. The choir regularly contributes to charity fundraising and has contributed to numerous TV and radio broadcasts.
Applicants will conduct or view the session
Opening Gala Concert: ANight at the Opera
Festival Chorus, Ulster Orchestra, & Irish National Opera
Millennium Forum, 19:30
ULSTER ORCHESTRA
FESTIVAL CHORUS
RYAN MCADAMS CONDUCTOR
DÓNAL DOHERTY CHORUS MASTER
RACHEL CROASH SOPRANO
AEBH KELLY MEZZO
TREVOR ELIOT BOWES BASS
PROGRAMME
Verdi: Overture (Nabucco)
Verdi: Gli arredi festivi (Nabucco)
Verdi: Chorus of the Hebrew slaves (Nabucco)
Bizet: Habanera (Carmen)
Donizetti: D’immenso giubilo (Lucia di Lammermoor)
Puccini: Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio and Humming Chorus (Madama Butterfly)
INTERVAL
Smetana: Three Dances (The Bartered Bride)
i. Polka
ii. Furiant
iii. Dance of the Comedians
Dvořák: Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém - Song to the Moon (Rusalka)
Verdi: Witches’ chorus (Macbeth)
Verdi: Studia il passo, o mio figlio! (Macbeth)
Verdi: Chorus of the Scottish refugees (Macbeth)
Mascagni: Voi lo sapete (Cavalleria Rusticana)
Mascagni: Easter hymn (Cavalleria Rusticana)
PROGRAMME NOTES
Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Nabucco was his first major success. It tells the biblical story of the plight of the ancient Jews enslaved by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. While the work has a triumphant ending, much of the action takes place in a state of anxiety and fear as the Jews fight to retain their identity and faith—and their lives. After the Overture, the opening chorus (‘Gli arredi festivi giù cadano infranti’ – ‘Throw down and destroy all festive decorations’) sees the Israelites pray desperately for safety as the Babylonians advance on their city. The chorus that follows comes from after the Israelites have been put into exile, and is another prayer. This is the chorus of Hebrew slaves (‘Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate’ – ‘Fly, thoughts, on golden wings’), expressing their longing for their homeland.
The opening scene of Georges Bizet’s Carmen draws us into the setting of the opera: the street life of Seville. Central to this is Carmen, a defiant gypsy
girl, who introduces herself with the provocative Habanera (‘L’amour est un oiseau rebelle’ – ‘Love is a rebellious bird’), showing how she sees the freedom and unpredictability of love.
Love has terrifying power in Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. The chorus celebrates the wedding of protagonist Lucia to Arturo (‘D’immenso giubilo’ – ‘Let us raise our voices’). This marriage had been arranged by Lucia’s brother to save the family home, but fatefully she loves another. The chaplain rushes in to stop the festivities with horrifying news: Lucia has gone mad, and killed her husband.
Cio-Cio-San in Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly has been faithfully awaiting the return of her American naval officer husband for three long years. Hearing the news that his ship is at last in sight, she prepares to welcome him and asks her maid Suzuki to gather flowers (‘Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio’ – ‘Shake that
branch of the cherry tree’). Their exchange grows into the tender ‘Flower Duet’. Finally, they sit and wait in silence, awaiting the dawn, the feeling intensified by the famous Humming Chorus.
Through the nineteenth century, calls for Czech independence grew in intensity—and variety—seen especially in the championing of Czech music and the growth of operas in the Czech language. An early success in this style, first staged in Prague in 1866, was Bedřich Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, a village comedy. It includes opportunities for traditional dancing, as seen in the Three Dances: the Polka; the Furiant; and the Dance of the Comedians. A generation later, the power that emerged in Czech opera can be heard in the legendary ‘Song to the Moon’ (‘Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém’) in Antonín Dvořák’s folkloric Rusalka, as the titlecharacter, a water-spirit, longs for her beloved.
PROGRAMME NOTES CONT.
Verdi admired the plays of William Shakespeare. His first Shakespearean adaptation was Macbeth, which powerfully evokes the drama of this tragedy from its opening, with the eerie chorus of witches (‘Che faceste? dite su!’ – ‘What have you done? Tell us!’).
Banquo’s fear of the gathering darkness comes across in his starkly dramatic aria, addressed to his son Fleance (‘Studia il
passo, o mio figlio’ – ‘Hurry, my son, let us escape’). Later in the opera, Scottish refugees gather to express their sorrow at what has become of their native land (‘Patria oppressa!’ – ‘Oppressed land of ours!’).
Pietro Mascagni’s one-act tragic opera Cavalleria Rusticana (‘Rustic Chivalry’) is set in a poor Sicilian village. A peasant girl, Santuzza,
caught in a jealous lovetriangle, tells her boyfriend’s mother her heartbreaking fate in the aria ‘Voi lo sapete’ (‘You well know’). This is followed by the atmospheric Easter Hymn ‘Rorate coeli’, sung by the full chorus.
Programme Note by Michael Lee
Ryan McAdams
Conductor
Equally at home in the worlds of opera, symphonic repetoire, and contemporary music, American conductor Ryan McAdams has established a strong presence on both sides of the Atlantic. He is Principal Conductor of Crash Ensemble, Ireland’s foremost contemporary music group.
Ryan begins the 2025-26 season with Welsh National Opera’s production of Candide, before heading to Atlanta Opera for Philip Glass’s La Belle et la Bête. He will end the year with Irish National Opera, conducting the Ulster Orchestra in their Opera Gala concert in Derry. The new year sees his return to the National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin and the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, and his debut with the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker. Throughout the season, he will lead subscription concerts with multiple Italian orchestras, including a tour with Milan’s I Pomeriggi Musicali and pianist Mikhail Pletnev.
With Crash Ensemble, Ryan regularly performs at the National Concert Hall’s New Music Dublin Festival and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. Following the revival and tour of Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh’s latest opera, The First
Child, for Irish National Opera - which was highly successful at the Galway International Arts Festival - Signum recorded the production, and the CD is due to be released later this season. Together, they also premiered the FEDORA Prize-winning The Second Violinist by Dennehy/Walsh, bringing the opera to the Barbican in London and Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.
He was the first-ever recipient of both the Sir Georg Solti Emerging Conductor Award and the Aspen-Glimmerglass
Prize for Opera Conducting. He was a Conducting Fellow at Tanglewood, Associate Conductor of the New York City Opera, and an Assistant Conductor at the Aspen Music Festival and the Glimmerglass Festival. As a Fulbright Scholar, he served as Apprentice Conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, assisting then-Chief Conductor Alan Gilbert. Ryan studied at the Juilliard School and Indiana University.
Rachel Croash
Soprano
Dublin soprano Rachel Croash was a member of the inaugural Irish National Opera Studio and the Cork Opera House Cara O’Sullivan Associate Artists. Awards include the Wexford Festival Opera Aria Friends Award and the WFO & PwC Emerging Artist Bursary.
Rachel’s previous operatic roles have included Mathilde (Nouvel Opéra Fribourg), Blanche; Norina and Avis (Glyndebourne Festival Opera – Cover), Mathilde; Marianne;
Frasquita; Clorinda; Erste Dame; Kate Pinkerton; Mademoiselle Silberklang (Irish National Opera) and Mimi; Fiordiligi; Susanna; Frasquita (Cork Opera House).
Oratorio performances include Stanford’s Stabat Mater at Cork City Hall, Händel’s Messiah at St. Muerdach’s Cathedral in Ballina, Vivaldi’s Gloria at Knock Basilica with the Palestrina Choir, Haydn’s The Creation, Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit and Rossini’s Petite Messe
Aebh Kelly
Mezzo
Solenelle with Culwick Choral Society.
Concert highlights include Barber ’s ‘Knoxville: Summer of 1915’ with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and performances with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and City of Dublin Chamber Orchestra. She had the privilege of singing at Áras an Uachtaráin for the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins and as guest soloist for the televised National Commemoration Day Service at Collins Barracks.
Dublin-born mezzo-soprano
Aebh Kelly is currently based at the Staatsoper Hamburg, where she is a member of the International Opera Studio. During the 2024–2026 seasons, she will make numerous role debuts, including Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel), Anna Kennedy (Maria Stuarda) and The Page of Herodias (Salome). In February 2026, she will make her role and house debut as Nancy Tang in
John Adams’ Nixon in China at the Opéra national de Paris.
Aebh is a graduate of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, earning a first class honours under the tutelage of Virginia Kerr and Dearbhla Collins. As an undergraduate, she reached the final round of the international singing competition Neue Stimmen. In 2020, Aebh became the youngest ever member of the
Irish National Opera Studio, performing in 20 Shots of Opera and A Thing I Cannot Name. She later returned to make her role debut as Flora in La Traviata. In 2022, she won second prize at the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, as well as the Dublin Song Series Prize and Dermot Troy Prize.
Trevor Eliot Bowes
Bass
Trevor Eliot Bowes studied at the University of Toronto, the Banff Centre for the Arts and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He is a former Britten Pears Young Artist and Equilibrium Young Artist.
Current season highlights include Dick Deadeye in HMS Pinafore (English National Opera); Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia (English Touring Opera); and his debut at the Drottningholms Slottsteater in summer 2026. Among his
concerts are Handel’s Dixit Dominus (Les musiciens du Louvre); and Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choirs).
In recent seasons he has performed Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro and Benoît in La bohème, (English National Opera); Father Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, Colline La bohème and Seneca The Coronation of Poppea (English Touring Opera).
Concert highlights include Haydn’s Paukenmesse (London Philharmonic Orchestra); Mozart’s Requiem (Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Hallé); Handel’s Aci, Galatea e Polifemo (OAE); Handel’s Messiah (London Handel Festival); Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols (Orchestra of English National Opera); Bach’s Cantata 71 (Toronto International Bach Festival); and Thief in Peer Gynt (Royal Scottish National Orchestra).
Ulster Orchestra
Founded in 1966, the Ulster Orchestra has been at the forefront of musical life in Northern Ireland for over 50 years. The Orchestra performs around 40 concerts a year in its home, the Ulster Hall, and the Waterfront Hall, Belfast.
With a mission to enrich the lives of people living in Northern Ireland, those visiting, and those who encounter it through international touring and regular radio and TV broadcasts with the BBC, the Orchestra strives for excellence in all it undertakes, be it concert performances, learning and community engagement programmes, or
creative collaborations across the arts. An important aspect of the Ulster Orchestra’s work across Northern Ireland is its annual touring programme of concerts, which brings live orchestral music to the heart of communities across the region.
The Ulster Orchestra’s recordings are gaining global critical acclaim, with a recent CD of music by Kurt Weill on SOMM records garnering critical praise. The Orchestra also regularly records for labels such as Hyperion (with Howard Shelley), Naxos (with former Chief Conductor JoAnn Faletta), Chandos and Toccata Classics.
The Ulster Orchestra’s Learning and Community Engagement programme aims to connect the Orchestra with communities and individuals across Northern Ireland, both as audiences and participants. All the Orchestra’s musicians work on activities including Relaxed Performances for people with additional needs, mentoring and coaching for players at all stages and the Crescendo project, the Orchestra’s community-led residency project for children from disadvantaged areas in North and West Belfast.
Led by Laura McFall, this fun workshop for young voices will explore the building blocks of singing and musicality using the Kodály Method.
Laura McFall
Big Sing Leader
Laura McFall is a distinguished musician, educator, and choral leader. She is known for her dedication to advancing vocal arts and music education, and has carved out an impressive career that bridges performance, education, and community engagement.
Laura holds a Master’s degree in Music Performance and a Post-Graduate Diploma of Education from the Royal Con-
servatoire of Scotland. She is a skilled Kodály practitioner, choral leader, and singing teacher.
Her professional experience is extensive and varied, including teaching positions with Sistema Scotland, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Juniors and Seniors, National Youth Choirs of Scotland and Northern Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast,
and the Dunedin Consort. Laura is also an advocate of the benefits that singing has for our well-being, and firmly believes that everyone has the capacity to sing and benefit from its joys. Her inclusive philosophy is evident in her work as she strives to make singing an integral part of life for individuals and communities alike.
The Marian Consort
Guildhall, 19:30
RORY MCCLEERY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR CAROLINE HALLS, ELSPETH PIGGOTT SOPRANO SARAH ANNE CHAMPION, MERCÈ BRUGUERA ABELLÓ ALTO WILL WRIGHT, EDWARD WOODHOUSE TENOR JON STAINSBY, CHRISTOPHER WEBB BASS WILLIAM WHITEHEAD ORGAN PETER MCCARTHY VIOLONE
The Marian Consort is an award-winning UK vocal ensemble that presents bold and thrilling performances of music from across the centuries.
‘Singing one person to a part, The Marian Consort give sublimely refined, spacious and impeccably tuned performances’ — The Sunday Times
Led by founder and director Rory McCleery, The Marian Consort (TMC) is distinguished by its flexible, intimate approach, with a clarity of texture and subtlety of interpretation that illuminates the music for performer and audience alike.
TMC features regularly on UK and international television and radio (including BBC Two’s recent flagship
documentary series ‘Art That Made Us’), and has released fourteen recordings to critical acclaim, garnering a variety of accolades and awards including the Diapason D’Or, Presto Classical Album of the Year and the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik.
Noted for ‘performances that glow with golden purity and soul’, The Marian Consort performs music from the
12th century to the present day, with a focus on bringing to light and championing marginalised and lesser-known Renaissance composers, such as Vicente Lusitano, Raffaella Aleotti, and Jean Maillard.
Praised for its engaging and innovative programming, TMC also works with living composers through its New Music Programme, commissioning extensively
while mentoring developing composers through the Emerging Voices scheme. TMC has premiered over 30 works to date and in recent years has commissioned Dani Howard, David Fennessy, Anna Semple, Laurence Osborn and Electra Perivolaris.
TMC is committed to inspiring a love of singing and creativity in people of all ages, with a particular focus on children
PROGRAMME – Vale of Tears
and young people, and it hosts workshops and study days, performs school concerts, and leads on longer-term education projects with partners both in the UK and internationally. It has an avid online following, and presents performance videos and podcasts in collaboration with prizewinning poets, actors, writers, artists, academics, composers and musicians, reaching an audience of millions worldwide.
Johann Christoph Bach: Mit Weinen hebt sichs an Attrib. Johann Bach: Weint nicht um meinen Tod
Johann Michael Bach: Herr, ich warte auf dein Heil
Johann Ludwig Bach: Das blut Jesu Christi
Johann Sebastian Bach: Komm, Jesu, komm
INTERVAL
Heinrich Schütz: Musikalische Exequien I. Nacket bin ich von Mutterliebe kommen
David Fennessy: Two pieces about Heinrich Schütz (1585 - 1672): Naked
Heinrich Schütz: Musikalische Exequien II. Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe
David Fennessy: Two pieces about Heinrich Schütz (1585 - 1672): In Frieden (In peace)
Heinrich Schütz: Musikalische Exequien III. Herr, nun lassest du deinen Diener
Rory McCleery, Artistic Director of the Marian Consort
David Fennessy, Composer. Two pieces about Heinrich Schütz (15851672), commissioned by The Marian Consort
PROGRAMME NOTES
The pre-eminent German composer of the 17th century Baroque, Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) was born into a prominent Saxon dynasty, rising to become a long-serving Kapellmeister for the Elector of Saxony. The peak of his composing career coincided with the Thirty Years War (1618-48), a brutal conflict that decimated the population of his native Germany. The ubiquity of death at this time is hard to overstate: Schütz himself witnessed the passing of his wife and one of his two daughters, as well as countless close friends and relatives. In these circumstances, it is perhaps less surprising that someone would make meticulous, detailed plans for their own funeral. This was exactly what happened in the case of the aptly named Prince Heinrich ‘Posthumus’ of Reuss. The prince left specific instructions about the texts that he wanted for his funeral service, many of which he had engraved onto his beautifully ornate copper coffin, and Schütz was commissioned by the Prince’s widow and sons to set these to music.
The Musicalische Exequien, first performed at the Prince’s interment on February 4 1636, is written in three movements for voices with basso continuo. The first movement is in a new form devised by Schütz, that of a ‘Concerto in the form of
a German burial mass’. The second movement is a doublechoir motet very much in the style of the Venetian composer Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612), with antiphonal exchanges between the two groups.
The third and final movement divides the musicians into two groups: one a lower-scored ensemble of Altos, Tenors and Bass singing the words of the German Nunc Dimittis, and the other, consisting of two upper voices and bass, representing ‘the joy of the disembodied blessed soul in heaven, in the company of heavenly spirits and holy angels’. To achieve this, Schütz requests that ‘Primus chorus is placed close to the organ, secundus chorus however in the distance’. The double-choir scoring of the final two movements of the Exequien would prove to be particularly influential for the funerary motets of subsequent generations of German composers, including many of the members of the extended Bach dynasty.
The earliest of the Bach family motets in this evening’s programme is attributed to Johann Bach (1604-1673). Both Weint nicht um meinen Tod and Mit weinen hebt sichs an share not only their scoring but also texts focused on the conceit of weeping and the very Lutheran idea of escaping the toil and misery of the various
stages of mortal life for the glory of the hereafter. Johann Michael Bach (1648-1694), brother of Johann Christoph, wrote a number of double-choir motets: Herr, ich warte auf dein Heil is striking for its division of the text between the two choirs, whilst the almost obsessive repetition of words is also a feature of Johann Ludwig Bach’s (1677-1731) Das blut Jesu Christi.
In Komm, Jesu, komm we see the final evolution of the style Schütz inherited from Gabrieli, with J.S. Bach combining antiphonal double-choir writing with his trademark meticulous counterpoint and many moments of overtly dramatic word-painting, before giving way to the pathos and simplicity of the final chorale.
Written as a direct response to the Musicalische Exequien and designed to be interpolated between its three movements, David Fennessy’s Two pieces about Heinrich Schütz (15851672) were commissioned and first performed by The Marian Consort in 2022. They draw on the soundworld, scoring and musical material of the Exequien, transforming them into something both new and timeless, all the while exploring the ideas of personal grief and musical drama that make the Exequien such a pioneering work of the 17th Century.
AUTUMN RESET
Autumn in Derry is stunning. With dramatic cityscapes, leafy parks, mild temperatures and fabulous Halloween celebrations, it’s the perfect destination for an Autumn break.
Whether you are planning a girl’s trip, romantic break or a catch up with friends we have a host of Luxury Autumn offers.
Enjoy an overnight midweek stay with 2 course dinner and Cocktail from only£209 per room.
Post-Primary School Competitions
Millennium Forum, 10:00
UNISON/2-PART COMPETITION
Thornhill College Year 8 Choir, Derry (Margaret McCay)
1. Andrea Ramsey: Grow, Little Tree
2. Harry Belafonte, arr. Mark Hayes: Turn the World Around
Dominican College Junior Choir, Portstewart (Sarah Minihan)
1. Andrea Ramsey: Grow, Little Tree
2. Greg Gilpin: Whisper
St. Cecilia’s College, Derry (Ryan Quinn)
1. Mark Burrows: O Lux Beatissima
2. Original Glee, arr. Adam Anders and Peer Astrom, adapted Mac Huff: Hit Me With Your Best Shot/One Way or Another
Thornhill College Junior Choir, Derry (Margaret McCay)
1. French Canadian Folksong, arr. Emily Crocker: J’entends Le Moulin
2. Harry Warren, arr. Pete Schmutte: Chattanooga Choo Choo
Lumen Christi College SSA Choir, Derry (Mark Bradley)
1. J. Kern, arr. Julie Gaulke: All the things you are
2. Duke Ellington, arr. Mac Huff: It don’t mean a thing (if it ain’t got that swing)
Foyle College, Derry (Emma Moore)
1. Eric Whitacre: Seal Lullaby
2. Bob Chilcott: Buffalo Gals
Thornhill College Senior Choir, Derry (Elizabeth Quigley)
1. Ola Gjeilo: Northern Lights
2. Rupert Lang: Cantate Domino
St. Cecilia’s College, Derry (Ryan Quinn)
1. Little Mix, arr. Andy Beck: Wings
2. Stephen Sondheim, arr. Jacob Narverud: Children Will Listen
St. Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina, Mayo (Regina Deacy)
1. Dan Forrest: There is faint music
2. Charlotte Botha: Cantate Domino
Student Big Sing Workshop
Post-Primary Workshop Led by Humanophones
Millennium Forum, After Post-Primary Competitions
Using their voices and every other conceivable part of the body that can be used as a sound space, this electrifying seven-member French troupe delivers a genre-defying blend of jazz, pop, funk, soul and world music, all performed through rhythm, movement, and vocal energy alone. This electrifying workshop will have every student on their feet, exploring the Humanophones’ signature ‘body pop music’ and celebrating the universal power of the human body and voice.
The post-primary school adjudications will take place immediately after the Big Sing workshop.
Humanophones
Millennium Forum, 19:30
FRÉDÉRIKA ALÉSINA VOICE
DAVID AMAR VOICE VOCAL BASS
NATACHA KANGA, VOICE
RÉMI LECLERC BODY PERCUSSION, VOICE, CONCEPTION, COMPOSITION
JORIS LEDANTEC VOICE
CHRISTOPHER M’PASSI VOICE, BEAT BOX
VALERIA VITRANO BODY PERCUSSION, VOICE
The Company of Humanophones was founded by Rémi Leclerc in 2013 with a mission to create powerful artistic encounters through music and bodily expression.
Driven by a deep desire to return to the essentials – the body and the voice – they redefine performance by becoming the instruments themselves. Describing
themselves as ‘anatomical concert performers’, the Humanophones blur the lines between disciplines, seamlessly weaving together dance, physical theatre, and vocal percussion. Their bodies are their orchestra, their movements a melody.
With their original compositions, the Humanophones invite
audiences into a vibrant world where the human form reveals both its strength and vulnerability. Their performances explore the complexities of social interaction, using poetic imagery and humorously drawn characters to reflect on human connection in fresh, unexpected ways.
PROGRAMME
The Humanophones present ANTROPUS, an ‘alternative’ and soul pop concert produced entirely by the body. An eco-friendly, anatomical and jubilant odyssey, 100% human-made. Guaranteed AI-free ingredients: voice, body percussion, beat box, dance and good humour!
The show takes place in the present day, in the Anthropocene. It is a space and time, never before experienced, in which humans are simultaneously advancing and retreating. Aware that they are destroying their natural environment and their ‘planetary vessel’, they are unable to curb their perpetual evolution.
Our timely awareness and our harmful influence both have their roots in the same place: our intelligence, our memory of the past, our ability to learn from our mistakes and anticipate our successes. The human species, with all its marvels and horrors, is nothing if not a contradiction.
ANTROPUS thus calls us to redefine human values, to be constantly aware so as not to drift aimlessly, offering up constructive initiatives, realistic solutions and alternatives, rather than pessimistic and alarming discourse.
In this new creation, Rémi Leclerc presents a modern and original musical universe. The Humanophones perform popular music with a mesh of urban cultures and African pulses. Their ‘deep dance’ develops from the essence of primitive bodily music. Futuristic polyphonies, skillfully arranged by Rémi Leclerc (also a pianist and composer), merge with clear and organic sounds made by hands, mouths and tongue clicks.
In this repertoire of ‘songs and modern music’, the lyrics raise questions and look at issues that concern us, such as ecology and ‘collapsology’. The original compositions have an innovative spirit and an avant-garde audacity, while remaining universal.
Humanophones Youth Project
Joining Humanophones on stage in the Millennium Forum is a group of young singers from schools in Derry and Belfast who have had the amazing opportunity of working with members of Humanophones in workshops and rehearsals throughout festival week.
SCHOOLS: Foyle College, Derry
St. Mary’s College, Derry
Thornhill College, Derry
Codetta Youth Choir
North Belfast Youth Choir
Cathedral Light 20 | 25
Codetta and New Dublin Voices
St. Eugene’s Cathedral, 22:00
CODETTA DÓNAL DOHERTY MUSICAL DIRECTOR
NEW DUBLIN VOICES
BERNIE SHERLOCK MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2025, Codetta is a cornerstone of the choral scene in Northern Ireland and beyond, with an impressive international touring record, collaborations with the Ulster Orchestra, and standout performances at the BBC Proms and Washington’s Kennedy Centre.
Under the direction of Dónal Doherty, Codetta brings a powerful blend of choral richness and artistic vision to every performance.
Codetta is joined by the exceptional New Dublin Voices, an internationally decorated chamber choir led by Bernie Sherlock, which is also
celebrating a key milestone in 2025: its 20th anniversary. Winning top honours at prestigious competitions across Europe, including 1st place winners of our very own Oak Tree of Derry International Competition in 2019, New Dublin Voices is known for its daring, imaginative programming and commitment to new music.
PROGRAMME
NEW DUBLIN VOICES
Georg Grün: Veni (Maranatha No. 3)
Caroline Shaw: and the swallow
Giovanni Gabrieli: Angelus Domini descendit
Vytautas Miskinis: Dum medium silentium
Motshwane Pege: Jubilate Deo
CODETTA
William Byrd: Haec Dies
Arvo Pärt: The woman with the alabaster box
Mohammed Fairouz: The second coming
Olivier Messiaen: O Sacrum Convivium
Stephen Paulus: The road home
JOINT PERFORMANCE:
Frank Martin: Mass for Double Choir
i. Kyrie
iv. Sanctus
Codetta
The international prize-winning choir Codetta was formed in the year 2000. Since then, it has earned a reputation for choral excellence and have given many concerts both nationally and internationally, including performances in the United States, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland and Mexico.
Past highlights include two Prom performances in the Royal Albert Hall in London, Last Night of the Proms in Belfast and appearing as special guest choir for the 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, which was broadcast to
an audience of more than eight million viewers. In May 2016, Codetta performed with Barry Douglas and Camerata in the Kennedy Centre, Washington, and in 2017 it won the Fleischmann International Trophy at the Cork International Choral Festival.
The choir performs regularly with the Ulster Orchestra, including annual performances of Handel’s Messiah and most recently, a recording of the soundtrack to the film, Lost Lives.
In April 2023, Codetta presented concerts in Tequila and Guadalajara as part of a
short tour of the Jalisco area of Mexico.
An annual highlight for the choir is its participation in the City of Derry International Choir Festival in October, with recent performances including Verdi’s Requiem, Bruckner’s Mass in E minor and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and last year it performed the very moving and powerful A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett as part of the 2024 festival programme.
New Dublin Voices
New Dublin Voices is a leading Irish chamber choir founded by its international award-winning conductor Bernie Sherlock. Renowned for programming that is innovative and exciting, the choir takes special pleasure in exploring the music of living composers and has given more than 85 world premieres.
New Dublin Voices leads the way in commissioning, premiering, performing and disseminating choral music by Irish composers, both in Ireland and abroad, and in introducing music from outside Ireland to audiences at home.
The choir has won multiple prizes at competitions in
France, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Finland, Belgium, Spain, England, Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Latvia, Wales, Poland and Bulgaria. In 2024, in Poland, the choir won the Grand Prix at Carcovia Cantants, and in 2023 in Arezzo, Italy, the choir won the Mixed Choir Competition and the Special Prize for programming and performance of contemporary music.
In 2019, New Dublin Voices won First Prize in the Derry International Choir Festival and Third Prize in Marktoberdorf, Germany. It won First Prize for mixed choirs at the 2018 Béla Bartók International Choral Competition in Hungary, and the overall Grand Prix at the
International Baltic Sea Choral Competition in Latvia in 2017.
Previous awards include First Prize in Cork 2015, the Grand Prix in Arezzo 2013, Maasmechelen, Belgium in 2011, and the Budapest International Choir Competition in 2009.
New Dublin Voices regularly travels to give concerts at the invitation of international festivals, including tours in Switzerland, France, Spain, the UK and the US. In 2017
New Dublin Voices was the first Irish choir to be invited to perform at the triennial World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona.
National Competitions Day 1
Millennium Forum, from 10:00
NATIONAL EQUAL VOICE COMPETITIONS, 10:00
UPPER VOICES
Côr Merched Cwm Rhondda, Wales (Seren Hâf MacMillan)
1. Eric Whitacre: Seal lullaby
2. Trad, arr. Eric Jones: Robin Ddiog
Boydell Singers, Dublin (Chiara Trejo-Infante)
1. Charles Albert Tindley, arr. Barbara W. Baker: The storm is passing over
2. Traditional Bulgarian, arr. Peter Lyondev: Kaval Sviri
Vox Orbis, Galway (Mark Keane)
1. Eriks Esenvalds: High flight
2. Josef Rheinberger, arr. Mark Keane: Abendlied
LOWER VOICES
Harmony Bro, Clare (Michael Hennessy)
1. Jimmy Rankin, arr. David Wright: Fare thee well, Love
2. Rev. J.K. Alwood, arr. Shawn Kirchner: Unclouded day
Cloughmore Male Voice Choir, Newry (Carla Maney)
1. Claude-Michel Schonberg, arr. John Leavitt: Bring him home
2. Arr. Mickey Newbury, adapted Alwyn Humpherys: An American trilogy
Harmony Federation, Dublin (Brendan Keenan)
1. Jerome Kern, arr. Mark Hale: The way you look tonight
2. Leonard Cohen, arr. Linda Corcoran: Hallelujah
GUEST PERFORMANCE:
I.N.T.A. MIXED VOICE CHOIR, ESTONIA
The adjudication of both equal voice competitions will take place immediately after the guest performance.
NATIONAL MIXED VOICE COMPETITION, 12:30
Fabre Ensemble, Dublin (Ciarán Kelly)
1. Criostóir Ó Liongsig: Scél lemm dúib
2. Heinrich Schütz: Die Himmel erzählen die ehre Gottes
Trinity College Singers, Dublin (Callum Jeacle)
1. Tomás Luis de Victoria: O Vos Omnes
2. Hugo Alfvén: Och Jungfrun hon Går i Ringen
Côr Cwm Rhondda, Wales (Seren Hâf MacMillan)
1. Dan Forrest: Nos Da Pwt bach (Good night dear heart)
2. Traditional, arr. Alwin Michael Schronen: Down by the Salley Gardens
Schola Cantorum Basilicae, Mayo (Una Nolan)
1. Thomas “Fats” Waller and Harry Brooks, arr. Larry Shackley: Ain’t Misbehavin’
2. Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, arr. Jennifer Lucy Cook: What was I made for
Big Sing with Humanophones
Supported by Sing Ireland
Millennium Forum, 16:00
FREE ENTRY, OPEN TO ALL
Step into the electrifying world of The Humanophones, the French vocal-body percussion ensemble that turns the human body into a full-blown rhythm machine. In this high-energy, hands-on workshop, singers and choirs will learn how to break musical boundaries using nothing but their voices and bodies.
Participants will explore rhythm, vocal layering, movement, and group coordination through the ensemble’s signature ‘body pop music’ style – a vibrant fusion of jazz, funk, soul, pop, and world music. Expect to move, groove, and discover a whole new dimension of musical expression that’s as visual as it is vocal.
The adjudications for the National Mixed Voice and Light, Pop and Jazz Competitions will take place immediately after the Big Sing Workshop.
SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER
International Competition
Presented by John Toal, BBC
The International Competition will undoubtedly be a highlight of the City of Derry International Choir Festival, featuring five groups who will each present a challenging and varied programme, as they compete for the prestigious Oak Tree of Derry trophy and a cash prize of £2,000.
For more details on the international choirs, see pages 61 to 65 Guildhall, 20:00
PROGRAMME
University College Cork (UCC) Singers, Ireland (Ben Jacob)
1. Michael McGlynn: Geantraí
2. Heinrich Schütz: Selig sind die Toten
3. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Bogoroditse Devo
4. Jakub Neske: Mironczarnia
The Asaph Choir, Nigeria (Daniel Etim)
1. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Missa Brevis - Kyrie
2. John Buckley: There Is a Spot Mid Barren Hills
3. Ayodamope Oluranti: JESUS NA BIGI MAN
4. Dr. D. K. Olukoya, Arranged by Seun Owoaje: Ekiti Medley
I.N.T.A. Mixed Choir, Estonia (Inta Roost)
1. Anti Marguste: See on Eesti
2. Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair: An Teitheadh go hÉigipt
3. Pierre Passerau: Il est bel et bon
4. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Bogoroditse Devo
5. Veljo Tormis: Vaeslapsed lanes
Laetare Vocal Ensemble, Ireland (Róisín Blunnie)
1. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Exultate Deo
2. Josef Rheinberger: Hymne
3. Katie Bamford: Ecstasy
4. Laura Sheils: Regina Caeli
University of Santo Tomas Singers, Philippines (Fidel Gener Calalang, Jr.)
1. Thomas Greaves: Come away, sweet love
2. Seán Doherty: The Destroyer
3. Nilo Alcala: Sagayan
Join us at our Resonance Bar Festival Club immediately after this concert in the Guildhall for a drink and a ceili!
National Competitions Day 2
Millennium Forum, from 10:00
NATIONAL SACRED AND GOSPEL COMPETITION, 10:00
Côr Godre’r Garth, Wales (Steffan Watkins)
1. Johannes Brahms: Mor hawddgar yw Dy Bebyll Di
2. John Leavitt: Festival Sanctus
Cloughmore Male Voice Choir, Newry (Carla Maney)
1. Thomas Jarman: O, for a thousand tongues to sing!
2. Traditional, arr. Denis R. Cocks: Steal away
Vox Orbis, Galway (Mark Keane)
1. C. V. Stanford, arr. Mark Keane: Justorum animae
2. Juan Gutierrez de Padilla: Deus in adjutorium
OLV Gospel Choir, Dublin (Ruth Gahan)
1. Brian Alexander Morgan & Jaco Pastorius, arr. Michael Higgins: Rain
2. Spiritual, arr. Tiffany Jackson & Michael Yannette: Elijah Rock
Cairde Community Choir, Belfast (Siobhan Brown)
1. Angela Ifonlaja , arr. Siobhan Brown: Change
2. Siobhan Brown: Don’t let me wait too long
Cór Linn, Dublin (Ciarán Kelly)
1. Bob Chilcott: God So Loved the World
2. Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan: My soul’s been anchored in the Lord
North Belfast Youth Choir, Belfast (Katrina Brown)
1. Zulu Traditional, arr. Alexander L’Estrange: Hamba Lulu
2. Alison Willis: My boy Jack
Codetta Junior Choir, Derry (Margaret Ross)
1. Ken Johnston: The wind that shakes the barley
2. Ben Parry: Eletelephony
Loinnir Chamber Choir, Clare (Fiona Walsh)
1. Traditional Irish, arr. Ruth Elaine Schram: Shule Aroon
2. Andy Beck: Heartbeat rhythm
St. Columb’s Cathedral Choristers, Derry (Nicky Morton)
1. John Rutter: The Lord bless you and keep you
2. CY Coleman, arr. Emerson: The Rhythm of Life
Cór Linn, Dublin (Ciarán Kelly)
1. Kate Rusby: Underneath the stars
2. A.R. Rahman, arr. Ethan Sperry: Balleilakka
GUEST PERFORMANCE: ARDNASHEE SCHOOL AND COLLEGE, DERRY
The adjudication of the National Sacred and Gospel and Youth Choir Competitions will take place immediately after the guest performance.
NATIONAL CHOIR OF THE FESTIVAL COMPETITION MILLENNIUM FORUM, 15:00
In this exciting final competition for national choirs, all choirs who have been awarded first place in any of the national categories, or who have been specially nominated by the adjudicators, will be eligible to compete for the title ‘National Choir of the Festival’.
Reach Your TrU Potential
Closing Gala Concert
Supported by FinTru
Presented by Eoghan Doherty
Millennium Forum, 20:00
This celebratory concert brings the 13th Festival to a close with performances from each of the international competitors, the presentation of special awards across all categories, and the nail-biting announcement of the top prize of the festival – winners of the Oak Tree of Derry trophy.
With special thanks to FinTrU for their generous sponsorship of this event.
For more details on the international choirs, see pages 61 to 65.
PROGRAMME
Laetare Vocal Ensemble, Ireland (Róisín Blunnie)
1. Jake Runestad: Nyon Nyon
2. Laura Sheils: The comet
I.N.T.A. Mixed Choir, Estonia (Inta Roost)
1. Veljo Tormis, arr. Kadri Voorand: Ära löö noorikut
2. Veljo Tormis: Chastushka
University College Cork (UCC) Singers, Ireland (Ben Jacob)
1. Irish Traditional, arr. Desmond Earley: Mo Ghile Mear
2. Irish Traditional, arr. Ben Jacob: The rattlin’ bog
The Asaph Choir, Nigeria (Daniel Etim)
1. Z. Randall Stroope: The Conversion of Saul
2. D. K. Olukoya: As e dey pain dem
University of Santo Tomas Singers, Philippines (Fidel Gener Calalang, Jr.)
1. Alan Dannug, arr. Normita Rio-Pablico: Piliin Mo Ang Pilipinas (Choose Philippines)
2. Janet Hood, arr. Fidel Calalang, Jr.: Learning to let go
INTERVAL
AWARDS CEREMONY
Closing ceremony of the festival, presentation of special awards and announcement of the winning choir of the 2025 Oak Tree of Derry International Competition.
Special Awards
The festival is delighted that a number of special prizes will be awarded to choirs this year and is grateful to all of its supporters for their part in making this possible. All of the special awards will be announced during the Closing Gala Concert on Sunday 26 October.
• Bernadette Kelly Memorial Award for most promising school choir
• Bishops Daly & Mehaffey Award, presented by the Inner City Trust, for an outstanding performance in the school competitions
• Sing Ireland Conducting Scholarship for the most promising conductor in the national competitions or a participant in the conducting masterclasses
• Contemporary Music Centre Award for the best performance of a piece by a composer from Ireland
• Derry City and Strabane District Council Award for outstanding contribution to the festival
• Bishop’s Gate Hotel Award for an outstanding performance of a work composed before 1750 in the International Competition
• City Hotel Award to the conductor of the most interesting and varied programme in the International Competition
• Visit Derry Award for an outstanding competitive or non-competitive performance by a first-time participant
City of Derry Crystal
Community Programme
Supported by Gray’s Communications
COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Spread across the city and region, our community concerts offer a unique platform for local, national and international choirs to share music and the joy of singing together. Admission is free for all events.
All details correct at time of going to print. For updated schedules, visit derrychoirfest.com
THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER
Verbal Arts Centre, 13:00
University of Santo Tomas Singers, Philippines
Doire Calgach Singers, Derry
Lifford Old Courthouse, 18:00
Friends Together, Derry
Cathedral Youth Club, 19:00
Inishowen Gospel Choir, Donegal
Ardmore Folk Group, Derry
FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER
Ardnashee School & College, Northland Road, 10:00
Doire Calgach Singers, Derry
Bishop’s Field Community Centre, 11:00
Mellow DEEDS, Derry
University of Santo Tomas Singers, Philippines
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, 12:30
Hive Cancer Support Choir, Derry
Tuned In Collective, Derry
Song for the Soul, Derry
I.N.T.A. Mixed Choir, Estonia
SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER
Shantallow Community Centre, 13:00
MTU Glór Choral Society, Cork
Melodies and Memories, Derry
Momentum Community Choir, Derry
Carlisle Road Methodist Church, 13:00
Sing Happy NI
Sligo Orpheus Choir
Conwal Parish Church, Letterkenny, 13:00
Humanophones, France
Danu Young Women’s Choir, Donegal
Conwal Singers, Donegal
Museum of Free Derry, 13:30
Ardmore Folk Group, Derry
Helen’s Bay Singers, Down
Gasyard Development Trust, 14:00
Aria Ladies Choir, Kildare
Big Belfast Choir
Culmore Community Hub, 14:00
Culmore Community Choir
Different Keys, Monaghan
Bishop Street Freemason’s Hall, 14:30
Cavan Singers
Hive Cancer Support Choir, Derry
Côr Godre’r Garth, Wales
The Exchange, Buncrana, 16:00
Doire Calgach Singers, Derry
Donogh Choir, Donegal
CHORAL TRAILS
The festival goes out and about, with pop-up events in public spaces, transport hubs, hotels, cafés and shopping centres, bringing the city alive with song.
With thanks to the CoDICF Community Advisory Group: Siobhan Heaney, Margarette McNamee and Martin White
29TH APRIL - 3RD MAY 2026
CLOSING DATES:
FLEISCHMANN INTERNATIONAL TROPHY COMPETITION
Josep Vila i Casañas
Catalonia | Chair of the Adjudicating Panel
Josep Vila i Casañas is one of the most recognised choral conductors in Spain. His specialism is the a cappella repertoire, as well as choral and orchestral literature down the ages. He is also a composer of many works for choir and orchestra.
Josep is currently the Chief Conductor of the MDR Rundfunkchor in Leipzig, Germany. He has served as the resident conductor of the Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid (2022-2025), the Cor Lieder Càmera (1990-2006 & 2019-2022), the Orfeó Català choral society (1998-2016), the Cor de Cambra of the
Palau de la Música Catalana (2011-2016) and the Radiotelevisión Española Choir (20072010).
Josep has worked as a guest conductor with choirs and orchestras such as the Coeur de Radio France in Paris, the Spanish National Choir, the Swedish Radio Choir and the World Youth Choir (2010 and 2019). In his role as a chorus master, he has worked alongside leading orchestral conductors on the international music scene, among them Charles Dutoit, Daniel Barenboim, Daniele Gatti, Simon Rattle and Gustavo Dudamel.
As a composer, his main area of interest is music for voice and instruments, and he has written an extensive body of works for children’s and youth choirs, for mixed a cappella choirs and for choir and orchestra. Sanctus-Benedictus (1992) and Salve Regina (2001) are his two most frequently performed works.
Since 2005, he has taught choir conducting at the Catalonia Music Conservatory, Esmuc. He also gives workshops, seminars and masterclasses on a regular basis throughout Europe.
Amy Bebbington
England
Sought-after for her dynamic and engaging teaching style, and her wealth of pedagogical experience, Amy is known for championing and inspiring young musicians in all disciplines. She is a passionate advocate of the craft of choral singing and choral conductor training, and truly values the privilege of adjudicating having been on juries at the London International Choral Conducting Competition, the International Choir Festivals in Derry and Cork, Feis Ceoil, Choir of the Year, Music for Youth National Festival, Cheltenham Music Festival and many others.
With a degree in Piano Performance (UK) and a Doctorate in Choral Conducting (USA), Amy is the Director of Training for the Association of British Choral Directors and co-founder of the London International Choral Conducting Competition (LICCC). She leads choral conducting masterclasses and teaches at international summer schools, including Cork, Limerick and Sherborne. Amy’s successful online training course, Choral Leadership and Pedagogy (CLP), created as a direct result of the pandemic, enabled her to engage with choral conductors from all over the world.
A trained dancer, Amy applies Kodály, Dalcroze and Laban principles in her work with choirs and conductors. She is known for her advocacy for female conductors and composers, and champions marginalised musicians through innovative choral programming, discovery days and private mentoring.
Amy has choral works published by Banks Music Publications, Multitude of Voyces and Choral Music Publishing, and is proud to be Musical Director of Corra Sound, Harlequin Chamber Choir, Nota Bene and Sempre Fidelis Singers.
ADJUDICATORS Mark Duley
New Zealand / Ireland
Mark Duley was born in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, and studied at Auckland University, the North German Organ Academy and Amsterdam’s Sweelinck Conservatorium, where he was an organ pupil of Jacques van Oortmerssen.
Mark came to Ireland in 1992 and has held several major posts in the country, including organist and director of music at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, chorusmaster to the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, artistic director of the Irish Baroque Orchestra, and artistic director of Pipeworks. As
a conductor and organist, he has appeared with most of the major Irish ensembles, including RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Chamber Choir Ireland, the Irish Baroque Orchestra, and his own chamber choir, Resurgam. He has given organ recitals in all the major Irish venues as well as in the UK and his native New Zealand.
Mark is one of Ireland’s best known choral specialists, and has led workshops and masterclasses for choirs and conductors in Ireland, the UK, and continental Europe. His work as artistic director of Resurgam has received critical
acclaim internationally, with a recent recording for the Resonus label of music by Thomas Weelkes (Gentleman Extraordinary) receiving the accolade of Editor’s Choice for Gramophone magazine. Aside from a busy freelance career, Mark holds the posts of organist at the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, Galway, and founder-director of St Nicholas Schola Cantorum.
ADJUDICATORS
Mia Makaroff
Finland
Mia Makaroff (b.1970) is a composer, arranger, music teacher and a choir conductor. In 2003, she graduated from the Sibelius Academy as a Master of Music in Music Education studies. Her thesis focused on creating a music teaching pedagogy using the therapeutical sides of music especially aimed especially at preventing youth drug addiction.
Mia’s work includes teaching music to school children and young people, composing, creating and conducting different music projects. Song-writing projects for young people are one of
her specialities: altogether six school musicals have been written and performed by her pupils. Finnish folklore and poetry are great sources of inspiration in her compositions.
Many well-known singing groups and choirs have brought Mia’s music to a wider audience, such as Rajaton, The King’s Singers, Amarcord and others. In 2006, she was asked to participate in an international Song Bridge-choir project as a composer.
She has given masterclasses in composing for children’s choirs in Belgium, Italy and Russia. She has also worked as an adjudi-
cator and a teacher at choir competitions and festivals.
Theatre music is one of her main interests: 2012 saw the premiere of her first musical for children and adults, Kruunulapset (Crown Children). She is currently working to build a national network of non-auditioned and inclusive children’s and youth choirs, known as MunKuoro (munkuoro.fi) or MinKör (minkör.fi).
ADJUDICATORS Andrew Nunn
Scotland
Andrew Nunn holds three degrees from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS): a BMus(Hons), an MMus (Performance) and a Masters in Conducting.
Since 2018, Andrew has held the position of Artistic Director of the National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland (NYCNI), and he is responsible for the artistic delivery and direction of the organisation’s five choirs.
Since 2012, Andrew has been Director of Choirs at the RCS Junior Conservatoire where he has developed a choral programme of five choirs involving around 300 singers aged 8 to 18 every Saturday.
At the RCS, Andrew is also director of the RCS Choir for undergraduate vocal performance students, a Kodály Musicianship lecturer and conducting lecturer for Musical Theatre. He also works regularly with adult choirs and, since 2014, has been director of the Bearsden Choir, one of Scotland’s finest choral societies.
Andrew was also director of the Les Sirènes Female Choir when it won the BBC Choir of the Year competition in 2012. He regularly prepares choruses for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and his choirs are in high demand, broadcasting regularly on both BBC television and radio.
The Asaph Choir
Nigeria | Daniel Etim Conductor
As of 2024, Choir Place ranked the Asaph Choir as the number one professional choir in Nigeria, highlighting its musical excellence and impact.
The Asaph Choir is known for highly skilled performances, blending classical, contemporary gospel, and African choral styles. They perform in multiple languages, including English, Yoruba,
and other African dialects, and have a repertoire that includes hymns, anthems, and original compositions.
The choir operates under the leadership of Dr. D.K. Olukoya, who has a strong passion for music and worship. They also mentor and train younger musicians, raising the next generation of gospel choristers and instrumentalists.
I.N.T.A. Mixed Choir
Estonia | Inta Roost Conductor
I.N.T.A. Mixed Choir was formed at the initiative of its conductor, Inta Roost, in 2003. Representing the culturally rich nation of Estonia, the choir presents a harmonious blend of passionate voices united by their love of choral music.
Established with the aim of celebrating Estonia’s proud choral singing tradition, the choir brings together singers from diverse backgrounds
to perform a wide range of repertoire, ranging from classical choral masterpieces to contemporary works and traditional Estonian folk songs.
The choir is a member of the Association of Estonian Mixed Choirs and actively performs in concerts and choir competitions in Estonia, winning several prizes.
In 2022, I.N.T.A. Mixed Choir was awarded Choir of the Year of Estonia and its conductor was nominated for Conductor of the Year.
Whether performing in concert halls or outdoor settings, the I.N.T.A. Mixed Choir delivers a memorable experience, leaving audiences inspired and uplifted. With a deep commitment to artistic growth and cultural exchange, it is a proud ambassador of Estonia’s rich musical legacy.
Laetare Vocal Ensemble
Ireland | Róisín Blunnie Conductor
Laetare Vocal Ensemble is a mixed-voice choir based in Dublin city centre. Founded in 2014, the choir is active in concerts, festivals, collaborations, commissions, and recordings. Laetare’s latest album is the critically acclaimed Ghost Songs: Contemporary Music and Words from Ireland, a 35-track collection of choral works interspersed with readings by leading Irish poets and writers.
Laetare’s competition successes include the ‘Ireland’s Choir of the Year’ award at the Cork International Choral Festival; 2nd prize and the special award to a conductor at the City of Derry International Choir Festival; and a Gold Diploma in the Grand Prix final of the Ave Verum International Choral Festival, Austria.
The choir was founded by its conductor Dr Róisín Blunnie.
Róisín is Associate Professor of Music and Head of the School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music at Dublin City University, where she is also the Programme Chair of Ireland’s first M.A. in Choral Studies.
University College Cork (UCC) Singers, Ireland
Ireland | Ben Jacob Conductor
UCC Singers is the competitive sub-choir of University College Cork’s Choral Society and is currently conducted by Ben Jacob. Formed in September 2014, it recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. UCC Singers is active during the academic year and comprises 35 students who rehearse every Wednesday. It performs a wide variety of music with a special interest in
performing contemporary and sacred repertoire. Last year, its annual sold-out concerts, ‘Carols by Candlelight’ and ‘Sounds of Spring’ raised over €4,000 for charity.
In 2024, the choir competed in the City of Derry International Choir Festival, where it placed first in the Mixed Voice competition. At the revival of the All-Ireland Choral Intervarsity in
February 2025, it was delighted to receive 1st place in both the Sacred Music and Ireland’s University Choir of the Year competitions. At the 2025 Cork International Choral Festival, it received first place in the Church Music category, won the Ireland’s Choir of the Year competition, and was awarded the Victor Leeson Perpetual Trophy.
University of Santo Tomas Singers
Philippines | Fidel Gener Calalang, Jr. Conductor
Founded in 1992 by Professor Fidel Gener Calalang, Jr., the University of Santo Tomas Singers is the premier mixed choral ensemble of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas.
For over 30 years, UST Singers has taken part in international concert and competition tours showcasing Thomasian excellence and Filipino artistry across Europe, North America, Australia, and the Asia Pacific region.
With members comprising of select students and alumni from the different colleges, institutes, and faculties within the university, the choir has earned critical acclaim, winning more than 85 top prizes in the world’s most prestigious competitions worldwide. Notably, it has the distinction of being the only choir to win the Choir of the World – Luciano Pavarotti
Trophy twice at the world’s oldest choir competition, the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, the United Kingdom.
Despite the challenges of the recent global pandemic, the choir continues its mission of sharing goodwill and the Philippines’ rich culture and heritage through music.
5th – 7th June 2026
Enjoy Concerts, Workshops, Choral Trail
Activities, an Outdoor Chorus and Festival Clubs during this leading non-competitive Choral Festival based in the Medieval City of Limerick, Ireland!
During this year’s Festival, enjoy a concert and workshop with renowned vocal ensemble Apollo5, and join other choirs for a unique Outdoor Chorus at a stunning tourist destination, led by a celebrated choral conductor!
Concerts, Workshops, Choral Trail Activities, an Outdoor Chorus and Festival Clubs during this leading non-competitive Choral Festival based in the Medieval City of Limerick, Ireland!
Accommodation from just €80.50 per room, per night B&B!
3-Day Package:
During this year’s Festival enjoy a concert and workshop with world renowned choral group, The King’s Singers, and join other choirs for a unique Outdoor Chorus at the Cliffs of Moher, led by a celebrated Irish conductor.
Accommodation options available from 3 star self-catering to 4 star hotels!
2027 Festival: 11th –13th June 9th – 11th June 2023
Priority (closes 19th December): €240 per person
General (closes 27th February): €250 per person
3 Day Package - €185 per person. Bespoke options available.
E. information@limericksings.com T. + 353 61 213312 www.limericksings.com
E. information@limericksings.com | T. + 353 61 213312 www.limericksings.com
John Toal
International Competition, Guildhall
Saturday 25 October, 20:00
John Toal is an award-winning broadcaster. He started out as a boy soprano and sang in choirs for many years, but those days are sadly gone.
He now talks more than sings, and presents ‘Classical Connections’ on Sunday night and the IMRO 2025 Gold Award-winning ‘Saturday with John Toal’ on BBC Radio Ulster and Foyle. He is also a regular contributor to RTÉ’s ‘Sunday Miscellany’.
Eoghan Doherty
Closing Gala Concert and Awards, Millennium Forum
Sunday 26 October, 20:00
Eoghan is Creative Director at Ardmore, one of Ireland and the UK’s leading independent creative agencies. He was previously Content Editor at the award-winning website JOE, where he helped oversee the development of the brand into one of Europe’s most prominent digital publishers.
He is a highly experienced interviewer, broadcast journalist and MC, contributing to numerous productions on BBC, RTÉ, Virgin Media, UTV and Today FM, as well as creating, presenting and producing
The Big Reviewski, Ireland’s number-one film and TV podcast. Interviewees include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert DeNiro, Daniel Craig, Will Ferrell, Margot Robbie, Jamie Dornan, Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Affleck, Sylvester Stallone and Denzel Washington.
A graduate of Music and Eng lish Literature from University College Dublin, Eoghan is an oboist, violinist and member of the acclaimed Derry-based chamber choir Codetta.
The City of Derry International Choir Festival is produced in association with Walled City Music and wishes to thank:
FESTIVAL FUNDERS
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Derry City and Strabane District Council
Arts & Business Northern Ireland
FESTIVAL SPONSORS
FinTrU
Gray’s Communications
Heron Bros.
McGinnis Group
Caldwell & Robinson
FESTIVAL PARTNERS
Codetta
Sing Ireland
Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland
Ulster University
Choral Festival Network
City Hotel
HOSPITALITY PARTNERS
Bishop’s Gate Hotel
Ebrington Hotel
Everglades Hotel
Holiday Inn Express
Badgers Bar and Restaurant
The Sandwich Co.
FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL
LARGO FRIENDS
Bernadette Kiely
Brid and Don McGinley
ANDANTE FRIENDS
Caroline Connolly
James Cooke
David Flanagan
Nuala and Bill Hart
Shane Lynch
Sharon Moroney
Judith O’Hare
Joy Tennis
Martin White
ALLEGRO FRIENDS
Seamus and Patricia Brady
James and Pat Crosbie
Donald Hill
Celine McDaid
John and Catriona McGonigle
Des and Jennifer Rainey
VIVACE FRIENDS
Mark McKeever
Anonymous x 2
Special thanks to...
Pól Sheerin, PS Audio
Rory McSwiggan and Danny Kelly, R&D Media
Shaun Ryan, Ulster University
Dermot O’Callaghan, Sing Ireland
Ben McGonigle, Festival Accompanist
Rory Clements, Limavady Pianos
David McLaughlin, Millennium Forum
Amanda Creagh, Guildhall
Julie O’Loughlin, Model PS
Louis Fields and Nicky Morton, St. Columb’s School of Music
Siobhan Heaney, Community Advisory Group
Margarette McNamee, Community Advisory Group
Karen Henderson, Visit Derry
Johanne Jefferson, Ivyhill Digital
FESTIVAL STAFF
Dónal Doherty, Artistic Director
Matthew Greenall, Executive Director, Walled City Music
Fiona Crosbie, Festival Manager
Mairéad Nic Bhloscaidh, Community and Outreach Coordinator
Robert Egan, Digital Marketing Officer and Graphic Design
Aoife Mullan, Festival Assistant
FESTIVAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Philip Gilliland, Chair
Tessa Breslin
Colm Rainey
Gráinne Stevenson
Joy Tennis
Martin White
VOLUNTEERS
Betty
John
Pat
Columb
Kathy
Competition / Concert Schedule
WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER
Festival Forum 2025
Ulster University 10:00 – 11:30
THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER
Primary School
Big Sing with Laura McFall
Millennium Forum
10:00 – 13:00
FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER
Post-Primary School Competitions and Big Sing Workshop with Humanophones
Millennium Forum 10:00 – 14:30
Conducting Masterclass
Ulster University 12:00 – 14:00
Opening Gala Concert: A Night at the Opera Festival Chorus, Ulster Orchestra and Irish National Opera Soloists
Millennium Forum 19:30
The Marian Consort Guildhall 19:30
Humanophones
Millennium Forum 19:30
Cathedral Light 20|25
St. Eugene’s Cathedral 22:00
SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER
Equal Voice Competitions and Adjudication
Millennium Forum 10:00
Mixed Voice Competition
Millennium Forum 12:30
Light, Pop and Jazz Competition
Millennium Forum 14:00
Big Sing with Humanophones
Millennium Forum 16:00
Mixed Voice/Light, Pop and Jazz Adjudications International Competition Guildhall 20:00
SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER
Sacred and Gospel Competition
Millennium Forum 10:00
Youth Choir Competition
Millennium Forum 11:30
Sacred and Gospel/ Youth Choir Adjudications 13:00
National Choir of the Festival Competition Millennium Forum 15:00
