A world class choir Skjervøykoret from Norway will be travelling to Galway to celebrate their 40th jubilee year and to perform in Galway Cathedral tomorrow Friday October 14. The Norwegian choristers will be supported by an Irish choir from Cahir, Co. Tipperary with their guest musicians.
Skjervøykoret is a mixed choir of 35 singers hailing from Skjervøy, a small Norwegian island located north of the Arctic circle, in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Formed in 1982 the choir has performed nationally and internationally with a traditional as well as a contemporary repertoire. The current director is Audun Skog.
The choir has been an important part of the amateur arts in both its hometown as well as in the entire district ever since it was founded.
For many years, Skjervøykoret worked with revues and plays in addition to performing a traditional choir repertoire. The choir has had a number of exciting projects and performances, such as ‘Fiddler on the roof’, ‘Abba’, ‘Simon and the Garfunkel's "song of the asking"’ and singing the Scandinavian music such as "Alf Prøysen”, Evert Taube, Misa Criolla and Gabriel Faure's "Requiem".
Aside from singing in their own community, the choir has also participated in choir festivals both in Norway and abroad. Among the countries Skjervøykoret has visited are Sweden, Lithuania, the Faroese Island, Iceland, Ireland, United Kingdom and Italy.
At the moment the members of Skjervøykoret are busy with final rehearsals for their repertoire in the upcoming concert in Galway held with their new musical friends in Cahir to Sing, an Irish ladies choir from County Tipperary.
Singing together is very important for the small communities. Cahir to Sing has proven this in their short existence since 2016 when the choir was formed by a group of ladies with common interest in singing together.
Since the very start, the choir has been a forum for fun and laughter and it has grown to a 30 strong group of ladies that do not only sing together, but support each other in all that life throws to us all every day.
While based in the small town of Cahir, the members are drawn from around the globe and this eclectic mix of different nationalities of German, Swiss, American, English, Finnish and Irish is reflected in the repertoire that includes sacred and secular music.
The Musical Director of Cahir to Sing is Fidelma Nugent whose own curriculum vitae includes also many more important positions in the world of music.
To date, Cahir to Sing has performed in many local events such in St. Mary's and St Paul’s churches in Cahir, Mount Mellerey, Brú Boru in Cashel, but also in Cork Choral Festival, St Patrick’s Festival in Armagh and their Christmas fundraiser concerts and Culture Night events have been ever so popular.
Cahir to Sing is excited to travel to Galway to join for an evening of choral music with the Skjervøykoret. The choir will be accommanied by Suzanne Buttimer who also runs the Rockwell Music Academy, another stronghold of music education and enjoyment in the community of Cahir and beyond.
There will be another Nordic addition to the evening played by a Finnish violinist Petra Sundström. Petra has been mastering her instrument since six years of age and today she teaches violin and plays in the modern trio called ‘July Moon’ who are just about to launch their first album.
The evening will no doubt be not just an enjoyment of music and song but also different cultures and people coming together under the roof of Galway Cathedral.
Where and when:
Galway Cathedral —Friday 14th October 7:30pm — Free admission.
