An estimated 150 singers are registered to perform this Friday April 12 on the Radisson Blu Hotel’s live lounge stage in the Choirfactor competition - a charity event organised by the Corrib Lions Club. Six entrants spanning the business, health, and sporting sector of Galway will engage in a ‘sing-off’ and all funds gathered on the night will be donated to the Kilcuan retreat and healing centre, Clarinbridge.
The competitors will come from Medtronic, Hewlett- Packard, NUI Galway, Galway University Hospital, Galway Bay Golf Club, and the Marine Institute, as they do battle to gain the preference of the live audience and adjudicators for the first Galway Choir Factor Perpetual Cup.
The event is the brainchild of Liam Bluett, chairman of Corrib Lions Club who is delighted with the response generated by the competition.“I’m very heartened by the reaction from Galway businesses and members of the public to this unique fundraising idea. The six organisations taking part have been extremely supportive of the project with their staff committing time after work to rehearse with our volunteer choir directors.”
According to Mr Bluett, the choral directors had just six weeks to prepare their choirs for public performance but they have been working tirelessly in co-ordination with their singers to ready themselves for the big night.
“We couldn’t do this without the enthusiasm and dedication of our six choir directors. It’s a big challenge which they have embraced with great energy and gusto. Indeed the friendly rivalry between the different choirs will add to the atmosphere on the night.”
The choirs will each perform three pieces at the concert which commences at 8pm. The conductors of the six choirs are Liz Johnston, Carmel Dooley, Pat Lillis, Seamus Leonard, Eoin Grealis, and Peter Mannion- all of whom are well established figures in the Galway music circuit.
Adjudicators for the evening are Dr Brendan O’Connor, director of Cois Cladaigh, Maire McLaughlin, Music Matters New Inn, and Julie Feeney, award-winning and critically acclaimed composer, singer, song,
writer, recordproducer, musician, theatre
artist, orchestrator, and educator. The winning entrant will receive a specially commissioned perpetual cup and all choirs will receive an inscribed memento of the occasion.
Liam Bluett concluded by encouraging the masses to attend and contribute to this worthy cause.“SCCUL Enterprises are developing Kilcuan as a retreat and healing centre for community groups and members of the public in need of healing. Funds raised from this concert will enable a wide variety of groups such as carers, the elderly, multiple sclerosis sufferers, people living with cancer, and those bereaved by suicide to benefit from healing therapies and wellbeing workshops in Kilcuan.”
Ticket prices are €15/ €10. Concessions are available from the Ballybane Enterprise Centre ( 091 386 004 ) or from any of the participating organisations- Medtronic, Hewlett- Packard, Galway Bay Golf Club, Galway University Hospital, NUI Galway, and the Marine Institute.
