The World Choir Games are happening right now in
Cincinnati!
And although this festival isn’t connected with the Chorus Impact Study produced by Chorus
America that I wrote about last week, it does tie in on a different level with the intent of the study. After all, this is top-level music making, choral singing of the finest quality, and it is happening right
here in the United States.
The World Choir Games sprang from the Olympics
ideal of bringing people together in a fair competition, but this festival is
not a sports festival, it is a singing festival, a two-week span devoted to
nothing but choral music. Such
heaven! Choirs of all ages, style
categories and ability can sing competitively, go for the gold as it were, or
on a non-competitive track, but the most important thing is the gathering
together, and the singing.
Choir TV?! Imagine,
a World Choir Games website devoted to choral music videos from the Games. There are fabulous performances to watch and
enjoy, such as this three-minute one by the Stellenbosch University Choir in
South Africa. Watch the passionate involvement in their faces, watch how their bodies respond to the rhythm—so musical!
But the video I found most touching was one of a prison
choir that couldn’t make it to the Games, for obvious reasons. So the judges came to them, and brought along
a camera to record the prison performance as well as some interviews. The judges themselves were obviously deeply
moved, the singers' joy was palpable, and one of the prisoners gave some very perceptive
comments on the transformative power of music in his life. It is truly inspiring.
This is why so many people sing together in choirs!
Dr. Linda Gingrich
Artistic director, Master Chorus Eastside
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