Cork Choral Festival launched as organisers note accommodation challenges for participants
Cork International Choral Festival artistic director Peter Stobart with members of The Wilcollane Singers at the launch of the event's 70th anniversary programme. Picture: Clare Keogh
The director of Cork’s longest-running festival has cited increased accommodation costs as an issue for festival performers and festival-goers in recent years.
This May bank holiday, the Cork International Choral Festival, which brings together choirs and music lovers for a celebration of choral excellence, celebrates 70 years since the inaugural festival was established.
This year, the festival will fill more than 5,000 bedrooms in hotels and accommodations across the city, with more than 117 performing groups, including 20 international choirs, set to travel from all over to take part in the festival.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, festival director Peter Stobart explained that performers are responsible for finding accommodation, while the festival covers transport costs, and said that the limited availability of affordable rooms has proved a challenge for those attending.
“There are new places [to stay] that have appeared very recently, and that's a good thing from our point of view, but accommodation really is quite expensive. I think there are enough places to stay, but whether it's affordable or not is a totally different matter,” said Mr Stobart as the event was launched on Wednesday at Cork City Hall.
“There are lots of international choirs of young people. Students aged 18 to 30 would be a high proportion of the age ranges of international visitors, and whether they can afford the Cork rates, that's the difficulty.
“The costs that we bear is transport. So, it might be that the choir decides that they can't afford to stay in the city, so they decide to stay in Carrigaline, for example, and the festival will then cover the cost of their transport.
“So, it's not just hotel rates for the visitors, it's also coach bus rates for us, because maybe the visitors have decided to stay further away than is ideal.”
Stobart spoke of the “huge logistical operation” involved in ensuring everyone is in the right place at the right time, with more than 700 international visitors set to perform at this year’s festival.
Stobart said he anticipates a successful festival full of colour, singing, and multiple cultures.
At the core of the festival is the prestigious Fleischmann International Trophy Competition, which attracts some of the world’s finest amateur choirs to compete at the highest level, as well as a range of performances across venues including Cork City Hall, St Coleman’s Cathedral in Cobh, St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, the Marina Market, and on streets across the city.
“We’ve got 20 international choirs visiting - they've got to be the highlight; I think they always are. They bring a variety of colourful costumes, as well as singing, multiple different languages, and different styles. All of that being brought into Cork is such a significant thing. There'll be 700 international visitors just in the choirs,” he said.
- The Cork International Choral Festival takes place from April 30 to May 4. See www.corkchoral.ie
