WORCESTER, U.K. -- This ground-breaking, vibrant arts event (20 - 26 July) will see around four hundred young singers from eleven outstanding youth choirs from ten nations share their national musical traditions and cultures in a week-long event featuring a range of public concerts, street singing and workshops culminating in a Gala Concert in Worcester Cathedral.

On the first full day of the series of concerts and events, Saturday 20th July, the Festival kicks off with colourful Street Singing presentations in Worcester city centre by all the visiting choirs.

WIFYS Artistic Director Malcolm Goldring is anticipating the excitement: “The street-singing is going to be awesome! All the visiting choirs will be out in force on Saturday afternoon, sharing their singing from their native lands. When I’ve been to events like this on the continent, I’ve found it uplifting and very moving! The young singers really want to say ‘Hello’ to everyone who’s there.”

Fresh from their singing in the city’s street, all the choirs will come together in Worcester Cathedral at 7.30pm for the first ‘official’ event – the Welcome Concert. This is their chance to greet each other by sharing their music-making. As well as the choirs, the audience will be able to hear to pieces of music by Worcester’s very own Sir Edward Elgar sung by a specially-formed Welcome Choir, and directed by Goldring. Additionally, the splendid Worcester Cathedral organ can be heard in some rather unusual repertoire when the two Cathedral organists Peter Nardone and Christopher Allsop play some extraordinary organ duets.

Most concerts are free (although tickets may be required due to seating limitations at some venues). Tickets for the Welcome and Gala Concerts in the Cathedral are on sale via Worcester Live Box Office, Crowngate, telephone 01905 611427. The full listing of concerts in local churches and booking information is available at http://www.singuk.org/wifys/festival-events.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

You can watch a short video about the event here:

http://www.singuk.org/wifys-2013-its-coming

Participating Choirs:

April Girls Choir – Russia

Artemis Girls Choir – Belgium

Comunidad de Madrid Youth Choir – Spain

Domino Children’s Choir – Czech Republic

DO-RE-MI Children’s Choir – Austria

Ozarenie Chamber Choir – Russia

Sacred Heart Canossian College Choir – Hong Kong

Skowronki Girls Choir – Poland

Südpfalzlerchen Children’s and Youth Choir – Germany

Versme Children’s Choir – Lithuania

Young Singers from Worcestershire