Young singers from a South African Methodist college will be making a voyage of discovery as well as a journey half way round the world when the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival bursts across the Cornish scene from the 2nd to 6th of May.

The Duke of Cornwall Singers from St Stithians Boys' College and the St Stithians Boys' Preparatory Barons will learn more about the heritage of their school, in Johannesburg, which was named after the 1859 birthplace of one of its benefactors - Albert Charles Collins originally of Stithians, Cornwall.

During the Festival they will get to sing alongside their namesake St Stythians Male Voice Choir, one of 28 Cornish choirs among the 60 of all ages and nationalities taking part in the largest event of its kind in the world – with its 50 concerts and competitions in more than 40 venues right across Cornwall.

"We are very excited to bring our boys over to Cornwall to take part in this great festival," says St Stithians' Head of Music, Yvette Schoeman. "It will be a wonderful experience not just to be meeting and singing with other choirs from around the world, but it is particularly significant for us to be in the very place which gave our school its name and so much of its culture and heritage."

“So many international choirs have strong links with Cornwall,” says the Festival's Artistic Director Gareth Churcher. “Just as the 19th century Cornish miners and their families took their skills and technologies across the globe, so they also took their vibrant music and culture.

“Alongside the sheer joy of sharing the wonderful male voice tradition with thousands of people during the Festival, our visitors are often overwhelmed to see the Cornish Mining World Heritage Sites as the engine houses here are exactly the same as the ones built by Cornish miners all over the world.”

As well as South Africa, international choirs will be travelling from Australia and Canada, Russia, Lithuania and Croatia, Finland and the Netherlands, while another 22 choirs will be descending on Cornwall from England, Scotland and Wales.

This is the ninth biennial Festival and the event has rapidly grown in stature and reputation on a world stage. The 2017 Festival was a huge cultural and economic success for Cornwall with more than two thousand singers performing for more than forty five thousand people in venues from the Minack Theatre to St Michael's Mount and from Mevagissey to Bude.

British composer, conductor and singer Bob Chilcott – himself described as a contemporary hero of British Choral Music – says the Cornish event, “has become a vital part of the choral festival landscape here in this country. It is an important showcase for choirs from all over the world and gives strong voice to this genre of singing. I am very happy and honoured to be able to show support for the great work of this festival."

The big change this year is that owing to major building works at the Hall for Cornwall, Truro Cathedral will be hosting all the international concerts and competitions which have previously been shared with HfC.

Full details of the 2019 Cornwall International Male Choral Festival including films and photos from previous events can be found on the Festival website www.cimcf.uk  . Festival concert tickets are on sale via the CIMCF website and the Cornwall Riviera Box Office –www.crbo.co.uk   -  which also has information about its local box offices within various Tourist Offices around Cornwall.

ENDS

Notes to Editors…

• Photographs – free to use – a picture credit for INTERKULTUR (St Stithians) and/or Phil Monckton (St Petersburg) much appreciated.
• The 2019 Festival will run from May 2nd to 6th – all details including festival films, background and photos from previous festivals can be found at www.cimcf.uk
• The Festival was inaugurated in 2003 and is held every two years.
• The Festival is a non-profit making company, limited by guarantee and is a registered charity.
• It is supported by its patrons, sponsored by a wide range of local businesses and helped by more than 400 volunteers - to all of whom the Board is sincerely grateful.

Contacts:-

Gareth Churcher -  director@cimcf.uk    / 07584 296961. 

Louise Midgley Communications –  louise@midgleycomms.co.uk / 01326319884 / 07831 696093  /