Nanaimo Sings! launches inaugural festival
Monday, September 29 2008
NANAIMO, BC - For the first time ever, 14 community choirs from Nanaimo will come together to present Nanaimo Sings! A Festival of Choral Music, an unforgettable 3-day celebration of their unique choral and artistic strengths.
On October 16 and 17, each of the choirs will perform - not as a competition, but just for the sheer joy of singing - in one of the six Festival Concerts. These 1-hour concerts will be held at 5:30 pm and 8 pm at St. Paul’s Anglican Church and St. Andrew’s United Church. At each, two or three choirs will be featured in 20-30 minute mini-concerts.
On October 18, the Festival will culminate in a Gala Concert at 7:30 pm at The Port Theatre, at which all 14 choirs will perform both individually and en masse. The massed choir of over 400 voices will perform a specially commissioned suite of three songs written and conducted by respected British Columbia composer, Larry Nickel. Devon Joiner, Nanaimo’s phenomenal 18-year-old pianist, will be the guest accompanist for the massed-choir performance, and Joëlle Rabu will host the evening.
“Nanaimo Sings! is the result of the work of many dedicated people who are committed to celebrating the wonderful choirs in our area and to enhancing the arts and culture scene in this region. It promises to be a lot of fun and a great opportunity for music lovers to explore and be entertained by the richness and diversity of our choral community,” says Linda Dier, the Festival Planning Committee Chair. “Hopefully, this year’s festival will be the first of many.”
To round out the festival experience, organizers have teamed up with a number of restaurants and retailers in Nanaimo’s downtown district and Old City Quarter to create a Festival Partners program. Under the program, simply present a Festival Pass or Gala Concert ticket at any of the Festival Partners during the three days of the festival to take advantage of great special promotions as you go shopping, get pampered, have dinner, and/or indulge in an after-show treat.
Festival Passes and Gala Concert Tickets are available through The Port Theatre Box Office: (250) 754-8550 or online at www.porttheatre.com. Festival Passes for $15 are valid for all six concerts on October 16 and 17; single-concert admission is $10 cash at the door. Seating is by general admission at all Festival Concerts. Gala Concert Tickets are $20 with reserved seating.
Nanaimo Sings! wishes to thank 2010 Legacies Now, Masters Touch Catering and City of Nanaimo for their generous support.
For full details about Nanaimo Sings!, visit www.nanaimosings.com or call (250) 729-8676.
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