CORNWALL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2009

                                     Altogether a hundred or so choristers and friends left Audley under grey skies on Thursday the 30th of April  at 9.00 am and arrived in our Newquay Hotel some seven hours later with the weather greatly improved. The Kilbirnie on Narrowcliffe Drive proved to be an excellent hotel with good facilities and excellent food. The majority of choirs were based in Newquay -ALCESTER MALE CHOIR occupied the hotel "next door".

After dinner a group went to the Newquay Methodist Church to hear four choirs including St Stythians, who visited Audley a while ago and Alcester Male Voice Choir.Hermitage,a group of five men from St Petersburg, treated us to a varied programme of typical Russian Church Music as well as some Russian Folk Songs. It was a most enjoyable concert and a prelude to what were to expect during our stay.

                                       Although on the chilly side Friday began with sunshine and two of us took advantage of the symposium held a few yards from our hotel and featured eminent musicologists from America and Sweden.Vocal exercises featured prominently as well as a fascinating demonstration about the placing of choristers with the group.In the afternoon we made our way to the Newquay Church where Colne Valley MVC were holding an open rehearsal led by their conductor Thom Meredith. Meanwhile the remainder of our party visited Padstow where a Festival was in full swing. In the evening the choir took part in the International Gala Concert in the Hall for Cornwall in Truro with NANKERSEY, ALCESTER,WEYBRIDGE , SVERDLOVSK MALE CHOIRS and VOCAL SIX from Sweden also taking part.It was a great concert in spite of the rather dry acoustic. Fortified by beverage from a nearby hostelry and a few chips Audley Choir gave an impromptu outdoor rendering to passers by and those who were leaving the concert. Choristers from other choirs joined in and it proved to be a fitting end to the day. Organization of the concert was very good indeed as it was throughout our stay.

                                      Saturday was the competitive day and the choir took part in the over 40 class.We acquitted ourselves very well indeed.The competition was held in the Hall for Cornwall. The choir was due to sing at 2.40 pm and the time was almost spot on.It was quite a nice day weather wise and competing choirs gathered outside the hall and made for a magnificent sight.We were allowed a rehearsal in an upper room of the Hall before talking our place on the platform.As usual with competitions the allotted time compared to the preceding rehearsals flew by and we soon found ourselves outside the hall enjoying the sunshine and fellowship. Having sang in the hall the previous evening and having relatively little trouble with the acoustic it certainly appeared "different" during the competition. Still it was the same for all choirs!!The adjudication was at 5.00pm and congratulations are due to The Four Lanes Choir one of the local Cornish choirs , who won First Prize.The repertoire of" own choices" varied greatly and for a competition of this standard perhaps at least one set piece should be mandatory-just a thought.It has been some years since the choir had entered a competitive festival and the first time for many of our choristers. Nevertheless all thought the experience very worthwhile. After a most enjoyable meal in our hotel an evening of Choir socialising ensued which would have done the bar profits no harm at all!! Some went to bed rather late.   

                                                                                                                                                                                  

              Sunday for us was designated a "free" day and a number of  activities,with different degrees of difficulty,ensued. A popular walk was into the town, which seems to be undergoing big changes, making regular stops for refreshment on the way.The Cornish pasties tasted particularly good.Some went to St Ives and the more energetic went on a cliff walk-everyone returned safely.Some preferred to just relax and talk. Meal time was 4.00 PM in order to be ready for a 5.30PM start to our next concert venue in Bude. It was a glorious evening and the one and a quarter hour journey was a delight.Our venue was Bude Methodist Church and in spite of slight logistical problems a very good concert was enjoyed by a large and appreciative audience .Launceston ,Hart and ourselves formed the home Male Voice Choir contingent and the overseas representative was the Warsaw Boys Choir Everyone was most impressed with the Warsaw Boys Choir under the dynamic leadership of Kzrystof Kusiel-Moroz.The concert ended at 9.30PM and a gathering of choristers took place in the Church Hall where there was some impromptu singing. It was a pity we couldn't take part in the arranged "afterglow" but our coaches had to leave by 10.30PM.It was nice to meet other choristers and their conductors including Valerie Hoppe who had arranged "Another Day" for the Hope House Hospice. We did make contact with a lady who originated from Tunstall and who was delighted to see and hear us. Also a relative of the Brassington family who live in Audley, a member of the Hart Choir, made himself known to us. An autobiography which his cousin had written came to light shortly after we returned home and it proved to be a jolly good read.It had been another very enjoyable day.
   

Our slot at the Eden Project on Monday was scheduled for 12.30PM following the excellent SVERDLOVSK MALE COLLEGE CHOIR who had treated the listeners to a superb programme which ended with a scintillating performance of the Flight of the Bumble Bee. The acoustic in the Mediterranean Biome was excellent and the facilities first class including a keyboard provided for our accompanist.Our singing seemed to be well appreciated by a large audience and included in our thirty minute programme were the Smugglers Song ,The Ghosts High Noon, and What Would I Do Without my Music.

Our singing over we listened to some of the other choirs from home and abroad.      Over 56 choirs are said to have participated in the week long Festival involving some 3000 singers.

Choirs were involved in 37 Festival Concerts and events held in 32 venues.

Peter Davies the Festival Director and his team are to be congratulated on the organization of the event. He was backed up a superb team including the hard working stewards and comperes at the various events.

          Our own small choir committee responsible for the arrangements did a fine job as did BAKERS COACHES who were entrusted with our safe transportation. We arrived home the following day a somewhat tired but happy group.