Applications Open for the Esker Festival Choir 2023
This year Esker Festival Orchestra is celebrating its 10th anniversary with two performances of Gustav Mahler’s 2nd Symphony in Galway Cathedral (Saturday, August 19) and St Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin (Sunday, August 20). The concerts will feature the ninety-piece Esker Festival Orchestra and also feature Irish National Opera Studio Members, Kathleen Nic Dhiarmada and Madeline Judge as vocal soloists.
For the first time, Esker Festival Orchestra are establishing a Festival Choir. The Esker Festival Orchestra will be open to all enthusiastic choral singers of all ages from all over Ireland. The only requirement is that you can read music to a reasonable level and have some experience singing in choirs. Learn more about applying here. There will be no cost to take part, but any travel, meals, or accommodation required must be arranged personally. In order to apply, simply fill out this form or email Esker Festival Orchestra.
As there will be two concerts, one in Galway and one in Dublin there will be a number of rehearsals in those two cities in the weeks before the performances. Attendance at at least two of the rehearsals, and the relevant dress rehearsal is mandatory for participation. It is not mandatory to sing in both concerts, but highly encouraged of course.
For professional singers or participants in the Sing Ireland Choral Conducting School, attendance at one rehearsal and the dress rehearsal will be sufficient.
A PDF of the music and practice materials are available upon request. There is of course no requirement to work on the piece with your choir in advance but it would be appreciated.
About Esker Festival Orchestra:
The Esker Festival Orchestra was set up in 2014 to provide a high quality, beneficial and meaningful musical opportunity for young emerging musicians from all across Ireland and for the first time to have an orchestra of this quality and scope based in Galway. The orchestra was set up to fill the musical and social void that currently exists in Ireland by allowing young musicians from across the country to perform together, socialise together and to build relationships that will be essential during their personal and professional lives, to promote and develop orchestral music in Ireland by nurturing the talents of its emerging musicians and crucially to provide all of this with as little financial burden as possible on the musicians themselves. Finally it is unique in that it is entirely led and run by its members for its members, allowing those taking part to gather invaluable first-hand experience in the world of orchestral music. The Esker Festival Orchestra now also welcomes international members each year, allowing musicians from across the world to come to Ireland, perform together and to meet and learn from their international colleagues and peers, further developing the impact and reputation of orchestral music in Ireland and abroad.
