International Federation for Choral Music

The China (Qiandongnan) International Folk Song Choral Festival and IFCM Voices Conference in Kaili.

Jointly organised by the Qiandongnan People's Government of Guizhou Province and the International Federation for Choral Music in the city of Kaili, the 2020 China (Qiandongnan) International Folk Song Choral Festival and IFCM Voices Conference will be held from July 31 to August 4, in Kaili, Guizhou Province, China. This itinerant festival focusing on the choral repertoire associated with folk songs is unique in the sense that the performances are given in diverse locations around the province, allowing it to reach out to audiences far from the main cities.

For the 2018 China (Qiandongnan) International Folk Song Choral Festival and IFCM Voices Conference, these were the invited choirs:

• The Asia Pacific Youth Choir (from numerous nations along the Asia Pacific Rim)
• Le Chant sur la Lowé (Gabon)
• Gioventù in Cantata (Italy)
• The Ensemble Evergreen (Japan)
• Coro Arturo Beruti (Argentina)
• The Missouri State University Chorale (USA)

The local choirs were

• The Zhongshan Choir
• The Guilin LiangJiangSiHu Choir
• The Zhongshan Seven Rainbows Choir
• The Qiannan ShuiZuGuGe Choir
• The Kaili Miao Language and Literature Base Choir
• The Qiandongnan Prefecture Elderly University Women’s and Mixed Choirs
• The Kaili Musicians’ Association Choir
• The Kaili Cultural Centre FengHua Choir
• The Qiandongnan Prefecture Elderly University QiYue Choir
• The Kaili No. 10 Elementary School Children’s Choir
• The MiaoLinHuiFeng Women’s Choir
• The Ministry of Culture and Tourism Elderly Artists’ Choir
• The Tianjin Binhai New Area Rainbow Teachers’ Choir
• The China Agricultural University Student Choir
• The Beijing Youth Choir
• The Guizhou Literary Federation ShanYun Choir
• The Qiandongnan QingShuiJiang Harmonic Choir
• The Kaili City Choir
• The Kaili University A’YangXin Choir
• The Liping DongZuDaGe Choir
• The Congjiang DongZuDaGe Choir
• The Rongjiang DongZuDaGe Children’s Choir.

''...After an excellent meal shared by all of the choirs on the outskirts of the Leishan rice fields, the choirs travelled to the Liping Natural Bridge. This experience was unique in many ways. First, I was impressed by the beauty of the trail that led to this ancient natural bridge, with its vibrant forest and the couple of small caverns we found along the way. Then, we finally arrived at the stunning bridge, a 256-metre natural arch stretching over the Fulu River—the largest natural bridge in the world. During our visit, a local ensemble delighted us with several traditional folk tunes, including one sung from the river, which seemed to be a love song performed by a couple. Naturally, and given the special acoustic conditions of the area, the international choirs each spontaneously performed one song, making the moment a truly international exchange opportunity.'' Cristian Grases (ICB Volume XXXVI, Number 4).

Read more about the China (Qiandongnan) International Folk Song Choral Festival and IFCM Voices Conference in an article written by Cristian Grases in the International Choral Bulletin (October 2018)

The Liping Natural Bridge gives the special accoustic conditions of the area