International Federation for Choral Music

The Choralies Festival 2019: a great success

The 23^rd edition of this unique festival offered a week of choral singing to all those who love to sing and listen to choral music. More than 4,000 participants came to Vaison-la-Romaine, France, for jam-packed days of singing, concerts, and summer warmth. Everyone left with their ears overflowing with magnificent music, their eyes brimming with smiles, their brains exhausted, and their muscles aching.

In the morning, 40 or so workshops with guest conductors from all over the world enabled participants to discover new music or to rediscover choral masterpieces. In the afternoon, around 100 concerts took place in six venues throughout the town of Vaison-la-Romaine. Concerts were provided by both those taking part in the festival and touring choirs; as well, there were a number of regional projects that culminated in performances in the city. Each evening, the ancient Roman theatre came alive with the sound of Open Singing - everyone singing together - followed by Gala Concerts with varied and sometimes intense programmes which made us reflect on our passion for choral singing as well as the society in which we live.

From an artistic perspective, all the feedback has been extremely positive. People were happy with the workshops, the interesting and varied afternoon concerts in which everyone gave their best, the high quality evening performances, the tremendous Open Singing sessions, and the productions created and produced by dedicated members of À Cœur Joie. From the participant survey and congratulatory emails, it is clear that Choralies Festival 2019 was a success, not only from a musical point of view but also in terms of the logistics, the preparations, the warm welcome, and the smooth running of the festival.

Until 2022 for the 24^th edition of the Choralies Festival in Vaison-la-Romaine.