[Source: INTERKULTUR] Thousands of spectators witnessed the unique atmosphere that characterizes the so-called "Olympic Games for Choirs!” digitally and live on site. The more than 300 choirs participating both virtually and live closed the World Choir Games solemnly on Sunday, November 7, during the Closing Ceremony at the Expo in Antwerp.

The Flemish edition stood out in particular for its inclusive character and innovative approach. In 2022, the 12th World Choir Games will be held in Gangneung, South Korea.

At the Closing Ceremony of the World Choir Games 2018 in South Africa, Flanders was announced as the next host region. These World Choir Games were to be the "most inclusive games ever" - a great challenge. For the past three years, the organization had been working on a large festival involving people from a wide range of backgrounds, with a focus on togetherness and solidarity.

Director Koenraad De Meulder looks back on the past edition with great pride: "What seemed almost impossible, we made possible with the 11th edition of the World Choir Games. To be able to sing again, to be on stage and to enjoy it together: that was a godsend. With the momentum of the 11th edition, we will now give even more people the chance to sing together."

Inclusion and Innovation

The World Choir Games have excelled in more than just inclusion. Covid-19 forced the organizers to drastically rethink the concept of the World Choir Games. For the first time in their history, the World Choir Games were held in a hybrid format. Thanks to the Virtual Village, choirs from all over the world were able to witness and even actively participate in the event.

In addition, the World Choir Games collaborated with IMEC to develop the Music Box. With this state-of-the-art technology, choirs from all over the world can sing together without delays and in optimal sound quality. Most meeting software is still inadequate for this purpose due to the delay in transmission.

"Due to Covid, these World Choir Games were of course the most unusual event the Choir Olympic movement has ever experienced," said INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch.

"The Virtual Village and the virtual competitions were an excellent stopgap to allow all those to participate who could not travel themselves to see and enjoy the Games live here in Flanders. I am happy that so many international choirs took the opportunity to participate virtually, but I am especially proud of all the choirs who enchanted us with their beautiful music in the many fantastic concerts last week."

Musical Flanders

The World Choir Games were also a great success in musical terms. Despite Corona restrictions, more than 300 choirs participated live and digitally in the 11th edition of the event. The free-of-charge Friendship Concerts that took place outside the competitions also attracted hundreds or thousands of spectators.

"An unexpected success! What an atmosphere, what an emotion! With the singers at the shows and their competitions, but at least as much with the entire team, which has done an incredible job to make such a great international singing event possible in the current conditions. Warm-heartedness, togetherness and smiling faces - this is what I remember from the World Choir Games 2021 Flanders," said Sophie Detremmerie, COO of the World Choir Games 2021 Flanders.

"We have all experienced a unique and heart-warming event over the past 9 days. The World Choir Games have shown us the importance of this amateur art," said Luc Delrue, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture. "We have once again given a stage to the many thousands of singers and choral enthusiasts. We have seen again the passion and the pure joy of making music together, of singing. And that was visibly good!"

Choral flame moves on to South Korea

After this 11th edition of the World Choir Games, Flanders will be on the list of former host regions together with cities like Bremen (Germany), Cincinnati (USA) and Sochi (Russia). INTERKULTUR organizes the World Choir Games every two years.

Due to the Corona crisis and the related restrictions, the Flemish edition of the singing festival was postponed for more than a year. Therefore, the next games will be held again as early as 2022. The South Korean coastal city of Gangneung takes over the choir flame from Antwerp and Ghent.

[Source: Interkultur] This year, the biggest singing event in the world is coming to Flanders. Starting on October 30, more than 300 choirs from all corners of the world will take part in the 11th edition of the World Choir Games for a week. On September 15, the President of INTERKULTUR Günter Titsch and the Director of the World Choir Games 2021 Flanders Koenraad De Meulder officially kicked off both the campaign and ticket sale for the singing festival at the Handelsbeurs in Antwerp. Flemish Minister of Culture Jan Jambon, Flemish Minister of Tourism Zuhal Demir and the Mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever were also present.

Every two years since 2000, INTERKULTUR has organized the World Choir Games, the so-called "Olympic Games for choirs". This 11th edition, Antwerp and Ghent are the host cities. From 30 October to 7 November they will be the scene of the world's largest singing festival. In doing so, they are following in the footsteps of cities such as Bremen, Cincinnati and Sochi. The organization expects more than 300 choirs to participate both live and digitally.

During this musical week there will be many events in and around the two Flemish host cities. Not only competitions, but also ceremonies, gala concerts and workshops. Ticket sales start today. The Friendship Concerts are free of charge. Given the current pandemic, which has already postponed the Choir Games by a year, unfortunately not all choirs can physically attend. The organization of the singing festival therefore developed a unique digital platform. This gives choirs the opportunity to contribute to the unique, cohesive atmosphere of the World Choir Games from their home countries.

Digital, social and fun

For the first time, the World Choir Games will be a hybrid event. "We are proud to present our innovative digital platform 'The Virtual Village' today. The unique concept offers the choirs, who in the current context cannot travel to Flanders, the chance to compete for eternal glory in the Virtual Games," says Sophie Detremmerie, COO of the World Choir Games 2021 Flanders. "But also the visitors will be able to enjoy the unique atmosphere of this event via the daily live streams in the digital Music Hall at home." The versatility of the Virtual Village is enormous.

"There is something for everyone," Sophie Detremmerie continues. "The host cities have worked out tourist content in 2D and 3D for the international singers in the digital Tourist Office, unique blogs and vlogs will appear, choirs can meet colleagues from all over the world in a virtual café, ..." Moreover, through a unique collaboration, the choirs will also be seen in more than 30 Flemish residential care centers. This way, the residents can attend the concerts in a safe way.

The Choral Flame brings light through Flanders

By analogy with the Olympic flame, the World Choir Games have a Choral Flame. It was handed over to Flanders in Tshwane (South Africa), the previous host city. On September 15, it was re-lit and began a five-week relay trip to numerous Flemish cities. The Choral Flame is a symbol of the warmth that singing together spreads in society. You can also follow the Koorvlam in the Virtual Village. The effect of the flame reaches further. Special efforts were made to involve disadvantaged groups in the Studio Koorvlam event. For example, a caravan travels through Flanders stopping at people with dementia, with physical disabilities, people in poverty and at an interfaith singing group. 

Flemish cultural heritage

Flanders was not randomly chosen as host region. Singing is an important element of our culture. Today Flanders has more than 1,000 choirs and 35,000 singers. No less than 1 in 3 Flemings are directly or indirectly involved in an amateur arts organization such as a choir. This puts us at the top of the lists worldwide in terms of cultural participation. Flemish Minister-President and Minister of Culture, Jan Jambon: "Flanders has a rich tradition in the field of vocal culture. We are therefore very proud to be able to organize the World Choir Games this year. The Games allow the many participating Flemish choirs to meet their international colleagues in a creative and inspiring way. Moreover, in this way Flanders gets the chance to show itself from its best side with our heritage and our gastronomy."

Meeting point for the international World Choir Council

In addition to the numerous concerts and virtual meetings, the General Conference of the World Choir Council marks also an important part of the World Choir Games. "It is a fantastic sign that we can also hold the General Conference of our most important advisory body in Flanders – live and virtually! More than 120 representatives from over 90 countries and regions are invited to come together to discuss current developments in the international choral scene and to exchange practical experience. Thus, as ambassadors, they will bring confidence to the choirs in their home countries, motivate them and make the stages of the world resound again soon", says Günter Titsch, President of INTERKULTUR, the World Choir Games & World Choir Council.

Tickets for the competitions, workshops, ceremonies Main Ceremonies and Celebration Concerts will be on sale starting September 15 through the World Choir Games website, www.wcg2021.be. The Virtual Village is accessible free of charge beginning September 15, at www.virtualvillage.be.

The World Choir Games are an international choir event of INTERKULTUR. The WCG 2021 are organized in Flanders on the initiative of EventFlanders - a partnership of Tourism Flanders, the Department of Culture, Youth and Media and the Department of Foreign Affairs - the cities of Antwerp and Ghent and Koor&Stem vzw. www.wcg2021.be.

[Source: Interkultur] The World Choir Games, also known as the Olympics of Choral Music, will be held exceptionally in October/November. "Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures. Corona will not get our choirs down! The Games will go on!": the Flemish government and INTERKULTUR decided to postpone the World Choir Games for a second time.

Minister Jambon explains: "Many people have sacrificed a lot and made efforts to get through pandemic last year. Also our thousands of choir singers in Flanders and all their enthusiastic fellow singers from all over the world. We have already had to postpone a fantastic event - the World Choir Games - once. Now, however, the summer period is also coming too soon. Choirs want to be able to rehearse, practice and work together towards the event for a few months, but that is not yet possible. Also, the numbers are still uncertain, even for many foreign choirs."

However, INTERKULTUR and the Flemish government have come together in the determination to give a perspective to the international singers also in these extraordinary times. With the decision to let the World Choir Games exceptionally take place in autumn, the Flemish government and INTERKULTUR react to the overall positive dynamics around the World Choir Games.

The decision to postpone is a decision about giving perspective, according to Minister-President and Minister of Culture Jan Jambon: "We are delighted that all partners have agreed to a feasible date, so that in 2021 we can still bring this top event to Flanders. It is a bright spot for many passionate singers at home and abroad who have been deprived of their stage for so long. I have felt an enormous urge to make this event happen, even in these special times.”

The health, welfare and safety of the participating choirs, the supporters who travel with them and the many fans and visitors in Flanders are and remain top priority. And although the scale of the event will obviously have to be adjusted, and some parts of the program will have to be reviewed again, all parties involved are welcoming this development as a turning point after a particularly difficult period. It will be a special – rather emotional – moment for everybody that will leave many deeply moved.

INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch: “After months of restrictions, overcoming the crisis now seems within reach. I am very pleased that together with our partners in Flanders and especially through the personal support of Minister-President Jambon, we have found a good way to let the 11th World Choir Games 2021 take place with the greatest possible security for all participants. This fall we will show to everyone: The international choral world is back and will finally sing on a world stage again!”

The World Choir Games will have an innovative virtual component in addition to the live event. It was also the corona crisis that led to the move to the virtual. Koor&Stem drew up a digital concept for the development of a 'Virtual Village' for the World Choir Games. This tool enables all the choirs that are unable to participate in the 11th edition, to still actively participate in the Games. It involves not only streaming of the main events, workshops and concerts, but also international meetings and even competitions!

The Flemish Government, INTERKULTUR and Koor&Stem are ready to work together with the cities of Antwerp and Ghent to make the 11th edition of the World Choir Games from October 30 to November 7, 2021 an unforgettable event! They are convinced that all sponsors and partners will help compose this musical story. Together, they aim for nothing less than the best edition ever in the history of the World Choir Games.

All the details regarding the autumn edition of the World Choir Games 2021 are now available at www.wcg2021.com.

Registration for the World Choir Games 2020 closed on December 2, with a record 542 choirs from 69 countries and regions registering. This is more than ever before in the 20-year history of the event.

Every two years since 2000, INTERKULTUR has invited the world to the Olympic Games of choral music: the World Choir Games. Each time hosts like Austria, Korea, Germany, China, the USA, Latvia, Russia, and South Africa have brought a new and unique atmosphere to this largest international choir competition in the world. In 2020 Flanders in Belgium will be the next welcoming host for 21,000 singers from all over the world.

Expectations are high for these 11th World Choir Games. The host country Belgium is sending 133 choirs to the event, which will showcase Belgian choral traditions to their international guests. Other countries with an outstanding number of participating choirs are China (82), Russia (52), South Africa (39), and the USA (29). All these countries have previously hosted the World Choir Games.

“It’s our special pleasure that so many choirs from former host countries of the World Choir Games decided to follow the event to Flanders next year,” said INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch.

“It shows us that we’re on the right track: Once infected by World Choir Games fever you can’t resist of participating over and over again. The World Choir Games 2020 will be the largest event so far, and I’m really looking forward to seeing people from all over the world bringing their music and voices to Flanders.”

Ticket sales for the Opening Ceremony of the World Choir Games 2020 also opened on December 5. The event takes place in the Sportpaleis in Antwerp on 5 July, marking the festive opening of the World Choir Games 2020 with a fascinating music show on stage. Participating choirs already have a seat reserved; all others can purchase their tickets here.

[Source: www.interkultur.com)