[Source: Interkultur] Since 2013 the European Choir Games, the European Championships of Choral Singing has brought together choirs from across Europe and the world. During an 8-day festival of singing cities like Graz (Austria), Magdeburg (Germany), Riga (Latvia), and Gothenburg (Sweden) were already transformed in a big stage of international singing in recent years.

The success of the WCG is built on the expertise of the German-based organization INTERKULTUR, the world’s largest organizer of international choir competitions. INTERKULTUR´s biggest success to date was to bring the antique Olympic idea to the choral community. The World Choir Games 2000 in Linz, Austria was the beginning of a Choir Olympic movement and has developed into the world’s largest international choir competition in the world. The 11^th edition of the event has just closed in Flanders, Belgium on November 7. With the European Choir Games INTERKULTUR has transferred the idea to the European continent.

The event regularly brings together around 200 choirs and 8,000 participants from roughly 50 Europan nations and beyond – a unique opportunity to showcase the own city to the world!

There are still hosting opportunities for 2023 and 2025! If you’re interested to receive further information please contact host@europeanchoirgames.com and visit http://host.europeanchoirgames.com

WACH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttYMndSr7lM

[Source: The Sports Consultancy] With the World Choir Games 2021 in Flanders underway (October 30 – November 7), INTERKULTUR – the world’s leading organiser of international choir competitions – has already seen strong interest in the European Choir Games hosting opportunities for 2023 and 2025.

The European Choir Games – the European Championships of singing – is an 8-day festival that brings together 8,000 participants from over 50 countries from across Europe and beyond.

Through a newly launched host procurement process, INTERKULTUR will appoint host partners for the 2023 and potentially 2025 editions of the European Choir Games and have partnered with London based agency The Sports Consultancy (TSC) to run the bidding process.

In partnership with each host, INTERKULTUR will co-create as much of a bespoke, multi-dimensional partnership as possible to uniquely showcase each host’s destination, deliver choral and cultural legacies and drive visitation – with 90% of participants attending from outside the host market, the total economic impact of the event is independently estimated at approximately €10 million.

INTERKULTUR has received a total of 20 Expressions of Interest for 2023 and 2025 and is now moving through to the Candidate phase of the process.

There is however still time for other cities to join the process – interested cities should contact host@europeanchoirgames.com to receive further information on the hosting opportunities.

"When one choir sings that's great, when two choirs sing together that's better, but when you get as in these INTERKULTUR events with many choirs, then there is an energy which flows from it, which is not like anything else, except maybe a great sports event" — John Rutter, composer (Great Britain).

Choir competitions bring out a feeling that you can’t really get anywhere else, except maybe at a big sporting event like the Olympic Games. And that’s why the World Choir Games started in the first place to give singing its own huge event — bringing the excitement and unity that we feel at major sport events into the world of singing.

Since 1988 the German-based company INTERKULTUR has been organising international choir competitions and festivals; since 2000 they have been organising the world’s largest international choir competition in the world: the World Choir Games, also known as the Olympics of Choral Music. But at each of the individual INTERKULTUR events – be it a smaller-sized regional event or at a huge choir competition with more than 20.000 participants – both participants and organisers can witness the same thing: choir competitions create a special atmosphere.

And that is why in 2022, INTERKULTUR is doing something big again. Sing for Gold — The World Choral Cup will take place in Calella/Barcelona. It’s an exciting addition to the World Choir Games, and another opportunity to see a global community of choirs compete in this new competition with a clear reference to the world of sports: This new event will feature choirs from all around the world, all vying for the first ever World Cup of Choirs!

And, when you start to think about the world of sports and competitive singing, you find a lot of similarities. Maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising that they deliver such a similar feeling.

The Sport of Song

Anyone who has sung in a choir knows that it is truly a unique experience. When your voice joins with others, following music that you have practiced together for a long time, magic happens. You start to lose yourself in the activity, and for a while, the group works as one.

That feeling of community is special. It’s a big part of why choral music will always be an important part of the art and culture of humanity.

And anyone who has played team sports will know that this same feeling can appear on the field (or the court, or wherever else the game is played). Playing together with a shared goal brings teams in unison. There are moments in a game when the team is completely absorbed in the act of seeking victory, working as one. Again, it’s magic.

Part of the unity in both choral singing and team sports comes from the physicality of both. Singing at a high level is a full body workout, and in a choir, you have to match your performance to others. It really is physically demanding like any sport, pushing singers to treat their bodies well.

And there is an even bigger kind of unity that begins to form in both competitive choral singing and sports. Because there are people in the stands who become attached to the action.

You can really feel it at the World Choir Games. Spectators come to see their country’s choir succeed. It isn’t that they want anyone to lose, it’s that they feel a certain pride in their own country’s singers. And who can deny that the same is true of the world of sports?

Go Team, Go!

Feeling all of this connection to others is the essence of what it means to be human. We connect with an important part of ourselves that is often absent from much of our day-to-day life.

And when you add competition into the mix, the excitement that can erupt is pure joy.

In the World Choir Games, as with any sport, the competition drives the action. It gives people a goal and forces them to be better than they’ve ever been before. And it creates a framework to understand exactly what you need to do to succeed.

For spectators, a competition gives us a direct way to understand when something good happens for our team, and when something bad happens. And it lets us all cheer as one.

It’s like a dramatic machine — instantly producing emotional highs and lows that we all feel together. 

The Electricity in the Air

These features make it clear that competitive singing and sports have a lot in common. And events like the upcoming SING FOR GOLD — The World Choral Cup 2022 in Calella/Barcelona or the World Choir Games and its worldwide Choir Olympic Movement promise to deliver the same thrills as the next big sporting event.

Go and visit www.worldofchoirs.com to find out how you can host a huge choir event in you host city bringing it the same energy and emotional feelings as any big sports event!

[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.