[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 11th 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!
[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: 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.
[Source: Interkultur] Three regional meetings of the World Choir Council took place on August 25 and 26, 2021, where its members came together online to discuss current topics from the international choral scene.
The Regional Meetings were organized as a hybrid event for the first time. More than 100 participants from all over the world in total attended the meetings, including members of the World Choir Council and invited guests. The three conferences happened online with several additional events taking place at the same time in the City of Chengdu, China.
Hoping that this pilot project will lead to many other editions in the future, Mr. Günter Titsch, President of INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council said:
“The ’International Music Capital’ Chengdu played an elementary role, as a large part of the World Choir Council events took place live there. Participants from all over the world were digitally connected to the choral music workshops, master classes and a special symposium. The conference brought us a big step closer to our common goal of seeing choirs live on the stages of the world again. Special thanks to the City of Chengdu and the Chengdu Musical Fun Management Committee for the opportunity and to the China Chorus Association as well as "Chorus China" of Chinese Musicians Association for the opportunity”,
The focus of the regional meetings in August 2021 was mainly on mutual exchange and discussion rounds to hear the manifold voices and opinions of all World Choir Council Members. New ideas were born together and the participants learned from the broad expertise represented in the World Choir Council.
The topics of the three regional meetings varied for the different regions with the meeting for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and China focusing mainly on the role of choral music in boys’ education and on problems and challenges especially composers and arrangers are facing during the pandemic.
In the regional meetings with council members from North, Central and South America questions of Environmental Sustainability were discussed and the participants tried to find solutions on how to use their voices for a positive change. Also, they tried to find answers to the question on how children and youth choirs can be encouraged to sing again.
The last of the three regional meetings took place on August 26 with members from Europe and Africa. They addressed one of the biggest challenges of our times, namely to affect positive change in communities or countries where different ideologies are at odds within the population, and exchanged ideas around the use of choirs and choral singing as a vehicle to reach this goal. Further they discussed the different learnings from the Covid pandemic: What lessons can be learnt from the past 1.5 years and which rehearsal methods will live on?
All members of the World Choir Council who participated in the meeting were happy about the possibility of exchange with other choir experts, especially with regard to cultural differences, different measures and approaches in relation to the pandemic and the work with choir singers.
First Vice President of INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council, Ms Qin Wang was pleased about the wonderful opportunity to come together with the World Choir Council live and virtually through this pilot project:
“In the pandemic, our goal is to unite together, support each other and to help and motivate our choirs to return to the stage as soon as possible. Our hybrid event was a great start to reach this goal and I'm sure we will continue on this path in our future global and regional projects."
INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council hopes to continue the exchange in the future and to use the results to tailor future projects even better to the needs of the choral scene. For this purpose there will be an additional survey.
The next General Conference of the World Choir Council which traditionally gathers all council members at one place, is already being planned to take place on November 3, 2021 in Flanders, Belgium during the 11th World Choir Games.
The World Choir Games 2022 are being held in Gangneung, Korea. Prof. Hak-Won Yoon, one of the grand masters of Korean choir music, is working hard to host a successful event.
Conductor Prof. Hak-Won Yoon, often called the godfather of the Korean choral world, has left a great mark on the music world. In particular, he is famous for his contribution to the birth and revival of the Korean choral scene.
Further, he is known and highly appreciated internationally for his efforts to introduce Korean choir music to the world. New original compositions, but also "Korean Style" arrangements, were always a hallmark of his work.
High expectations for the World Choir Games 2022 in Korea
In 2022 the 12th World Choir Games – the largest international choir competition in the world held every two years on different continents – will take place in Yoon’s home country again: the city of Gangneung in the Gangwon Province will welcome amateur choristers from all around the world on July 4-14, 2022. In an interview with the Korean edition of “Choir & Organ” magazine published in the edition of July 2021, the maestro recently expressed his expectation for the Games and the meaning of holding the event in Korea for the second time after 20 years:
"The World Choir Games, a representative choral event hosted by INTERKULTUR, is a festival full of fun and with a high level of perfection, so that once you participate, you will fall in love with its charm and want to continue participating. In addition, the fair evaluation system established by INTERKULTUR for the contest, which accumulate into the foundation for fair competition along with the know-how accumulated over their 30-year history are also great advantages.
“The anticipation for the 12th World Choir Game to be held in Gangneung in 2022, 20 years after it was held in Busan, is very high. As a choir person, having the World Choir Games in Korea again is very meaningful and I have high expectations. I hope that this event will be an opportunity for another choral boom in Korea. The World Choir Games have enough elements to entertain the public. It's not just a stage event, it's a large-scale choral festival including a huge street parade in folk costumes. I hope that these merits will become widely known, and many choirs will participate and look forward to participating in the world-class choral festival in Gangneung for ten days.”
Working with a choral legend: Prof. Hak-Won Yoon’s cooperation with INTERKULTUR
Based on the spirit of the World Choir Games, 'Singing together brings nations together' Prof. Hak-Won Yoon has built a deep and long-term friendship with INTERKULTUR, the German-based organizer of the World Choir Games, and has supported its various activities at international choral events over the last decades:
“INTERKULTUR is the most powerful organization in the world to host international choral festivals. I think President Günter Titsch and INTERKULTUR have made a huge contribution to the choral world by successfully hosting a novel event with the World Choir Games. International choral festivals very greatly depend on who has organized them. There are many international choral festivals, but INTERKULTUR is unique in having a global organization. I participated several times and felt that the organization was good, and I also participated as a juror, and it was impressive to see a variety of different organizations participating.”
Honoring his work for the international choral world and his commitment to INTERKULTUR events, Prof. Hak-Won Yoon was even appointed Honorary Artistic President of INTERKULTUR, the World Choir Games and the World Choir Council in 2020. Until today Yoon supports and promotes the idea of INTERKULTUR and their mission of bringing people together through music. Events like the World Choir Games are important to promote choral singing as a whole – including all its artistic, entertaining, social and healthy aspects, which Yoon also summarizes in his most recent interview with Choir & Organ:
“Chorus is the basis of music. Chorus is something you do with someone other than yourself. If you want to be together, you naturally develop social skills because you think about other people and consider whether the balance is right. The best activity to develop character is choral singing.”
The World Choir Games go around the world, every two years in different cities on different continents, with the aim to spreading its message of peace and mutual understanding through choral singing to every choir and every singer in the world.
If you’re interested in hosting the event in your own city, please visit worldofchoirs.com
Everyone knows the saying "Music is the universal language of mankind" and this principle also underlies the work of the world's leading organizer of international choral competitions and festivals: INTERKULTUR. In this interview, we talked to founder and president Günter Titsch about his vision for the choral world, the background history of the worldwide organization INTERKULTUR and its global network between choirs, culture, cities and politics.
How does one come to establish an organization for choir competitions? What inspired you?
I have been active in choirs as a singer and chairman since my childhood and experienced early on how people and nations could be brought together through music. The power of music as a transcending link between nations is still the guiding principle of INTERKULTUR today: bringing nations together through song.
At the end of the 1980s, this vision began to become reality with the first choral trips from Germany to Hungary, behind the "Iron Curtain". At the first international choir competition we organized in 1988 in Budapest, the foundation was laid for today's global organization, and this set me on the path that would lead to the World Choir Games, also known as the Olympic Games of choral singing.
Were you able to imagine the success you would have with your vision and how influential your organization would become in a very short time?
I was aware of the power of music. The unifying element of enthusiasm for choral singing makes prejudices disappear, enables friendships across borders and creates a lively and peaceful togetherness beyond music without looking at nationalities, ideologies and religions.
In recent years, INTERKULTUR and the World Choir Games have created a great added value for their partner cities and organizations and have also gained a great economic importance. In general, the World Choir Games and all INTERKULTUR events have expanded tremendously over the past 30 years in terms of the audiences and markets they reach.
Looking back on the past decades, it fills me with pride how much our staff and partners have done and continue to do for choral music worldwide.
Your international team organizes events and competitions around the world all year round - what makes INTERKULTUR events so special compared to other choir competitions?
Probably the people and variety of our events. With our large international team, we are committed to reaching singers of all levels and ambitions.
One of our mottos is "participation is the highest honour" and this is also lived by many choirs. The competitions are open to all amateur choirs in the world. For singers, participating in an INTERKULTUR event can be a life-changing experience: Where else do you have the chance to meet people from all corners of the world, hear their music and experience their traditions in such a short time? Meeting people from other cultures and backgrounds changes your own view of the world and broadens your horizons.
And what about your partners, the host cities – what makes your events special to them?
The cities are the focus of the events and are a great additional incentive for the choirs to make the sometimes very long journeys. During the event, the city is filled with singing, music, international meetings, spontaneous street concerts and this unites not only the participating choirs, but above all the local population, retailers and restaurateurs.
At our major events, up to 30,000 participants from more than 70 nations come together, as well as an additional 300,000 visitors, making the cities vibrate with music and life. So, of course, the hosts also benefit economically. It is no coincidence that after hosting the World Choir Games, cities like Graz and Riga even decided to bring other major international events to their cities in subsequent years
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on culture and the performing arts. How are you, the choral world and your partners dealing with it? And what are your plans for "after the crisis"?
The restrictions and effects, both currently and in the long term, are really serious, especially also for the choirs of this world. Of course, since the beginning of the pandemic, we too have experienced some difficult moments and numerous setbacks due to the circumstances. But we are a strong organization, sustained by our incredibly dedicated staff and everyone's passion and commitment to our vision. The positive news for us is that in consultation with our local partners on the ground, we were only able to postpone all of our events to a later date and not cancel them completely. This shows impressively that we are all just waiting for the end of this pandemic, in order to then return to normal everyday life full of strength and zest for action - full of joie de vivre, music, singing and international encounters!
The exchange with our current partners and future host cities was and is very intensive. Even though the challenges for politics, business, culture and every individual were and are enormous, for many politicians the time has come to look ahead and adopt plans for the development and future of their city and region, now that the crisis is slowly being overcome. We know that in many places the question of how to promote new perspectives and a secure future is now increasingly on the table – and this is where we support our partners and the global choral scene.
This interview was conducted by Franziska Hellwig, Coordinator for Communication & Development, President‘s Office, INTERKULTUR
[Source: INTERKULTUR] You always need something to look forward to: We’re happy to announce that a new event series in beautiful Lisbon, Portugal is going to start in November 2022, and additional editions in 2023 and 2024 are already being planned: Welcome to LISBON SINGS from November 10-14, 2022!
In this November week you will still be able to enjoy late summer temperatures in Lisbon: According to legend, the warm, clear days often seen in early November in Portugal were and are caused by Saint Martin's act of charity, and so the days are also known as Saint Martin's summer. In particular, the 11th of November, St. Martin's Day, is celebrated with the first ripe chestnuts and the first wine of the year.
Of course, there will also be singing: The main venue will be the beautiful Aula Magna of the University of Lisbon, one of the largest universities in Portugal. Choirs from all over the world can present themselves here in Evaluation Performances and Friendship Concerts and may also accept the challenge of singing in one of the manifold competition categories ranging from Equal to Mixed Voices, from Children’s and Youth Choirs to Sacred Choral Music and Folklore.
More information about LISBON SINGS 2022 is available here. Details about the 2023 and 2024 will follow soon. See you there!
INTERKULTUR is the world’s leading organizer of international choir competitions and festivals, bringing together more than 10,000 choirs and nearly half a million singers over the last 30 years. People of all countries, cultures and worldviews come together in peaceful competition, celebrating the motto: “Singing together brings nations together”.
“Singers and choirs are very eager to travel and we like to work with cities around the world on forward-looking ideas for them,” Hans-Robert Dapprich Director Communications, Marketing and Sales, INTERKULTUR told Host City in an exclusive video interview.
“Our unique events are not only a wonderful experience for singers from all over the world but also for the welcoming host cities and their citizens.”
Cultural events of this kind benefit the host cities in many ways: marketing, business, networking and contributing to the urban development.
“The host cities and regions are the focus of the events. They are the greatest incentive for the choirs to make the sometimes very long journeys,” Dapprich explained.
Cities vibrate with music and life
A major event like the World Choir Games can attract more than 70 nations, 30,000 participants and an additional 300,000 visitors.
“They bring money to your city, visit the restaurants and connect with your citizens. This of course does not only apply to the big events, but also to the smaller festivals and competitions, to which numerous singers from all over the world travel and fill your city with life.
“The host cities are transformed into a wonderful, colourful spectacle where singing and sound are everywhere. The cities vibrate with music and life. The streets, restaurants and squares are filled with international sounds and spontaneous singing.”
For the host cities, these experiences are reflected in the far-reaching economic impact in tourism, culture, retail and hospitality – and of course, a large international media presence.
Andris Berzins, former president of Latvia put it this way after hosting the World Choir Games 2014 as well as the European Choir Games in 2017 in Riga: “Of course, this is the best marketing for a country – showing our strengths and actually expanding our international contacts.”
Reuniting the world
Another high-profile endorsement comes from Barack Obama, former President of the United States, who said in support of the World Choir Games 2012 in Cincinnati: “Events like the World Choir Games remind us of choral music’s power to transcend languages, cultures and borders to reveal our shared humanity.”
INTERKULTUR’s founder and president, Günter Titsch, was driven by the idea of a worldwide connection of people from all cultures on the wings of music – bringing together choirs and singers of all ages, colour or ideology in peaceful competition. Such ideals should resonate with audiences who are becoming increasingly concerned about the values of the events they support.
“By bringing people together – regardless of their origin, religion or world view, united by the universal language of music – we, the singers and the host cities and citizens contribute to bringing the world a little closer together,” said Dapprich.
“This is the essence of our work: it's not just about a competition or an event, it's about the people from all over the world, the exchange, the friendship and community – and of course a unique experience for locals and participants celebrating with the world together on one stage.”
Music, singing and live events have a great power to connect people, giving a sense of community. “That was missing last year and is still missing: the closeness to each other, concerts, singing together, but also travelling.”
While choral communities have taken many creative approaches to connect virtually, singing and performing together cannot be replaced.
“The choral world wants to sing again and to stand together on one stage. They want to meet again with singers from all over the world, they want to travel and explore new cultures and cities. And, together with you, we are ready to offer them exactly what they are looking for.”
With vaccination programmes well underway and many countries planning outdoor and cultural events in the summer, the indications are that the world will soon get a grip on the pandemic and that life will resume in some sort of new normality.
The 11th World Choir Games, which had to be postponed from last summer, are taking place in Flanders, Belgium on 30 October to 7 November 2021. The upcoming World Choir Games in Gangneung, Korea 2022 and Auckland, New Zealand 2024 are also on the horizon. And there are regional events to attract choirs from every nation, every size and interest.
“The choral world wants to travel again and sing on the beautiful and appealing stages of this world. And for this, we would like to engage in conversation with cities around the world, whether you might be interested in a smaller competition to present your city or region, or it’s about the big events like the European Choir Games or Asia Pacific Choir Games.
“The target group of choirs and singers is very open and eager to travel, and we would like to show them the world together with you. Get in touch with us and send us an email. We are looking forward to it!”
To find out more about hosting and staging INTERKULTUR events, contact Hans-Robert Dapprich on dapprich@interkultur.com
