Choirs From Across the Region to Come Together for ChoirFest Middle East 2014

Singers and those who love singing are invited to Dubai to join in the three days festival from 20-22 March, 2014

DUBAI, UAE – 16 March, 2014: Building on the overwhelming success of last year’s Choir of the Year competition, The Score announces the first annual ChoirFest Middle East taking place in Dubai from 20-22 March, 2014. Along with Lead Sponsors Deutsche Bank and Dubai Duty Free, ChoirFest ME will bring together dynamic choirs from across the UAE and a special guest choir from Iraq, The Baghdad Choir.

In addition to an educational day of workshops on its opening day, ChoirFest ME will be officially launched Thursday evening, 18 March, 2014, with a spectacular gala event, Opera on the Beach, at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai. Headlined by top UK opera group, The Prince Consort, Opera on the Beach will be an enchanting night of music under the stars at the hotel’s elegant Events Arena. The programme will feature both classic and contemporary works by Mozart, Schumann, Britten, Brahms plus contemporary British composer Stephen Hough, all performed under the night sky. Slated to be the musical event of the season, Gold tickets to Opera on the Beach include a welcome drink and canapés while VIP tickets offer priority seating and unlimited drinks and canapés. Tickets can be purchased online from ChoirFest ME’s partners, TimeOut Tickets and Platinum Tickets, plus online via the ChoirFest ME website.

ChoirFest ME 2014 aims to offer something for everyone – from aspiring singers to those with a true love of music. Workshops over the three day festival include the essentials of Arabic choral music, fun-filled beatboxing lessons, perfecting the art of conducting, mastering piano techniques, exploring singing styles, the key to youth music education, and special singing master classes with The Prince Consort. Registration for a fee of 150AED in advance or 185AED at the door of host venue Dubai College, includes access to unlimited workshops (subject to availability) and while on site people may watch the Semi-Final and Final of the Choir of the Year competition.

The capstone to the ChoirFest ME event, the two Choir of the Year competitions will bring together schools from around the UAE and adult choirs from as far away as Iraq. Eight primary schools and ten secondary schools will showcase their amazing young talents and the secondary schools will battle it out to determine 2014’s Senior School Choir of the Year. The finale of ChoirFest ME will be the Adult Choir of the Year competition. Reigning champions, Dubai Vocal Ensemble, will return for an encore performance along with 13 other captivating choirs from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Baghdad, Iraq. An event not to be missed, the Choir of the Year competition will feature musical styles from classical to contemporary, jazz to barbershop, anthems to a capella. The variety of performances and seeing the community united in songs sung in Arabic, English, and Tagalog will be a music lover’s dream.

Whether to sing yourself or cheer on your favourite choir, everyone is invited to warm up their vocal cords and join the many events of ChoirFest Middle East 2014. For the full ChoirFest ME schedule of events and to learn more about the exciting talent coming together in Dubai, refer to the event website at www.choirfestme.com.

About ChoirFest Middle East 2014:
Founded in 2013 to address the need for a way to celebrate song in the Middle East, ChoirFest Middle East 2014 has developed into a three-day festival with a stellar line-up of performers, public workshops and competitions to bring together all communities. ChoirFest Middle East 2014 takes place between 20-22 March and involves over 1000 children and 12 choirs of adults from the UAE and further afield from Iraq. The festival aims to recognise and celebrate the rich diversity of choral music that is being performed by choirs across the Middle East. 

ChoirFest Middle East 2014 would not be possible without the support of leading sponsors Deutsche Bank and Dubai Duty Free as well as the contributions of supporting sponsors Al Aroud Group, The Fridge, Field Energy Services, FlyDubai, and patrons from across the UAE; including, Abu Dhabi Classical FM, Ashurst LLP, Delta Sound, Dubai College, Jelly Belly, Giselle and Stephen Pettyfer, IBS Group, International New York Times, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, MacMillan Adams, Newfound Pianos, MMI, Rivoli, Russian Emirates, TimeOut Dubai, and VALTRANS transport.