USI Chamber Choir wins international choral festival in Ireland

The University of Southern Indiana Chamber Choir, under the direction of Daniel Craig, associate professor of music, was awarded first place in the Premiere Competition at the Mayo International Choral Festival in Castlebar, Ireland.

The choir competed in the festival against more than 30 choirs from Ireland, Norway, Wales and the United States. Their repertory included works by Rachmaninoff, Bruckner, Giovanelli, Gjeillo, Stroope and Daniel Craig. During the Premiere Competition, the Chamber Choir performed Rachmaninoff's "Pridiitee Poklominsia (Come All Ye People)" from All Night Vespers and Z. Randall Stroope's "The Conversion of Saul."

To compete in the Premiere Competition, the choir had to be victorious in at least one of the festival's daytime competition areas. The choir won both the Four-part Competition and the Sacred Music Competition, and placed second in the Gaelic Languages Competition. 

While in Ireland, the Chamber Choir and the USI Irish Traditional Ensemble also performed concerts in Kylemore Abbey in County Connemara, Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo, Holy Trinity Church of Ireland in Westport and Dublin's famous St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The trip marked USI Chamber Choirs' seventh tour of Ireland and its 12th international tour since 1992. It was the group's first time entering an international choral festival competition. More information about USI's choirs is available at USI.edu/performingarts. For more photos from the group's tour of Ireland, click here.