Men sing. In football stadiums, certainly. In the shower, too. But why do so many choirs struggle to find male singers? And how can we encourage more men to enjoy the benefits to health and well-being that group singing brings? Lorcan Doherty asks three men for their thoughts: Martin White, a member of local mixed voice choir Doire Calgach Singers; Chris Samuel, who conducts the Magnificent AK47, the self-described ‘singing blokes of Ashton Keynes’; and Michael Lynch, from the Men’s Action Network, which supports and promotes the health and wellbeing of men in the northwest of Ireland.

• City of Derry International Choir Festival
  • 2021 programme
  • 2021 podcast programme
• Men’s Action Network
• The Magnificent AKs

The Undertones - Teenage Kicks (performed by Parker)

Greg Tustain arr. Wendy Sergeant - Whiskey & Cheese (The Magnificent AK, Chris Samuel)

Roger Jackson - Alone in My Shed (The Magnificent AKs, Chris Samuel)

From Fauré to Des'ree, it’s all in a day’s work for Chanticleer, America's a cappella pride and joy. Lorcan Doherty chats to Tim Keeler, the ensemble’s music director, and Gerrod Pagenkopf, countertenor and assistant music director, about what viewers can look forward to in their beautiful concert film, After a Dream.

• City of Derry International Choir Festival
  • 2021 programme
  • 2021 podcast programme
• Chanticleer
  • Tim Keeler
  • Gerrod Pagenkopf

Claudio Monteverdi - Lauda Jerusalem, from Vespro della Beata Vergine Orlande de Lassus - Indi per alto mar, from Standomi un giorno Gabriel Fauré arr. Adam Ward - Après un rêve (solo: Cortez Mitchell) Burton Lane arr. Gene Puerling - On a Clear Day Ayanna Woods - close[r], now Vicente Lusitano - Regina caeli - Resurrexit Wouter De Backer (Gotye) arr. Darmon Meader - I Feel Better Des'ree Weekes & Ashley Ingram arr. Jason Hainsworth - You Gotta Be

Nigel Short, director of award-winning choir Tenebrae, chats to Lorcan Doherty about how passion and precision are key to the creation of their unique sound and why there was no doubt that Francis Poulenc’s masterpiece Figure humaine would form the centrepiece of their 20th anniversary programme at this year’s festival.

• City of Derry International Choir Festival
  • 2021 programme
  • 2021 podcast programme
• Tenebrae
  • Nigel Short

• Alonso Lobo - Versa est in luctum (Tenebrae, Nigel Short)
• Hubert Parry - Songs of Farewell: My soul, there is a country (Tenebrae, Nigel Short)
• Francis Poulenc - Figure Humaine: Liberté (Tenebrae, Nigel Short)
• Francis Poulenc - Figure Humaine: Un feu sans tache (Tenebrae, Nigel Short)

Jonathan Grimes and Evonne Ferguson speak to two Irish composers with two brand new pieces for this year’s festival. Elaine Agnew on her new work Remarkable, created in response to stories shared during different stages of the pandemic, which features in Wednesday's concert The Voyage. Eoghan Desmond on his piece for choir and solo cello celebrating the life and legacy of Colmcille, part of Thursday's The Road Home concert.

• City of Derry International Choir Festival
  • 2021 programme
  • 2021 podcast programme
• Eoghan Desmond
  • eoghandesmond.com
  • CMC composer page
• Elaine Agnew
  • elaineagnew.com
  • CMC composer page
  • Remarkable Project

• Oxen of the Sun (UCD Choral Scholars, Desmond Earley)
• Thomas Morley - Nolo mortem peccatoris
• Bach - Wachet Auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 140 No.1
• The Morningstar (Chamber Choir Ireland, Paul Hillier)
• This is My Prayer to Thee (Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Ian Keatley)
• Mother Goose’s Melodies (Chamber Choir Ireland, Paul Hillier)
• Amra Choluim Chille – A Dheascabháil agus a Shaol (Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Ian Keatley)

• I am a Miracle (European Union Chamber Orchestra, St Colman’s College Choir, conductor Elaine Agnew)
• The God of Rain (RTÉ Cór na nÓg, Mary Amond O’Brien)
• Remarkable (Remarkable Voices, Codetta, Ulster Orchestra, Dónal Doherty)
• Child Within (Cantairí Óga Átha Cliath, Bernie Sherlock)
• Turnabout (Belfast Philharmonic Youth Choir and Belfast Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Lynsey Callaghan)

Four brand new episodes for the 2021 City of Derry International Choir Festival, featuring conversations with Irish composers Elaine Agnew and Eoghan Desmond, Tenebrae artistic director Nigel Short, and Tim Keeler and Gerrod Pagenkopf from Chanticleer. Plus we ask three men how we can get more men singing in choirs.

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Sing Ireland explores the many health and well-being benefits of group singing, as well as the current research on group singing during the pandemic. Dermot O'Callaghan of Sing Ireland is joined by Ailbhe Kenny of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Martin Ashley of the Association of British Choral Directors, and Sophie Lee, a music and health researcher and practitioner.

A conversation with Siobhan Heaney, who came late to choral singing but has since been making up for lost time. Siobhan is the conductor of four choirs in her hometown of Derry and the founder of SingTonicity, a method of looking after your health and wellbeing through the use of your breath, voice and sound. In 2019 Siobhan was awarded the Derry City and Strabane District Council Award for outstanding contribution to the choir festival.

Derry-born composer Seán Doherty talks to Evonne Ferguson about his background in choral singing and composing for choir, and conductor Orla Flanagan talks to Jonathan Grimes about her work with the Mornington Singers and Irish composers.

Episode 27 of CMC’s podcast ‘amplify’. Show notes: www.cmc.ie/amplify/episode-27