Hired and choired

Ever felt like spontaneously breaking into song in the middle of your day’s work like they often do in Disney movies?

Well, that just might be a possibility this year thanks to Choirworks, a new programme launched by the Cork International Choral Festival encouraging companies to connect with staff through song and music.

The programme offers workplace colleagues around the country the chance to learn to sing and form a company choir, or improve their singing and existing workplace choir, through online interactive music lessons, choir workshops and team building projects.

This will be the first time the Cork International Choral Festival, which this year will be held entirely online, has introduced a workplace/company aspect in its 66 years of existence.

The move was made in an effort to help employers boost staff morale and improve employee wellbeing through the power of music.

According to organisers, the benefits of singing for both mental and physical health are well known. They believe that music, especially the social aspect of choral music, has the potential to play a more active role in improving social interaction among staff and achieving a good work-life.

Each company choir registered on the programme will be assigned a choir leader who will put the singers through their paces.

The Choirworks course includes weekly online training sessions, the provision of lyrics, music, backing tracks, choreography as well as professional sound mixing and video editing.

At the end of the programme, each company will have a professional video of the song they have been learning together, ready for entry into the 2021 Cork International Choral Festival Workplace Choir of the Year Competition.

For further information on how to register visit corkchoral.ie or email kery@corkchoral.ie.