1,600 competitors to throng Navan for 31st Choral Festival

The 31st Navan Choral Festival will take place next week with choirs from all around the country descending on Navan for the prestigious event. The four-day musical extravaganza will begin on Thursday 6th May and continue through until to Sunday 9th May 2010 at four venues - the Newgrange Hotel, St Mary's (Church of Ireland) Church, Navan; Simonstown Gaels GFC clubhouse and the Navan O'Mahony's GFC clubhouse. The festival has seen a huge increase in entries this year and some 60 choirs, comprising of some 1,600 competitors, will battle it out for honours at what has come to be regarded as one of Ireland's most prestigious choir festivals. The competing choirs will come from the four corners of Ireland, adding a much-needed boost to businesses in Navan. They will compete in competitions for solo singing, school choirs, youth choirs, adult choirs and church choirs, as well as a very keen piano solo competition for nine to 18 years age groups. As usual, large crowds of locals can be expected to throng the various venues to support their favourite choirs and hear some of the sweetest voices in the land. New Irish language competitions have been added to the programme this year for school and youth choirs, such has been the demand, and the National Youth Choir of the Year is bound to be one of the most exciting at the Bord na Mona-sponsored festival. However, the undoubted highlight again this year will be the National Choir of the Year Competition, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Navan, which will be held on Sunday evening 9th May in St Mary's Church of Ireland Church at 7pm. Nine choirs will take part in this prestigious competition and there will be free admission to this top-line event. Further details on www.navanchoralfestival.com