Japanese choir performing © INTERKULTUR

Sing'n'Pray Kobe: Keep tradition alive

Praying and singing together for the victims of the natural disaster 2011

Sing'n'Pray Kobe

Since 2012 singers from Japan gather in Kobe in order to commemorate the victims of the huge earthquake and tsunami around Fukushima on the east side of Japan in March 2011. This year for the first time international choirs will join them in common song from January 25 - 29, 2018 at Sing'n'Pray Kobe, the International Choir Festival & Competition.

Sinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, also expressed his thoughts on the occasion of this international choral gathering:

“It is great to learn that such an event of prayers has been developing. I sincerely hope that the prayers of many people gathered through chorus will encourage the victims and give the power to recover.”

The event starts on January 25 with a reception for the conductors and continues the next day with friendship concerts and workshops with John Pamintuan (Philippines), Ko Matsushita (Japan) and Fred Sjöberg (Sweden). At 11 a.m. the first Friendship Concert with choirs from China, the Philippines, Thailand and Russia starts and is continued at 6 p.m. at the same venue with different choirs.

January 27 starts with rehearsals for this day’s competitions at the Bunka Hall. And at 11 p.m., 3.30 p.m. and 8.15 p.m. the international choirs will line up to compete in one common category related to the spirit of this event: “Music of Spirit & Faith”. The entrance to all competitions is free and the singers are looking forward to an enthusiastic audience!

The traditional “Pray from Kobe Concert” begins on 12.30 p.m. on January 28th the Bunka Hall where the different choirs will be commemorating the victims of the natural disaster 2011 with songs and prayers. At 4.15 p.m. the winners of the competition will be announced during the Award Ceremony and the event comes to an end with the solemn Closing Ceremony.

The detailed event schedule, all competition performances and the full program is available in the event's program book. Check it out  here!

Interested to experience international choirs live in Japan’s sixth-largest city? Then read on here and follow the event's Facebook page.

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