Great Celebration Concert at the Black Sea

Yesterday belonged to the highlights of the 9th World Choir Games 2016: at first the competitions results of the first part were announced and the Category Winners and Champions  were awarded. Tears of joy and smiling faces were everywhere around. In the afternoon the best choirs of the World Choir Games 2016 performed once again in two Champions Concerts in Sochi and presented that they are worthy champions.

In the evening at 8 p.m. the choirs and visitors gathered in the Festivalny in order to witness the first public performances of the Festival Stage Choirs of the World Choir Games. Consisting of 12 choirs, amongst others the Voices Weavers (Australien), Chorus of Guangdong Literature & Art Vocational College (China), Detski Khor Cantilena (Russia) and the St. Stithians Boys‘ College Duke of Cornwall Singers (South Africa), the mass choir presented a varied concert program from all over the world.

Under the direction of Fred Sjöberg (Sweden), INTERKULTUR Artistic Director, heartfelt hymns such as „Power of the Dream“ (David Forster, Linda Thompson, Babyface, arr. Göran Bejstam), The hymn of the musial „Chess“ (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, arr. Anders Eljas, Stefan Berglund) as well as the official song of the World Choir Games 2016 „One Song – One World“ were performed. Through this tremendous power of voices goose pumps were not long in coming.

The traditional gospel “Lord, I Know I Been Changes” (arr. Bruce More”), conducted by Elena Sharkova (USA/Russia) warmed the audience up. Each participating stage choirs was present with full enthusiasm – as you could see in their eyes. The audience honored the mass choir with cheers and standing ovation.

The festival choir was already in rehearsal since the beginning of the Games and is led by Elena Sharkova, Fred Sjöberg as well as the conductors Yang Li (china) and Romāns Vanags (Latvia). More choirs, the Student Choir of Nankai University and the Detsky Khor MEZ Krasnodar performed as guest ensembles. Especially the interpretation of the traditional and worldwide re-known folk song “Kalinka” by the Children’s Choir from Russia caused the audience to thunderous enthusiasm.

To conclude the evening the Festival Stage Choir sang once again the official song “One Song – One World”. According to this concert, especially through the captivating presence of the festival choir, the message of “Singing together brings nations together” was spread into the world.