International Male Choral Festival brings visitors from afar

Male Voice Choirs from around the world descended on Cornwall last weekend for the world’s largest male choral festival.

Having opened our Chapel to the boys from St Stithians Boys‘ College in Johannesburg for rehearsal, we did not pass up on the opportunity to hear them sing. Gathered together in the Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre the students and staff were wowed by an impromptu concert by the choir who then joined in with our own Barbershop Boys and two visiting primary schools.

Nobody could fail to be moved by the wonderful voices nor surprised to hear that they went on to take 1^st place at the Festival. Little did many of those listening know that the connection between Truro School and St Stithians College goes way back – the nephews of one of their Founders, Albert Collins, both attended Truro School in the early 1900s.  Albert Collins was a Cornishman who emigrated to South Africa in the 1800s and developed a very successful construction business as the mining town developed.

The Truro School Boys’ Barbershop also competed in the International Male Choral Festival which was live streamed by Truro School Broadcasting Services.

Peter Thomson commented: “What a fantastic opportunity for our Boys’ Barbershop to compete in an international music competition against choirs from Russia, Lithuania and South Africa. The quality of these choirs was awe-inspiring and I am delighted with how the boys held their own in this company. The workshop and visit from the eventual youth choir category winners, the Stithian’s boys’ choirs from Johannesburg, was truly inspirational and won’t be readily forgotten by anyone who was fortunate to be present.”