THERE’s nothing quite like the power of music to unite people, no matter their religious persuasion.
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And there are few events in Ballarat that unite the city’s wide range of faiths like the annual Ballarat Choral Festival.
The festival, which will be held this Sunday for its 21st year, will bring together its biggest-yet range of choirs.
The choirs come from a span of backgrounds.a range of backgrounds, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Baha’i and Anglican communities, the Country Women’s Association and a schools including Phoenix P-12 Community College. The event will also feature semi-professionals acts like Ballarat group VOX.
Organiser Margaret Lenan Ellis, who is also the founder of the Ballarat Interfaith Network, said the smallest choir was comprised of four singers, while the largest had 35.
She said St Patrick’s Cathedral was the perfect location to showcase the wide variety of choirs – with 15 in total this year.
“It lends a lovely atmosphere,” she said.
“I think it’s a lovely idea to have music, be it religious or not, being sung in this kind of venue. It’s a program of singing for the love of singing.”
She said everything from faith-based hymns like The Lord is My Shepherd to secular folk songs like She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain would be performed, with each choir having a distinct feel.
“Just because we’re performing in a cathedral, it does not put the onus on any choir that they’ve got to sing religious music,” Ms Lenan Ellis said.
She said she hoped the festival would continue to expand, and was hoping to bring an Islamic choir on board for 2017.
“I think it expands and makes it more exciting. It keeps the choral festival more alive,” she said.
“When people ask what kind of music I’m looking for, I say it’s open.”
Choirs will come from as far afield as Beaufort and Avoca.
The festival will be held May 29 at St Patrick’s Cathedral from 1.30pm. Entry is free, but donations welcome, which will go toward funding a mobile shower bus for homeless people.