Culture Night Visual 2023
A CHOIR for everyone takes centre stage for a concert at Visual this May. Mark your calendars as this extraordinary community choir showcases how they’ve broken down barriers to unite people of all backgrounds, abilities and ages through the power of song.
Led by renowned Carlow conductor Mary Amond O’Brien and accompanied by musical director Ollie Hennessy, Sing Sync will deliver an uplifting performance in the George Bernard Shaw Theatre on Thursday 30 May.
From powerful Sinéad O’Connor ballads to uplifting songs from the Beatles, the choir has proven to be a huge hit with locals.
Renowned Ukrainian baritone Maksym Lozovyi, who has been based in Carlow since he fled the Russian-occupied city of Kherson with his family, will perform on the night.
Maksym is also contracted for upcoming opera performances of Faust, La Bohème and La Traviata with the Irish National Opera Company.
“We are thrilled to showcase the talent and friendships that have been formed through Sing Sync for this special concert,” said Emma Lucy O’Brien, CEO and artistic director of Visual.
“It’s a celebration of community, diversity and the transformative power of music. It’s also an opportunity to welcome in the families of all of the participants to be part of something special that’s been happening in Carlow every Monday night.”
Sing Sync is currently funded by Carlow County Council and Creative Ireland. The choir is free to join and meets every Monday night from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
“That’s the special thing about Sing Sync. It brings people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities together. They just sing together. It’s such a lovely idea and we noticed how it’s grown into a social occasion for people. The cup of tea or coffee is as important as the singing itself. We’d love to keep this going and would welcome a sponsor to come on board for next year. This is a special opportunity for a corporate sponsor to get involved with Visual as we’d like to keep the choir free for participants,” added Ms O’Brien.
“We’ve had people join who have been impacted by bereavement, or who have fled the war in Ukraine. The power of singing has made such a huge difference to people. It’s a small thing, but it is so uplifting. For the couple of hours the choir meets, people can leave their worries behind. You should hear the different songs the choir can perform – they were rocking out to U2 this week.”
Ms Amond O’Brien believes everyone can sing, and that is the power of Sing Sync. “You don’t need any special talents. You just need to turn up and we sing together. It can make such a difference to people’s moods.”
For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Visual website or contact the box office.
