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HISTORYFESTIVAL 500 Sharing the Voices first made its debut in 1997 as one of the anchor events of the John Cabot Anniversary Celebrations, commemorating 500 years of European discovery in North America. Following two and a half years of intense planning this biennial, international, non-competitive festival of choral music was introduced to the world and immediately garnered rave reviews for its performances, guest artists/clinicians and program offerings. FESTIVAL 500 was awarded the distinction as Outstanding Choral Event in 1998 by the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors and repeated successes in 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005 have established the festival internationally as a prominently unique and extraordinary musical experience. Important adjuncts to the festival are The Phenomenon of Singing, an international academic symposium (FESTIVAL 500 and Memorial University) and two outreach components that bring focus and expertise on choral music to the West Coast and Labrador regions of the province. Conceived and proposed by Susan Knight, the initial and continuing success of this festival can be attributed to the work of a strong artistic and management team, support funding from major corporate sponsors and various levels of government, and an enthusiastic community of volunteers. In addition to being an artistic event and a cause for celebration, FESTIVAL 500 was conceived as an economic catalyst. It was intended to continue as a biennial festival that serves as an economic engine breathing monetary strength into the local economy, while uplifting spirits through the presentation of a world class celebration of choral music. Through bringing world renowned conductors, facilitators and headline artists to the province the festival has acted as a major resource and inspiration for the province’s choral community. The festival has been consciously designed as a focal point for drawing attention to the province as a destination of choice from a tourism perspective. There is no doubt that while choristers are attracted to and compete to attend FESTIVAL 500 on artistic grounds and reputation, the attractiveness of the province as a tourist destination is also important. [ top ] © Festival 500 Designed by AppleCore Interactive |
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