A few days are left before the 2nd Edition of the International Choir Competition in Hue at the end of the week.
HANOI- INTERKULTUR, a Germany-based cultural institution, presents an International Choir Competition which will be the 2nd of its kind in Vietnam’s history. After the 1st edition hosted in the City of Hoi An in 2011, INTERKULTUR is now cooperating with the Vietnamese Central Government, with the Provincial Government of Thua Thien and the City Government of Huế.
The upcoming event, attracting more than 1,000 artists, is jointly organized by the German Interkultur Association and the Thua Thien-Hue Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The opening ceremony for the event will be broadcast live on VTV3. After that, participating teams will perform their chorus for competition in Hue City and Huong Thuy Town (Thua Thien-Hue Province) from December 12th to 14th.
The closing ceremony for the National Tourism Year 2012 will be held on December 15th with a special art performance featuring North Central Region’s cultures by around 500 artists from North Central Region and Hai Phong City, where the National Tourism Year 2013 will get underway.
INTERKULTUR has again created a unique possibility for choirs from around the globe to discover the beauty of the country combined with an international choral event.
Huế City is located in the central part of Vietnam. Huế has always been considered the fulcrum of Vietnam’s two rice baskets, the Red river delta and the Mekong delta.
The main landmark of Huế City is the Perfume River with the old city and the Citadel on the north. An old saying is telling that in autumn flowers from orchards upriver from Huế fall into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma.
Huế is well known for its historic monuments, which have earned it a place in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Having been the capital city of Vietnam for approximately 150 years during feudal time (1802–1945), the royal lifestyle and customs have had a predominant impact on the characteristics of Huế people. Nowadays, Huế is one of the top tourist destinations the country has to offer.
The competitions in Huế will be held in the “Diamond Hall”. Mixed, male, female, children’s and youth choirs can participate in the competition in established categories and different levels of difficulty. No category will require compulsory pieces so that all participating choirs can choose an appropriate repertoire and perform in front of the jury without major restrictions.
The Grand Opening ceremony and other big events will be hosted in an indoor Sports Centre. Some 250 square meters stage will be called into being by traditional and contemporary Vietnamese performing arts and of course by the colourful presentations from choirs from all over the world. During the choir festival numerous friendship concerts will take place in the contemplative old town with its own flair.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
