ASSOCIATION OF IRISH CHOIRS Enhancing Life through Choral Music
About Us
Mission & History
Mission
The Association of Irish Choirs (AOIC) supports and promotes excellence in choral music in Ireland. We do this through a range of programmes and activities designed to respond to the needs of our members, the wider choral community and the public.
AOIC activities include:
- Advocating for the development and promotion of choral music in Ireland
- Offering mentoring and masterclass opportunities to conductors
- Developing training courses for teachers;
- Arranging singing days for schools and choirs;
- Running the Irish Youth Choir courses and concerts;
- Annual Choral Conducting Summer School
- Managing a library lending scheme;
- Offering information and advice to choirs
History
The Association of Irish Choirs was established in 1980 by Dr Geoffrey Spratt and Aiveen Kearney to promote and develop choral singing in Ireland. Operating under the name Cumann Náisiúnta na gCór CNC, now AOIC, ran training courses, published music, established the Irish Youth Choir and created a community of choral practitioners from its home in Cork city.
In more recent years, due to financial constraints, the publishing scheme was discontinued, but AOIC still operates its key programmes: Annual Choral Conducting Summer School, the Irish Youth Choir and offering training to teachers and musicians.
In 2008, AOIC, Mental Health Ireland and Wexford County Council established a National Choral Singing Day to mark World Mental Health Day and to promote the link between choral singing and positive mental health. The initiative was enormously successful and caught the imagination of choirs, schools and mental health organisations throughout the country. Over 80 events were held in 26 counties on or around the first National Choral Singing Day. In 2009, this was expanded to a National Choral Singing Week with 105 events taking place. The 2010 National Choral Singing Week will take place from 3 - 10 October, so do join in!
