Peterborough Sings! City hosts first ever International Women’s Choral Festival

Education charity ‘Peterborough Sings!’ welcomed singers from across the UK to the inaugural Peterborough International Women’s Choral Festival.

The event has been billed as an “exciting new weekend event for female choirs”, which has taken place in Peterborough from 16-19 June.

Supported using public funding by Arts Council England, the festival focused on the female experience of choral singing, championing women’s choirs and female composers and celebrating the quality and ambition of women’s singing globally.

Groups and ensembles of all sizes, ages and traditions participated took part in the festival which also aimed at empowering local women from diverse communities to get involved.

A number of specially-formed 'pop-up' choirs - including a workplace choir, a Latvian choir and a mums' choir – also took part.

"Singing gives women of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to come together to create something magical. Singing builds self-confidence, promotes self-esteem and social inclusion.

"We live in a time when we need to feel these things more than ever,” Claire Hailey, marketing manager of Peterborough Sings!, said.

Centred around Cathedral Square, the festival also featured competition classes, informal singing opportunities, practical workshops with international specialists and a series of seminars exploring and addressing the challenges facing women’s choirs today.

On Saturday evening the Festival Gala Concert took place at 7pm – with an exciting evening of singing as some of the world’s best women’s choirs showcased their different performance styles.

Take a look through the following images taken from over the weekend: