The University of Oregon Chamber Choir departed for Ireland to participate in an international choir festival earlier this week. The ensemble will be competing for the Fleischmann International Trophy at the 59th annual Cork International Choir Festival in Cork, Ireland on May 4. The Cork festival is one of Europe’s debut choral festivals and attracts thousands of participants each year.

The choir presented its first performance in Ireland Tuesday, April 30, being the first of several that the members will perform abroad during the week.

Thirty choirs from around the world will be competing, but the United States only has one representative.

The ensemble’s main performance will consist of a sacred and rounded musical collection spanning over 400 years. The choir will sing in an array of styles, ranging from Italian to bluegrass-influenced gospel, with pieces sung in several different languages. In preparation for its departure, the Chamber Choir performed the same ensemble on April 25 in the Beall Concert Hall on the UO campus.

The dean of the School of Music and Dance, Brad Foley, and UO Chamber Choir Conductor Sharon Paul are accompanying the group in its current excursion abroad.

“After the wonderful experience the Chamber Choir had singing in Estonia in 2011, I wanted a similar kind of opportunity for them to hear lots of good choirs from all over the world,” Paul said.

Aaron Ragan-Fore, director of communications for the UO School of Music and Dance said that the Chamber Choir did a fantastic job representing the UO in 2011 at the International Choral Festival.

“This is another opportunity for our premiere choral ensemble to demonstrate the strength of vocal music programs at the University of Oregon. The most exciting element of this competition, for me at least, is that the Chamber Choir is representing not only the UO, but the United States.”

The group will return to Eugene on May 8.