By Benedicto Maguda

Blantyre, December 21, Mana: Choirs under Blantyre Deanery of the Archdiocese of Blantyre have organized a Christmas Choir Festival to be held on Thursday December 26 at St Montfort Catholic Institute (CI).

Technical Director for Blantyre Deanery Christmas Choir Festival Organizing Committee, Moses Iron, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) that preparations for the festival are at an advanced stage.

He said the festival, which will see choirs from the Blantyre Deanery come together to celebrate Christmas, will prove opportunity for choirs to share music experience thereby assessing the deanery choirs’ performance.

 “This will be a big day for Blantyre Deanery. Many choirs from the deanery will participate on the day.

“Best three choirs will compete at Archdiocese level. We have decided that the choir should perform two Christmas songs from Catholic hymn book; Hymn number 12, Anjero adika and Hymn number 19, Yesu wabadwa lero,” he said.

According to Iron, each choir will perform two songs at a maximum of 10 minutes to prove talent on stage.

He advised participating choirs to ensure adequate preparations and to abide by all the procedures of the festival as 23 choirs are expected to take part.

In 2023 more than 20 choirs participated in a similar festival when St. Martin Chirimba Catholic Choir emerged winner, St. Mary’s Chemusa were runners up while St. Vincent Mwangata Choir took position three.

In women category, St. Agnes Choir from Chirimba won the competition at position one, St. Clara from St. Mary’s Chemusa Parish came second as St. Cecelia Choir from St. Montfort CI won on third position.