Falmouth Concert Set to Raise Funds Ahead of Cornwall’s 2026 Choral Festival

A special concert at Falmouth Golf Club this Saturday February 21 will raise funds for good causes while building momentum for Cornwall’s 2026 world choral Festival.

The micro ‘tee-up’ evening is being organised by Dr Gareth Churcher, Artistic Director of the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival. The event will feature the popular singers of Eight in a Bar and Gareth’s own family of musicians, the Churcher von Trapps.

Proceeds will support Prostate Cancer UK, Cancer Research and the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival itself.

“It’s funny to go from conducting literally thousands of singers and musicians at Glasto and working with scores of choirs from Cornwall, the UK and around the world for the upcoming choral festival – to marshalling my own family,” says Gareth. “But our event on Saturday will be a lot of fun and raises money for very good causes – Prostate Cancer UK, Cancer Research and the CIMCF itself.”

A remarkable year for the Festival’s Artistic Director

The Falmouth concert comes during what has been a significant year for Gareth. He recently completed a Ph.D. in Music Composition and composed the opening score for the 2025 Glastonbury Festival, which he conducted on the Pyramid Stage.

The commission brought together performers, drummers and thousands of voices. Alongside this work, Gareth continues to run the Cornwall Music Service for schools, which he founded, and oversee the global orchestration of the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival.

📷The Churcher von Trapps comprise Gareth and 16 year old daughter Maisy on trombone, son Charlie, 13, on Percussion, wife Claire on tenor horn & daughter Milly, 15, on trumpet. Photo Claire Churcher

45 choirs set to gather in Cornwall

The 2026 Cornwall International Male Choral Festival will take place over the May Bank Holiday weekend from Friday May 1 to Sunday May 3.

Around 45 choirs of various ages and nationalities are expected to gather for the 12th biennial Festival, with 35 events planned across 25 venues throughout Cornwall.

Among those travelling to Cornwall for the first time are the Boys Choir of the University of Arts Tirana in Albania, the Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir from the Czech Republic and the Chorale Saint Dominique De Bujumbura from Burundi.

The previous Festival in 2024 saw more than three thousand singers perform to more than thirty thousand people in venues ranging from Truro Cathedral to Mevagissey and from St Michael’s Mount to Saltash.

International choirs will perform alongside choirs from England, Wales and Cornwall in churches, gardens and visitor attractions, as well as at major events and competitions at Truro Cathedral and the Hall for Cornwall.

“It’s fair to say that the ever-rising costs of travel and accommodation – and instability in the world in general – have affected this year’s Festival,” says Gareth. “But we can’t wait to welcome a diverse and exciting line up of choirs that will be a true representation of cultural activity from multiple geographic areas.”

A long-running Cornwall event

The Festival was first held in 2003 and is normally staged every two years, with 2021 taking place as a virtual event due to the pandemic.

It operates as a non-profit making company, limited by guarantee, and is a registered charity. It is supported by its patrons, sponsored by a wide range of local businesses and helped by more than 400 volunteers.

Full details of the 2026 Cornwall International Male Choral Festival, including festival films, background information and photos from previous events, can be found at https://www.cimcf.uk. Concert tickets can be purchased directly through the Festival website.

📷CIMCF Artistic Director Dr Gareth Churcher conducting his opening composition on the Pyramid Stage for the 2025 Glastonbury Festival. Photo Charles Gervais