Last night, Thursday 9th December, Ireland presented the ‘Expo World Choir’, a special night of song and celebration of Irish music, led by musical director and conductor, David Brophy on the main stage at Expo Dubai.
You can watch it back here:
Expo 2020 Dubai is taking place from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Deferred for a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is one of the first truly global, post-pandemic international gatherings of nations.
The theme of Expo 2020 Dubai is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, with three sub-themes of sustainability, mobility and opportunity. Through this theme, this promises to be a World Expo that inspires people by showcasing the best examples of collaboration, innovation and cooperation from around the world.
Participating in Expo 2020 is a unique opportunity to showcase Ireland to a global audience. It will raise awareness of Ireland’s attractiveness as a great place to live, work, study, visit and do business.
Expo World Choir
The Expo World Choir is a signature event for Ireland at Expo, bringing together a huge multicultural ‘one night only’ choir drawn from Expo’s participating countries, local schools, Irish teachers, the Irish community in the UAE, and Dubai residents.
This unique project has had registrations from 148 countries to date and is a representation of Ireland’s Expo theme of ‘Putting Creativity at the Centre of the Human Experience’. The number of countries registered to participate already surpasses the world record of most nationalities to sing in a choir (105)!
Speaking ahead of the Expo World Choir performance, the Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy TD, said:
“Expo World Choir embodies the best of Irish creativity. This ambitious project is a cornerstone of Ireland’s participation at Expo and represents Ireland’s ambition to be a unifying force in the global community – in this case, assembling 150 countries at Expo to sing together for one night. This project with the National Concert Hall showcases all forms of Irish talent, including that of our Irish diaspora in the UAE. I wish to thank this vibrant community for their active engagement and support and congratulate all of the performers involved in this exciting To Be Irish project.”
The Expo World Choir was supported by 31 instrumentalists, singers and soloists from the National Concert Hall including Iarla Ó Lionáird, Jerry Fish, Tolü Makay, and Briana Corrigan.
This special initiative , a centrepiece of Ireland’s offering at Expo Dubai, draws on Irish musical traditions, embracing the world’s diversity and bringing it together in harmony.
A key component of the Expo World Choir is the participation of members of the 10,000 strong Irish community in the UAE. This initiative is also part of the ‘To Be Irish’ at Christmas campaign, which runs from 8-23 December and aims to reflect the diversity of contemporary Irish culture.
The Ireland at Expo team will be streaming the concert across its social platforms:
- Instagram – @Irelandatexpo
- Twitter – @Irelandatexpo
- Facebook – @Irelandatexpo
Full playlist:
- Slán le Maigh
- An Poc ar Buile
- Zombie
- Falling Slowly
- Mo Ghile Mear
- Teenage Kicks
- Nothing Compares 2U
- Mná na hÉireann
- Brown-Eyed Girl
- I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
- You Raise Me Up
- One
- Sing it Back!
For more information on the Expo World Choir, please visit Ireland.ie/expoworldchoir
