#MagnificentCork - one long week on

Thank you #MagnificentCork #lovechoral #lovecork!

As we struggle to return to our humdrum lives as "modern" 21st Century blokes, we can only look back on a fantastic few days in #MagnificentCork and once again thank EVERYONE who made is possible and so enjoyable, from the organisers, the fellow attendees, the great people of Cork, our Magnificent Tour Team, our Belovéd ChoirMeister and all the wonderful Blokes on Tour who were such good company.

Here are a few pictorial souvenirs to help re-live the moment and prolong the hazy glow of time well spent as we get back to what passes for normality... before hopefully doing it all again some time soon!

Day One - on way, singing at Cork Airport + "tea time" at the bar.

Day Two  - Exploring Cork by day and by night & pondering tactics before performing to 100 school kids!

Day Three - cultural & historical trip to Cobh and refreshing ourselves before another few bits of singing round the place.

Day Four - more culture and history at the Jameson's Distillery and around Cork galleries and museums before closing the first half at the Gala Performance after picking up another award and leading the craic at the Festival closing party.

Day Five - early start after a late night - luckily no photos appear to have been taken...

#MagnificentCork - Day 4 - The best yet

What a day...! Even by our standards, an absolute astoundingly Magnificent Grand Day at the Cork International Choral Festival.

Great weather + some pottering around Cork, some pottering around Jameson's Distillery + singing in an atrium to an attentive audience + winning the P.E.A.C.E. award (Awarded to the choir that best embraces the spirit of the Festival, and fulfils the intentions of the trophy's benefactors, the P.E.A.C.E. Movement) + being asked to sing with all the proper singers at the grand, last night Gala Performance + leading the singing along at the after Festival party.

Phew, we need a bit of a lie down as we attempt adjust to our humdrum 21st century existences and sort out the tour washing.

Thank you to everybody involved who made it such a brilliant weekend in so many, many ways.  It was a Magnificent craic!

#MagnificentCork - Day 3

Another almost unbelievably sunny day in #MagnificentCork sees us sight seeing, absorbing culture, history and geography, and singing on a bandstand.

#MagnificentCork - Day 2

Lots more walking around this lovely city getting our bearings and enjoying the sunshine.  

Midday Concerts to 100 school kids was an interesting experience for both parties.

More stuff to do today, including culture and history and geography.

#MagnificentCork - Day 1

Day 1 in MagnificentCork - arrived, well received and raring to go.

It's a long way to... Cork

A final parting thought before the blokes board their plane to voyage across the seas, that you can follow their adventures at these locations during their long weekend of spreading the good notes of BlokeSong at the Cork International Choral Festival on this map below.

More soon, when we reach the other side...!

Mascots are GO!

It's not just the Blokes that are getting excited, the tour mascots are pretty up for it as well!  Here you can see Big Kevin & Big Bob having their Tour Photos taken looking suitably animated (well, at least Big Bob does...).

So, we wish them safe travels and parting thoughts as the blokes fly across the Irish Sea to represent our small corner of the county.

The singing blokes of Ashton Keynes in North North Wiltshire and beyond

“One of the most exciting choirs in the UK” Matt Swann 2015 Voices Now Festival Director The London Roundhouse

Garlanded with the “Audience Award” at the 2016 City of Derry International Choral Festival

Unlocking the Inner Minstrel by lowering the tone at http://themagnificentak47.com/ since 2008

Delighted to be attending the 2018 Cork International Choral Festival

Blog:  https://themagnificentak47.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter:  @magnificentak47
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/themagnificentak47
Instragram:  Sorry, but no, we've got to stop being sociable at some point, there's singing to be done!

#MagnificentCork

Brace yourself #MagnificentCork - we're heading your way!

The Magnificent AK47 – appearing at the Cork International Choral Festival 2018

Singing away and blazing a trail around the place at these events

See this Google Map https://goo.gl/q8qAQd

The full Festival Programme can be found at https://issuu.com/corkchoralfest/docs/choral_2018_prog_aw_lr1.

And edited Magnificent highlights of the singing are:

Thursday 19th April

Bristol International Airport

Choral Trail: Cork Airport  14:15

Choral Trail: Costigan’s 19:00

Friday 20th April

Choir Meet & Greet: City Hall 11:00

Friendship Concert: Carrigtwohill Community 13:00

Choral Trail: Shelbourne Bar 19:00

Then, open for invitations and any decent offers…

Saturday 21st April

Guest performance:  National competition for Light, Jazz & Popular Music: City Hall 17:15

Choral Trail: Tequila Jacks 18:00

Festival Club: Clayton Hotel 22:30

Then, who knows where else & till what time….

Sunday 22nd April

Afternoons in the Atrium: Clayton Hotel 14:15

Then, open for invitations and any sensible offers

Monday 23rd April

Singing wherever we have the opportunity and with whatever remaining voices we still have!

Should you find any lost Magnificent bloke, please return to

The Maldron Hotel

John Redmond St, Shandon, Cork, T23 A9TF, Ireland

www.maldronhotelshandoncorkcity.com

+353 21 452 9200

Or simply return him to The White Hart Inn, The High Road, Ashton Keynes, North Wiltshire, England.

We are hoping for "quite a time..."

#MagnificentCork #lovechoral #alt.mvc

Two sleeps till #MagnificentCork - Tour mascots have arrived

With just two official sleeps (might struggle on Wed night with the excitement...!) the Tour Mascots for our voyage to the Cork International Choral Festival have arrived just in the nick of time to somehow be given to two careful guardians to snuggle aboard the flight to Ireland.

But what can they be?  All will be revealed in the days to come when more about the trip is revealed.