...a new concept

Polyfollia 2004 is first of all a new concept : the creation of a referential meeting-point for the best amateur groups or emerging professionals, the principal concert promoters and organisers (festivals, theatres, musical seasons).

The idea of this new event is born of an established fact : the art of choral singing, especially a cappella, is too often little known and unappreciated by musical promoters worldwide, who rarely give it the place it merits in the major concert circuits.

We have therefore formed, with the International Federation for Choral Music/UNESCO, an artistic committee made up of personalities who have accepted both to be a "Watcher" over a geographic area of the world, to identify the emerging high quality ensembles and to make contact with the principal concert organisers.

14 excellent international ensembles
This "Watchers" committee has selected 14 excellent international ensembles. They represent all styles of a cappella choral music : from ancient music to contemporary, from traditional music to jazz, from classical to pop. All types of groups too : from 4 to 40 singers, children and adults, equal voices or mixed. As well as these traditional criteria of quality, the committee has paid special attention to the creativity of the groups in every area, from the performance of repertoire to their stage presence.

5 "French favourites"
Alongside the fourteen international ensembles, Polyfollia wanted to invite five french vocal ensembles "5 coups de c(h)oeurs francais" who hold a special place in the regional or national choral music scene in their role as inspirational motivators. These are the people who are inspiring the next generation of singers, motivating others to discover the pleasure of singing in schools, or who carry the general public to new horizons of choral singing with their poetic qualities or unbridled humour.

Amateurs
In short, we wanted to bring into this meeting all amateurs from France and elsewhere to allow them to meet the very best and to perform within a great choral festival with workshops, mini-concerts, singing chain...