New Hullabaloo children's choir for Offaly

Offaly's children's arts festival Hullabaloo has announced a new initiative for young people that will take place outside the annual festival time. Following the success of a singing workshop during the festival, the Hullabaloo children's choir is set to begin a weekly choir session for children on January 30. Ten choir sessions will lead up to Easter, and a showcase for families on Easter Sunday. The workshops, which will take place in Birr Theatre and Arts Centre at 4pm, will be led by Bryce Collins. Bryce started on his music path at the age of six with piano composition and later voice, opera and choral directing. He has studied at the Conservatory of Music in Santiago, Chile and the New England Conservatory of Music where he earned two Masters of Arts degrees in Music Education. Bryne now lives in Offaly and conducts the Emerald Vocal Emsemble. Hullabaloo is an initiative of Offaly County Council arts office and Birr Theatre and Arts Centre, with funding through the Arts Council. Speaking of the new element of the festival Offaly arts officer Sinead O'Reilly said she's looking forward to expanding the festival with an all-year activity. "We are excited to develop a new year round element of the festival and it offers an opportunity for children to become performers in their own festival later in the year," she said. "This also ties in with our plans for increased access to music education in the county for children under the funding we will receive from Music Generation." The upcoming ten choir sessions will cost parents just €30. More information and booking is via arts@offalycoco.ie or 057 9357400.