Singing in amateur choirs continues to be extraordinarily popular across the country. There are many choirs located across the North West region alone, ranging in size from small harmony ensembles to full-scale, semi-professional choirs such as the Halle. There also exist many local music festivals in which there is sometimes a choral element.

However, with the exception of the (national) bi-annual BBC Radio 3 'Choir of the Year' competition, there aren't many local or regional competitions for amateur choirs.

The Manchester Amateur Choral Competition seeks to readdress this imbalance by establishing an annual competition in which choirs from across and beyond the region are invited to compete in a spirit of creativity and community.

The competition is not solely focused on the winning choir and there are no great financial rewards at stake - simply the satisfaction of having sung to a high standard and had an opportunity to experience and enjoy the diversity of performance from other amateur choirs.

Goals of the Manchester Amateur Choral Competition

The Manchester Amateur Choral Competition (MACC) provides a forum whereby amateur choirs can come together in a spirit of friendship and respect to appreciate each other’s talents and make music together. It is less about the winning and more about the taking part.

The MACC will:

• Provide a safe and creative outlet for individual and collective musical ability
• Encourage and promote diversity through the various community choirs taking part and the music performed
• Encourage more members of the public to participate in choral singing
• Provide a focus for community engagement in the arts within and without the region
• Promote the furtherance of individual and collective musical ability
• Highlight and nurture the talent that exists outside the professional musical world
• Encourage a professional approach to challenge and endeavour by providing a showcasing opportunity for choirs
• Highlight Manchester’s continuing energetic role in the encouragement of the arts and as a supporter of community initiatives
• Encourage members of the public to experience choral music in public settings
• Provide excellent publicity for both the music-making of amateur choirs but also for all those associated with the competition on the form of funders and sponsors
• Encourage and support cross-cultural and community networking