Canbelto Women’s Choir is a female voice ensemble with a varied repertoire, ranging from pop songs to sacred and gospel music. Under the baton of conductor Jimmy O’Byrne, their versatility has won them a cabinet full of silverware at national and international competitions.
Public performances are a key part of the Canbelto calendar. The ladies have graced stages all across the country, supporting the likes of Aled Jones, Red Hurley and Kathy Nugent. They’ve sung on The Late Late Show, and the John Murray show, among other RTE appearances.
Canbelto women love to travel and have participated in the Lago di Garda Music Festival, Italy, the Krakovia Music Festival, Poland, the Tuscan Music Festival in Montecatini Terme, Italy, and the North Wales Choral Festival. A particular highlight of the last few years was a trip to Rome for a series of concerts over St. Patrick’s weekend, including a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The choir has regular auditions for new members (age 18+, no experience necessary, and you don’t need to be able to read music). While there is necessarily a strong emphasis on the music, everyone is also very aware of the fun element and there is a very strong social aspect to the group.
Why ‘CanBelto’ you ask? It’s a play on the singing term ‘Bel Canto’ or ‘beautiful singing’. We call them the CanBeltos because they can really belt out a tune, and have the craic in the process!
Rehearsals take place on Wednesday evenings – currently online.
Song and Dance Studios, 27 College Street, Baldoyle, Dublin 13
