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LONDONDERRY'S City of Song Festival, which came to a close on Sunday, has been hailed an incredibly successful weekend of music, culture and craic.

Presented by Derry City Council and BBC Radio Three in association with Music 55/7 the festival saw music fans gather for a weekend of free music for everyone.

The core of the festival saw four Celebrity Song Recitals entitled Songlines, offering local music fans the opportunity to hear the world class vocal talents of Mezzo-Soprano, Anne Murray DBE, Soprano, Joan Rodgers, Tenor, James Gilchrist, and Baritone, Roderick Williams with the young but firmly established, Elias Quartet, in residence across the weekend.

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All Guildhall concerts were recorded for the BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert, introduced by Sean Rafferty.

Mark Chambers, Project Manager of the festival, said: “This year’s City of Song Festival was, I’m glad to say, a great success. The city played host to some fantastic recitals, and there was a lovely atmosphere.

“We saw good crowds for all the events, with the artists themselves complimenting the city. All the artists were very impressed with the Guildhall and particularly the acoustics in there.

“The String Quartet who were here for the whole weekend really fell in love with the city, walking the walls, and learning a little of Derry’s rich history. All the artists only had the highest praise for the city.”

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Mark, a vocal tutor at the University of Ulster Magee, said he was delighted by the festival not only on a professional level, but also on a personal one too.

He added: “Obviously I love music and this weekend was a real treat for any music fans, and I can say without doubt that all the hard work was worth it.

“Hopefully, with such a successful festival this year featuring some really big artists, we can build on that for next year and see the City of Song Festival grow and grow in the future.”

Mayor Colum Eastwood, added: “The City has once again proven why we were successful in our bid to become City of Culture 2013, with yet another fantastic City of Song Festival.

“The Festival went extremely well and not only saw some first class artists coming to the city, but also gave an opportunity for our local talent to shine as well.”

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