THE first international festival for children’s and youth choirs in the UK will spread its influence this month.

Although based in the Faithful City the Worcester International Festival for Young Singers (WIFYS) will see concerts performed in both Malvern and Upton.

Organised by Sing UK, the national singing organisation, WIFYS brings the Skowronki Girls Choir from Poland to Great Malvern Priory on Sunday, July 21, at 10am and then they will be joined by the Südpfalzlerchen Children’s and Youth Choir from Germany the following day.

The Versme Children’s Choir from Lithuania and the Comunidad de Madrid Youth Choir from Spain will perform together in St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Upton on Tuesday, July 23.

WIFYS artistic director, Malcolm Goldring, said: “Worcestershire has a strong musical pedigree, its geographical location making it easy for choirs to reach, its attraction as a wonderful tourist trap, whether in the city, towns or countryside - and its already active interest in SingUK projects.

“Now we can look forward to adding to this country’s international choral singing credentials, alongside the Three Choirs Festival and others, with an arena here for young people to collaborate in a non-competitive environment.”

In total the festival will attract more than 400 young singers from youth choirs in the UK, Europe and beyond to Worcestershire when it runs from Friday, July 19 to Saturday, July 27.

It aims to establish the UK on the international map of similar events which are held in different countries across Europe. For information, go to singuk.org/wifys.