Choir singers from all over the world are in Malta for four days of musical celebration.

The 23rd edition of the Malta International Choir Festival features 36 choirs from 19 different countries and a varied programme of events, which kicked off yesterday and runs until Sunday.

The first day of the festival yesterday saw a series of concerts at City Gate, Valletta, with participating choirs singing compositions from their repertoire before a street parade showcasing folk songs from the different countries and regions represented at the festival.

The official opening ceremony at St John’s Co-Cathedral, under the name ‘Singing and Praying for Peace’, featured the local leaders of different religious denominations united with the choirs’ harmonious singing.

The festival continues over the next few days with competitions, public concerts, workshops for children and masterclasses for the choir singers themselves.

The main concert will be on Saturday at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, and feature guests the Gentlemen’s Singers (Czech Republic) and the Arsis Handbell Ensemble (Estonia).

On Sunday morning, choirs will sing for Sunday Mass at churches around the island, before the culmination of the singing competitions and the closing ceremony at the Catholic Institute in Floriana.

For more information and the full programme of concerts, visit www.maltachoirfest.com.