Hosting Estonia and Stories to Tell
ESTONIA RADIO GIRLS CHOIR
Ask any of the many Holy Spirit parishioners who, time after time, open their homes to visiting choir members for the Montana International Choral Festival and you’ll hear about this distinctively Missoula summertime adventure. As a host, you get to see Missoula and Western Montana through the eyes of visiting singers, and yes, you’ll have stories – lots of stories – to tell.
The Montana International Choral Festival, happening July 17-20, is once again welcoming singers from all over the world to Missoula. Members of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church and University Congregational Church are planning on hosting the three dozen 15 to 19-year-old singers of the Estonia Radio Girls Choir.
Hosting a couple of singers allows for a uniquely personal Festival experience, and many lasting friendships have developed between host families and guests throughout the years – sometimes lasting a lifetime.
Of course, summer is just getting underway and July may seem a long way off, but the Festival is already lining up host families for its international singers. If participating in this memorable international experience appeals to you, ask a fellow parishioner about their experience as hosts. Consider asking another Holy Spirit person or neighbor to share hosting with you. Ideally, the goal is to host the entire Estonia Radio Girls Choir between members of Holy Spirit and UCC, and even have them join us during the Sunday July 20 worship service.
Every other year, the Montana International Choral Festival brings exciting choirs from all over the world to Missoula. Our Montana International Choral Festival has become known throughout the world for its artistic excellence and clearly for its hospitality. Having evolved from its grassroots beginnings into a prestigious international event, the Montana International Choral Festival remains a flagship for choral festivals worldwide.
There are many new events planned for the celebration, and the Festival has invited some great choirs that are anxious to come to Missoula and experience the beautiful scenery, international camaraderie, and hospitality and we have to offer.
The Montana International Choral Festival is deeply grateful to the hundreds of Missoula residents who graciously opened their homes and hearts to international guests during its past Festivals. You’re invited to be part of Holy Spirit’s effort to host young singers from Estonia in July. To learn more, visit the MICF website, https://www.choralfestival.org/hosting/
--Lance Collister