The sound of 1,000 voices singing in harmony by candlelight will form the centrepiece of this year's ArtsFest event in Birmingham.
The Big Voice project will see singers holding candles walking along the streets and canal towpaths of the city centre at dusk.
ArtsFest will also feature performances by Soweto Kinch, Pato Banton, Birmingham Royal Ballet, the CBSO, Birmingham Opera Company, Sampad and the Ex Cathedra choir, along with Steel Pulse at Reggae Rockz.
The Big Voice is arranged by Jeffrey Skidmore, founder and artistic director of Ex Cathedra and the project is led by an artistic team from three of Birmingham's internationally renowned choirs - Ex Cathedra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, and the City of Birmingham Young Voices.
The 1,000 Big Voice singers will be performing Hanacpachap cussicuinin, a 17th century Latin American processional hymn set in Quechua, the language of the Incas.
Hanacpachap cussicuinin involves a simple four-part harmony making it extraordinarily powerful and perfect for The Big Voice, said Mr Skidmore.
"I'm very excited by The Big Voice," he said. "Imagine a thousand voices processing by candlelight along four routes into the city centre, singing haunting, magical Inca prayers as they go.
"It is a wonderful vehicle to enjoy Birmingham's distinguished choral heritage and its cultural diversity."
The procession, on Saturday September 10, will involve four routes into the city centre along major pedestrian walkways and canals, passing through locations such as Broad Street, Corporation Street, the Bullring and the Mailbox.
It will last for approximately 40 minutes with a 20-minute performance in Centenary Square.
Children can also get involved in The Little Voice, a singing procession taking place around Centenary Square and Broad Street on Sunday 11.
Performances will take place in and around the city centre at venues such as Symphony Hall, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the Mailbox, Brindleyplace, St Martin's Church and the Rep theatre.
ArtsFest 2005 runs from September 9 to 11. More information can be found at www.artsfest.org.uk.
* Anyone who wants to perform with the Big Voice should contact Sharon Foster on 0121 464 8555 or email urban_fusion@ birmingham.gov.uk
