Sacred Choral Music Festival

The Sacred Choral Music Festival

For over twenty years, every November, the Mother Church of Alessandria della Rocca has transformed into the beating heart of Sicilian choral music. The Sacred Choral Music Festival is a highly anticipated event that draws numerous ensembles from across the island to this small town in the province of Agrigento, all united by a passion for polyphony and sacred music. Reaching its twenty-first edition in 2025, the festival is now one of the longest-running and most deeply rooted cultural events in the Sicilian hinterland.

Organizers

The event is promoted by the Associazione Culturale Corale Polifonica Cantores Dei, presided over by Anna Maria Ligammari and directed by Maestro Miriam Fugallo. The Cantores Dei choir, representing the community of Alessandria della Rocca, serves as the driving force behind the festival, preserving its core spirit: transforming the Mother Church into a place of encounter and fraternity where music becomes a shared prayer.

A Choral Gathering for All of Sicily

Each edition brings together numerous ensembles arriving from various provinces across the island, with a repertoire that weaves together liturgical chant, ancient and contemporary polyphony, and gospel moments. Choirs that have graced recent editions include the Schola Cantorum Quisquinae of Santo Stefano Quisquina, the Coro Scarlatti of Cattolica Eraclea, the Coro Bizantino of Palazzo Adriano, the Coro Sergio Alletto of Agrigento, the Belice Canto group of Salaparuta, the Cantores Voci di Don Bosco of Naro, and the Coro Città di Sciacca. Over time, the festival has enjoyed the collaboration of prominent figures in the Sicilian choral scene, such as Monsignor Giuseppe Liberto, former director of the Sistine Chapel Choir.

An Event for the Community

More than just a concert, the Sacred Choral Music Festival is a community milestone for Alessandria della Rocca and the entire province of Agrigento. It is an occasion that highlights the Mother Church as a spiritual and cultural landmark, introduces the public to the heritage of sacred song, and strengthens the bonds between Sicily's choral communities. Performances traditionally conclude with a communal song that brings all participating choirs together on the presbytery.