“ I know where the grass hides the dew,

I know where the crickets tune their violins,

I know where the wind stops when it trembles,

I know where the desire to sing is born” (Bepi De Marzi)

The traditional cultural event of our mountains and our Valle Maira returns: the “Val Mairo Chanto” choral song festival. The appointment for choral singing enthusiasts is set for Saturday, August 29, 2026, at 3:00 PM in Marmora. This year marks the seventeenth edition of the singing gathering, organized once again by the Pro Loco Marmora Association in collaboration with the Municipal Administration. This event aims to promote the mountains of our valley along with its natural beauty, culture, and ancient folk traditions.

This year, the singing performance will host the following choirs:

• “La Bissocca” Alpine Choir of Villanova d’Asti (At)
• «Coramor» Choir of Chur – Canton of Grisons – Switzerland
• «Tenente Bracco» Choir of Revello (Cn)
• “La Reis” Choral Group of San Damiano Macra (Cn)
• «I ragazzi della Baracchina» spontaneous singing group of Albinea (Reggio Emilia)
• “Piccolo Cantiere” spontaneous singing group of the Maira, Varaita, and Vermenagna Valleys (Cn)

Through this festival, we wish to remember how singing has always accompanied human life—during celebrations and important milestones, but especially during work and the countless difficulties encountered in daily life in the past. Many songs speak of emigration, bearing witness to the sadness with which emigrants experienced the separation from their native land and the sense of uncertainty for their future. Other songs speak of love, of lucky and unlucky encounters, of abandonment, and of distance caused by war or poverty. And then there are the war songs. Veterans of the Russian campaign recounted that on the banks of the Don, despair and homesickness led them to sing even Mira il tuo popolo, Bella Signora, or Tu scendi dalle stelle. Choral singing, therefore, serves to bring to light the history implicit in these songs; our choirs—those performing this year and those who have graced the stage in Marmora and previously in Acceglio over the years—sing these memories.

If we wish to entrust true values to future generations, we must also transmit the desire to sing together, to be moved by stories of suffering and joy, and to remember that everything we have now is the fruit of the past. It is important to help new generations discover that singing is a formidable tool through which they can express their joys, fears, and emotions. The hope is that singing can once again inspire young people and that everyone returns to singing a little more. Listening can certainly be moving, but singing is undoubtedly a wonderful lived experience.

Marmora aims for all of this and awaits you, as always, in its finest summer dress.

Here is the program:

• 3:00 PM Start of the festival: After the official greetings near the Town Hall, the choirs will move to three locations (Locanda Ceaglio – Locanda Croce Bianca – Sanctuary of Biamondo) where the public can comfortably watch the entire performance.
• Approx. 6:30 PM Choir parade and combined choir singing in front of the multipurpose hall near the “Lou Dahu” campsite.

Following this, the awards ceremony and refreshments offered to the entire public.

We remind you that if the Festival continues to be an important event for the Valley, it is also thanks to those who contribute each year to the realization of the event. We would therefore like to thank:

– Cassa di Risparmio di Savigliano

– Cassa di Risparmio di Fossano

– Cassa Rurale Artigianale di Caraglio

– Elwor by Flavio Bressy

– The inns and various accommodation facilities of Marmora which always collaborate with the Pro Loco for the success of the event and in welcoming the guest choirs.