The ten members of ‘Nepal Folk’ vanished after checking in at Heathrow yesterday bound Cornwall.
Descriptions of the missing Nepalese have not been issued.[break]
But they are pictured on the internet stark naked except for heavy beading and bright green hats, with their collective modesties preserved by pearlescent purple lycra shorts.
Festival chairman David Peters said when the Cornish festival minibus turned up at Heathrow at 7.30 sharp on Tuesday to pick the choir up, they were nowhere to be seen.
Mr Peters confirmed today he’d spoken to immigration and was still waiting for the ten-strong choir to show up.
He told the BBC: “We kept on hoping they had missed the plane.
“But we have been in touch with the immigration authority who are now investigating what has happened.
“It seems they did arrive at Heathrow – but now they have absconded.
“It’s a great disappointment.
“They would have added an enormous amount of colour to the festival”
‘Nepal Folk’ had promised not only to sing at the festival but to tour Cornish schools and give workshops.
It’s a double-blow for the festival, as one of three Russian choirs due to sing were stopped at the former Iron Curtain because two of the choristers had ‘military connections’.
‘Voice Message’ were detained at Ekaterinburg by Russian customs officials.
Mr Peters explained: “They had their visas and they were all ready to board the plane.
“Then we received an email that the Russian customs had said that as two of the singers had been employed by one of the military offices they would not let them board the plane.
“As there were only eight of them in the group it made it impossible for them to continue.”
The Festival will go on and remains Europe’s biggest – although sixty, rather than sixty-two choirs will be performing.
Up to forty thousand people are expected to attend various events at the Eden Project, Lost Gardens of Heligan, Penzance’s Chapel Street Methodist Church, the Hall for Cornwall, Truro,St Agnes Methodist Church, St Michael’s Church in Newquay and Wesley Church in Liskeard.
(Courtesy: Cornwall Community News)
Related story
Jessie J shares adorable pictures with boyfriend Channing Tatum
_20191222200001.jpg)
