e-ICB 2010-3

ICBICB

Dossier Choral Acoustics

Volume XXIX, Number 3 – 3rd Quarter, 2010ISSN 0896 – 0968

International Choral Bulletin

IFCM News: International Composition Competition

International Federation for Choral MusicThe International Choral Bulletin is the official journal of the IFCM. It is issued to members four times a year.

Managing EditorMr Andrea AngeliniVia Pascoli 23/g47900 Rimini, ItalyTel: +39-347-2573878 - Fax: +39-2-700425984E-mail: [email protected]: theconductor

Assistant EditorJutta Tagger

Editorial TeamMichael J. Anderson, Philip Brunelle, Daniel Garavano,Theodora Pavlovitch, Fred Sjöberg, Leon Shiu-wai Tong

Regular CollaboratorsMag. Graham Lack – Consultant Editor([email protected])

Dr. Marian E. Dolan - Repertoire([email protected])

Cristian Grases - World of Children’s and Youth Choirs([email protected])

Nadine Robin - Advertisement & Events([email protected])

Dr. Cara S. Tasher - Composers’ Corner([email protected])

Help with Texts and TranslationsEnglish: Gillian Forlivesi Heywood (coordination),Diana J. Leland, Irene Auerbach (text and linguisticediting and revision)

French: Maria Bartha (coordination), Isabelle Metrope(assistant coordinator) Florence Récoursé (linguisticediting and revision)

German: Anne Stahl (coordination), Dr. Lore Auerbach(linguistic editing and revision)

Spanish:Maria Catalina Prieto (coordination), JuanCasasbellas (linguistic editing and revision)

LayoutNadine Robin

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Publisher New address!International Federation for Choral Music, Department of Performing Arts, University of Illinois at Chicago1040 West Harrison St., Rm L018, MC255, Chicago IL 60607-7130, USA

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Contents

EditorialMichael J. Anderson

Dossier:Choral AcousticsThe Concert VenueWalter Marzilli

The Places Where the Choir Performs andHas its BeingDario de Cicco

The Use of Amplification Equipment inClassical Music ConcertsLuca Ricci

IFCM NewsParticipating in the 9th World Symposiumon Choral MusicVirginia Bono

9th World Symposium on Choral MusicNewsletter

First International Competition for ChoralComposition “A Choral Work for Peace”

International Seminar for Youth ChoirConductorsFred Sjöberg

Choral TechniqueBrahms the Autumnal:Cyclical and Progressive Structures andMeanings in Im Herbst, Op. 104 #5Frank Samarotto

Choral World NewsChoral Music in the 21st CenturyCan it still fascinate us?Prof. Andreas Herrmann

Jerusalem – Choral Music OvercomingBordersAndré de Quadros

11th International Choir Competition in Rivadel GardaStefanie Vera Müller

Pärnu International Choral Festival EstoniaAndrea Angelini

Contest of the Best: 8th German ChoralCompetition, 12-15 May 2010Walter Vorwerk

Let us be united in LoveMusica Sacra International FestivalWalter Vorwerk

Europa Cantat Celebrates its 50th AnniversarySonja Greiner

ARS CHORALIS 2010Moving the World!Annemarie van der Walt

World of Children’s and YouthChoirsIn Search of a Definition for Children’s andYouth ChoirsAnne Kankainen

Choral Music RecordingsCritic’s Pick…Jonathan Slawson

RepertoireEastern Light: Choral Music from Asia - Part 1Dr. Marian Dolan

EventsCompiled by Nadine RobinI. Conferences, Workshops & MasterclassesII. Festivals & CompetitionsAdvertisers’ Index

5IFCM press releasefrom the Interim President

Dear friends,

The International Federation for ChoralMusic has taken significant action to ensurethe continuation of its leadership in theworld of choral Music. Recently, LupwishiMbuyamba resigned because of otherobligations that kept him from fulfilling hisresponsibilities as President. As a result theExecutive Committee proposed to theBoard of Directors that Michael J. Andersonbecomes Interim President and DanielGaravano, First Vice-President. This wasunanimously passed by the Board on April12, 2010.On 26 March 2010, the International

Center for Choral Music, in Namur,Belgium was closed after 20 years ofproducing remarkable choral musicactivities. Ultimately, it succumbed to thesame financial crisis affecting the world’seconomies. While this presents challenges tothe ongoing disposition of some of IFCM’sprograms, it eliminated an untenableobstacle that, after more than a year oftrying, could not be fixed. Regrettably,because of these circumstances, it wasnecessary to release Véronique Bour after 20years of outstanding service to the Center.

EditorialMichael J. Anderson

Interim President

The Board of Directors has been veryactive in the re-building process. They haveprioritized the various projects andprograms to make sure that those of utmostimportance remain solvent. Those includethe International Choral Bulletin, the WorldSymposia on Choral Music, the WorldYouth Choir, choral-repertoire publications,and IFCM’s partnership with MusicaInternational and ChoralNet. Otheremergent programs have been placed onhold for the time being.I feel we have removed barriers to action

that hindered our ability in the past to moveIFCM forward. I am happy to report thatthe entire ExCom and the Board ofDirectors are committed to putting IFCMfirst and has agreed to work as a team bysharing outstanding and future tasks.IFCM’s future is bright and, with all thesegood people working on rebuilding it, welook forward to continuing IFCM’s positionof leadership in the world of choral music.

Michael J. AndersonInterim President

ICB Editorial

Following the closing of the InternationalCenter for Choral Music, the ExecutiveCommittee has chosen to move the IFCMofficial mailing address back to Chicago, forthe time being.

Official correspondenceInternational Federation for Choral MusicDepartment of Performing ArtsUniversity of Illinois at Chicago1040 West Harrison St., Rm L018, MC255Chicago IL 60607-7130

Membership inquiriesEmail: [email protected]: +1-512-551 0105 •

The Concert VenueWalter Marzilli

The Places Where the Choir Performs and Has its BeingDario De Cicco

The Use of Amplification Equipment in Classical Music ConcertsLuca Ricci

Choral Acoustics

Dossier

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The Concert Venue

IntroductionPhysical-acoustic implications concerning

the broadcasting of sound are many andextremely complicated, and this is not theplace to discuss absorption coefficients,acoustic impedance, and so forth. It wouldbe more useful, in this context, to turn ourattention to distinguishing between twoseparate occasions: when the choir singsduring a church service, and when it sings ina concert. The consequences can be very far-reaching when, in the first instance, thesound vibration is not conveying just anysound, but theWord of God. When facedwith such a serious matter, each of us mustdo our best not to disturb this transmission,since the Word of God must go straight tothe hearts of those listening, not just to theears. When we look at the matter in theseterms, we can see how any reflection on itwould soon touch the boundaries oftheology, ethics, philosophy, and more; so itis imperative that we pause here and look forsome solid ground. Let us confine ourselvesto a few essential reflections which will dealmarginally with the presence of the choir inthe liturgy, but most of all will deal with themore frequent occasion, the concert.

The Choir’s PlaceUntil the sixteenth century the choir was

always positioned with its back to thecongregation, facing the altar. Figure 1 showsa choir in a print dating from 1580.1 Theopening of the San Cassiano theatre inVenice in 1637 – the first theatre to beopened to the public – marked thecompletion of a process of rotation of thechoir: first the choir turned to face thecongregation, then it expanded to becometwo, three, or six choirs, or more, in order tosurround the audience completely. Becauseby this time the audience, historically and

ICB Dossier

Thoughts on Acoustics for Choirs

Walter Marzilli

socially, had reached a position of suchimportance that it could no longer beunderestimated.The liturgical reform introduced by the

Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)definitively moved the altar much furtherforward, closer to the congregation, althoughthis was not a general obligation. Thisbrought about a significant alteration of theoriginal acoustic design of any and everychurch. It should be remembered that thepositioning of the officiating priest in theapse had a highly refined acousticsignificance, because from here his voicewould expand in sound waves projecteddirectly towards the people, even when thecelebrant turned versus Orientem.2 Thephenomenon illustrated in fig. 2 is caused bythe acoustic law governing the reflection ofsound waves, which “bounce” off a wall at anangle of reflection equal to the angle ofincidence.3 If the wall is concave the result isthat shown in fig. 2.

On the stage of a theatre, the area ofcorresponding acoustic significance to thecelebrant’s place in church is known as “theCallas spot”. This place is much sought-afterby opera singers because it is from here thatthe voice is best heard. An inverse approachwould be to position microphones in thecelebrant’s place in order to record a vastmass of sound on the strength of theparabolic reflection of the sound waves fromthe concave wall.4 This is exactly what SergiuCelibidache’s sound engineer used to do, andso did the Pink Floyd’s engineer, both ofwhom were noted for always seeking aconcave place in front of which they couldposition their microphones for liverecordings … this explains the need for thefamous acoustical shell placed behindmusicians when they perform out of doors –a word about this later – or indoors in a

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place with little reverb. The architects of theancient world solved this problem at sourceby designing the apse.This said, it follows that to optimise its

acoustic power, the choir should bepositioned in the apse: the very place where,in all historic churches, we find the woodenchoir stalls. The sound made by the choirneeds to be completely formed before it isfinally diffused. The position of theconductor, actually within the choir, is theleast pleasant, since he or she hears the soundof the choir before the vital contributionmade by the acoustic surroundings hascompleted the sound. You would not go tothe baker to buy, separately, flour, water,yeast, and salt; when you go to the baker’syou expect to come away with the finishedproduct – bread – and the same should applyto the sound of the choir.5 To reach fullnessof sound, the choir requires two essentialingredients: space and resonance. The first isnot obtained by placing the choir too near itsaudience; and the second requires a curveencircling the singers, or at least a wallbehind them. Both these conditions can beimmediately fulfilled by placing the choir inthe apse. After all, during the liturgy, thechoir has never sung in a direct, but always atransversal way: being, not seeming.6

Concerts, though, are different: here thevisual aspect too is important, and at aconcert, listening becomes the mostimportant factor, whereas in the liturgy it isonly a part of the whole. For this reason –and also so as not to compromise the soundof a small choir or a group of singers withlimited ability to project sound – it isadvisable to position the choir in front of thealtar, while maintaining the necessarydistance from the audience. The bestarrangement is for the choir to form asemicircle. What is lost in the directionalquality of sound in a semicircle as opposed

to a straight line, is offset by the way inwhich the sound will be immediately moreassured and more closely-woven. Singerswho stand in a close semicircle can keepbetter contact with one another.

The DomeDon’t forget about the dome. It creates a

rising air vortex which draws sound upwards,aided by the heat generated by the lightingdirected on to the choir. Placing the choirright under the dome means sendingupwards, and consequently losing, aconsiderable quantity of sound. However,this only really applies to very high domes.Usually – fortunately – it is only theperspective effect of the frescos which makesthe dome seem so high, so close to Heaven…7 The same thing happens behind theproscenium in the theatre.

The Choir LoftSometimes the raised choir loft was part ofthe original architectural design and has itsown acoustic function. In this case, it isadvisable to make use of it, because from theheight of this gallery the sound of the choircan extend freely to fill all the availablespace, untrammelled by all those obstacleswhich inevitably impede its propagationwhen the source of the sound is positionedon the floor.8 It is an excellent spot in whichto place a second choir, or to begin a concert,enveloping the audience with ethereal sound;and the concert could then continue withthe choir singing as they enter the church inprocession.

The Amplification ofSoundIn very large churches, one may be

strongly tempted to amplify the choir, but

...The Concert Venue

the microphones capture the sound and sendit instantly a considerable distance away,before the live sound can reach there. Thesounds therefore are superimposed on oneanother, increasing reverberation andmaking words and harmony more difficult tounderstand. It is advisable to placeloudspeakers only where the sound does notreach, but this is a very rare occurrence, onlyfound in the presence of a particulararchitectural space called the zone of silence,illustrated in fig. 3:

It can be seen from fig. 3 that there arethree distinct acoustic zones in a definedenclosed space: one space where the directcarrying capacity of the voice gives a fine,solid sound; the zone of silence (not alwayspre-sent) where the voice does not reachdirectly, but only through a very fewreflected sound waves (those of the lownotes, more spherical than the others), givinga delicate but not very satisfactory sound;9

and the reflected sound zone, giving a softsound like the preceding one, but lessethereal and more present.10

ReverbAnother parameter to be taken into

account is reverb. The optimum figure for achoral performance is estimated to be at leasttwo seconds.11 This enables the singers tohave ideal control of their voices and givesthe audience a clear yet well-blended soundto listen to.12 A fair amount over this figureand the singers will have a very rewardingproprioceptive sense of their voices, whilethe audience will be condemned to a very

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demanding and confused listening.13 Belowtwo seconds, on the contrary, the audiencewill easily be able to hear every smallestnuance, while the singers will have a horriblesensation of total vocal isolation, making itdifficult to keep control of emission.14

The absence of any reverb can becountered in various ways. The first is toremove any sound-absorbing materials suchas carpets, curtains, etc. Then the singersshould stand in a close, tight semicircle, sothat each can be aware of the others’ voicesand their voices are not projected towardsthe audience without any control, as canhappen when the singers stand in a straightline or a wide semicircle. Another effectiveway to increase the control each singer hasover his or her voice is for the singers tostand further apart from one another: in thisway the singers hear their own voices beforethose of the others. Or again, singers canalter-nate (STSTSTSTST-ABABABABAB)so that each voice is enclosed between twodifferent voices. Obvi-ously, the two lattersolutions need to be tried out and practisedduring rehearsal. Both these solutions causefew problems at the outset and offer manyadvantages in terms of enhancing each singlevoice, improving the fusion of voices,characterising timbre, encouraging theevolution of colour, etc., but these cannot bedealt with in depth here. An excess of reverbcan be contrasted by applying the oppositetechniques: putting down carpets, openingclosed curtains, and standing choristers in astraight line to increase directivity of sound.

The Haas EffectThis is the name given to a particular

acoustic phenomenon: a listener who movesjust thirty centimetres from the symmetricalcentre between a pair of stereo microphones,will hear only the microphone closer to

them, and not the other. If we think of thechoir as an enlarged stereophonic source(usually with the high voices on the left andthe deep voices on the right) we canreasonably suppose that listening from aposition non-symmetrical in relation to thechoir – which in practice means any benchin any church, separated as they are by thecentral corridor – would produce the sameeffect, so that the sections further away arenot heard. Fortunately, the presence ofreverb mitigates this negative effect, whichwould otherwise make it im-possible tolisten to any music. But this is the reasonwhy the microphones are always positionedin the cen-tre of the corridor and never toone side. Could this, and not socialconsiderations of caste15, be the true,primitive-empirical reason why importantpeople are always seated at the centre of twosets of benches?

Singing Out of DoorsThis is the least favourable situation,

since there is no enclosing architectural spacewhich – as we have seen – has a fundamentalpart to play in the formation of the finalsound. Moreover, another phenomenon – aparticular type of refraction16 – causesfurther problems. The sound waves aredispersed upwards when the ground iswarmer than the air (fig. 4), while the rangeof the sound is much reduced when theground is colder than the air, since in thiscase sound tends to sink downwards (fig. 5).

In both cases the situation causes negativeeffects which must be avoided. It is essentialto overcome the problem by usingmicrophones and loudspeakers to create avirtual enclosed space. However, there is aprice to pay for this: the timbre willinevitably be lost, since as well as thealterations made by the mixer – which mayproduce improvements – it should beremembered that every microphone has itsown particular sound …Without takinginto account the loudspeakers, each of whichhas its own “voice”. Also, the singers will bequite unable to hear each other and will needto have recourse to a monitor and/or theacoustical shell referred to at the beginning.In any case it is essential to be flexible and tohave sufficient familiarity and confidencewith outdoor spaces, microphones,monitors, the dispersal of sound, and soforth.

1Filippo Galle (1537-1612): Cappella Musicale. Detail of

an engraving from: J. Stradanus, Encomium Musicae,

Antwerp, 1580 ca.2The widespread theory that the celebrant said Mass “with

his back to the congregation, ignoring them” is not correct: on

the contrary, the celebrant was leading the people in an ideal

procession towards the east, that is to say, towards God, and

this was carried out with loving care, acoustically speaking –

as can be seen from fig. 2. The objections usually raised

against Mass celebrated towards the east/God are based on

the observation that the Pope in St Peter’s basilica celebrates

Mass facing the people: but this does not take into account

that the altar in St Peter’s faces east. This is partly owing to

the positioning of the altar above the tomb of St Peter, and

partly to the geological configuration of the hill which rises

behind it. In this, it differs from the majority of an-cient

churches, around which urban centres subsequently grew.3We should take into account that computer graphics are

unable to make the angle of incidence and the angle of

reflection per-fectly symmetrical.4This is the same principle as that governing parabolic

television antennae.5This is why placing microphones too close to the choir spoils

and thwarts all the efforts made by conductor and singers

alike to create an appreciable fusion of the voices. The

microphones pick up the single voices separately and are

unable to capture the overall acoustic effect, which includes

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the contribution made by the reflection of sound within the

architectural surroundings.6Bear in mind, however, that post-conciliar Church

legislation invited the singers to move out of the apse and

mingle with the congregation, of which they are a part.

Without disowning the munus of the choir’s ministry, if

possible...7We may interpret this striving towards Heaven, towards the

Creator, as a symbol of the power of one church relative to

another, at a time when the Church was also a notable

temporal power.8The elevated choir loft is motivated by considerations

superior to simple acoustics. When you enter any historic

church of some height, it is never possible to see at the same

time the floor below the altar and the ceiling above it. This

symbolises the unbridgeable gap between humankind and

God which was the basis of pre-conciliar theology. There was,

however, one chosen spot from which one could look at the

apse and see, at the same time, both the floor (humankind)

and the ceiling (God): the raised choir loft.9This refers to the notorious area where someone who was

sitting there during the concert will unfailingly say, «This

evening you all sang a bit too quietly …». Never put the

microphones here when you are recording; not even the

second microphone for atmosphere.10Bear in mind that the reflections do not come only from

the ceiling, but also from the side walls, the floor, the pillars,

the people present, etc.

was twice elected to the National ArtisticCommission of FENIARCO (the ItalianNational Federation of Regional Choir As-sociations). He is the Director of various choralensembles: I Madrigalisti di Magliano, basedin Magliano, Tuscany; the Rome Vocal Octet;the Amaryllis Vocal Quartet; and the RomePontifical Institute of Sacred Music PolyphonicChoir. He teaches singing at the SedesSapientiae Inter-national College in Rome,where he is also Director of the Department ofMusic, and he has taught at the FrenchPontifical Seminary and at the Italian OperaAcademy. He has been Director of the ItalianWard Centre for Music Teaching in Rome,where he also taught for a number of years. Heteaches Choral Singing at the Francesco CileaConservatory of Music in Reggio Calabria andChoir Directing in the specialisation course atNovara Conservatory of Music. He also teachesat the Higher Institute for Choir Directors ofthe Guido d’Arezzo Foundation and is tenuredProfessor of Choir Directing at the PontificalInstitute of Sacred Music in Rome.

Email: [email protected]

Translated from the Italian by Gillian ForlivesiHeywood, Italy •

11Note that this is the time required by a sound in order to

decrease its maximum power by 60 decibels (one million

times). In practice, the time considered is the time from the

end of the sound to its decreasing to zero.12Bear in mind that any reflected sound is superimposed on

the direct sound during the first one-tenth of a second of

listening, thus reinforcing the original sound.13The conductor will need to broaden tempo and rests to

avoid superimposing notes and chords.14In this case the conductor would be well advised to slow

the tempo of the music, which might otherwise sound hollow

and stark.15There are many acoustic situations which musicians of the

past solved empirically, without having the necessary

knowledge. But this would be an interesting theme to develop

at some future time.…16We refer to refraction when the sound wave crosses two

spaces of differing temperatures.

Walter Marzilli graduated from the PontificalInstitute of Sacred Music in Rome with aDiploma in Gregorian Chant, Music Teaching,Choral Music and Choir Directing. Hereceived a Doctorate in Musicology from thesame Institute. Studies in Germany led to hisreceiving a Diploma of Specialisation in musicfor choir and orchestra from the University ofCologne, and a higher diploma in MusicTeaching from the University of Düsseldorf. He

...The Concert Venue

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ICB Dossier

through an almost endless number ofexamples, leading us to de-fine a firstsignificant circular relationship:

The composition of choral groups has notalways been the same, but has varied fromsmall groups of just a few singers, throughlarge bodies of up to fifty or sixty members,to the huge choirs of the nineteenth century.This great numerical variation has had anotable effect on the venues used for musicalevents and on the organisation of spaces.The first stage in our ideal exploration is

to look at the pre-Christian cultures wherechoral music was an in-tegral part ofreligious ritual and of theatricalperformances, thus making choral musicsocially legitimate and important. In the case

of religious ritual, the choir is groupedaround the altar, conducting a directdialogue with its cocelebrants and with thedivinity. This close contact denotes asignificant cultural dimen-sion, suggestingthat the choir is an integral part of humanexistence.When tragedies were performed in the

theatre, the chorus stood in a dedicatedsemi-circular space in front of the stage,called the “orchestra”, where they could singand also dance. The chorus was regarded asone of the actors, participating in the entireperformance.We know that the hard-fought

affirmation of Christianity did not overlookchoral participation, although there is verylittle documentation available. Images foundin the catacombs in the Rome area suggestthat singing together was a regular elementin early liturgical services.In the Middle Ages the experience of

singing in a choir and the spaces where thistook place were connected with the spaceoccupied by music in contemporary society.The link between two dimensions of humanlife – education and faith – is especiallysignificant. Choral music was usually sung inenclosed private spaces, such as the churches,monasteries, and educational institutions ofthe time. There were many more sacredspaces than there were secular, although itseems certain that much of the mediaevalrepertoire of secular music was intended forchoral performance.That St Benedict of Norcia (480-547)

devoted part of his Rule, the RegulaMonasteriorum, to the practice of choralmusic bears witness to the significant roleassigned to it, a role which remainedconstant through following centuries. Thephysical arrangement of the choir is ametaphor for the harmony, ordered andmeas-ured, existing between body and spirit.

The Places Where the Choir Performs and Has its BeingNot Just a Question of Space…

Dario De Cicco

If we think about choral music in thecontext of physical and environmentalspaces, we find we must think about a verychangeable aspect of our musical activitycompelling us to look at – albeit quickly andnot in depth – the entire history of the choiras an entity. The places where a choir singsvary according to the different periods in thehistory of our civilisation, and these changesshould be seen as indicating a vitalitysynonymous with ongoing development,both musical and social. These twodimensions are closely connected: the placewhere the choir performs is part of itsexistence.But where, today, can we find

information on this subject? There are anumber of sources (which historians defineas “direct” or “indirect”) including: images(known as “musical iconography”), narrative(not always strictly musical), chronicles andcourt registers, epistolary sources, treatises,documents pertaining to churchadministration, etc. A notable mass ofmaterial providing information which, ifread and cross-referenced, allows us toreconstruct with a reasonable degree ofreliability the evolution of a very specialaspect of “making music together”, whichhas always been a feature of humanexperience.Researching the spaces used for choral

activity involves also thinking about therelationship that actual space has had in theconception and development of the choralrepertoire: we could begin with theGregorian monodies institutionalised by theBenedictines in their monastic context ofOra et labora and continue up to the popularRenaissance repertoire performed at courtduring feasts and on other special occasions.This is a subject which could be developed

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...The Places Where the Choir Performs and Has its Being

The positioning of a monastic communityfor sung prayers is a functional expression ofthe desire to render praise and honour toGod, and this is the key to understandingthe precise ordering of standing, sitting,interacting, and so forth. This is no sterilerigour, but an expression of the values at thefoundation of monastic experience.In the late Middle Ages (1000-1492)

certain theatrical performances which drewtheir inspiration from the Gospels wereperformed in churches, and here the role ofthe choir was of vital importance. This wasthe first step in a process which would leadto the development of specific repertoires –lauds – for the bodies entrusted with theireffectuation: the confraternities. Thus,choral performance generated socialaggregation.The Renaissance was an especially fertile

time for choral music, both sacred andsecular. The rise of the Court as a model ofsocial organisation gave notable support tothe proliferation of choral performances atsignificant times, and the spaces devoted tothe choir included wonderful ornatereception rooms and that new invention, thecourt theatre. Choral repertoires developedand flourished through a fertile relationshipwith poetry, and the spaces devoted tochoral music at this time emphasised thesocial and cultural dimension of the courts,which became a driving force for the arts.At the same time, the production and

performance of sacred music flourishedhugely, aided by the proliferation of churchmusic schools (scholae cantorum) which werefounded with the aim of trainingprofessional singers who would be able toprovide the necessary numbers for thevarious structures used in performingpolyphonic music. Competent professional

singers were required because choral musichad become much more complex(counterpoint) and required not simplygeneric singing ability but notable expertisein emission and expressiveness. These schoolsgave rise to a huge number of musical eventsin all the most outstanding seats ofChristianity, places noted also for the greatbeauty of their decoration, resulting in akind of dialogue between the visual arts andmusic: and at the centre of it all was Manand his voice.At this time the division of music into

two sections, sacred and secular, was evidentat various levels – written music, formalorganisation of pieces, venues for choralmusic – and the practice of choral musicdeveloped in a dynamic cultural context. Insecular music, the first musical instrumentsbegan to make an appearance, determining –as can be seen from paintings of the period –certain requisites in their positioning and inthe way they were balanced with singingvoices.An important aspect of this was the

development of polychoral music in Venice:two choirs, separated spatially, sang inalternation. This type of music wasdetermined in part by the architecturaldesign of St Mark’s basilica, and was oneexample of that circular relationshipmentioned above.With the advent of melodrama in the

sixteenth century, choral music rediscoveredits scenic dimension: the theatre. We may seethis as regaining a space which had alwaysbelonged to the chorus. There was no longeran exclusive physical space, functional totheir activity; instead the chorus was assigneda place on the stage, just like the otherplayers. The prominence of the chorus in anopera varied greatly, from one century toanother and from one European country toanother, in terms both of space and time.

Music history studies have always heldthat the positioning of the chorus in relationto the orchestra had its own significance, andhere too we can see notable variations, fromits presence on stage to its position behind orbeside the musical instruments. Eachsituation required its own strategies,functional both to the sound output and tothe requirements of an emerging andsometimes uncertain type of orchestraldirection, which was often entrusted toseveral people. Thus there was no singlearrangement, but a number of differentarrangements, frequently hybrid. Thenumerous designs of theatres or of particularperformances provide interestinginformation in this respect.In deciding where to place the choir

much depends, and has always depended, onthe conductor’s style of directing. The use, ornon-use, of the conductor’s baton, and thedevelopment of a theory of conducting, havebeen determining factors in the choice of oneposition on stage rather than another: infront of the orchestra, behind it, or to oneside.

An example of sacred choral music concerts in theBaroque age. The miniature shows the ceremony atwhich Alfonso Litta was elected a cardinal by thePapal Legate, cardinal Carafa, in 1666, and is takenfrom “Insignia degli anziani del Comune dal 1530 al1796”, in E. MAULE, Momenti di festa musicalesacra a Bologna nelle Insignia degli Anziani(1666–1751), in “Il Carrobbio”, XIII, Luigi Parma,Bologna 1987, p. 261. The choir can be seen placedat the centre, with two musical ensembles at thesides, and two organs behind.

13

Giuseppe Verdi made the chorus animportant element in his operas, oftenentrusting to them the delicate task ofembodying and giving voice to the values ofa given society.This reflection has been based mainly on

musical performance in places and spacesvisible to the audience. We should also thinkabout choral performance in monasticcommunities, often – especially under thevery strict rules of the past – unseen byothers, where choral singing, then as now,was functional to the practices of faith. Areperformance and listening the same? Do thebasic parameters change? And what aboutsound output? What relationship is therebetween sound and vision in our concertperformances?Another important consideration

concerns the choice of building materials forthe places where choirs perform: why wasstone so widely used in the Middle Ages andlater? Was this simply because it wasavailable, or was it a conscious choice? Thismay seem a matter of little significance, buthow many choirs see their hard workthwarted by poor acoustics when theyperform in reinforced concrete buildings?

These considerations are important in asociety largely inclined to the visualdimension, even where musical performanceand listening are concerned. It would be agood thing if choirs – in the sense of all thechoristers involved – could take these aspectsinto account when planning a musical event.All too often the choice of venue andpositioning of the choir is determined by thedirector or the organisers. The matter shouldbe discussed, pointing out that placing thesopranos on the right or on the left, the choirin front of the organ or behind it, are aspectsthat make a difference.I hope these reflections can stimulate

critical awareness of the many aspects ofchoral music in all who practise this art,whether professionally or as amateurs, andthat they may realise that the experience ofour predecessors is not a body of knowledgedestined only for an elite of refinedconnoisseurs, but rather living knowledgewhich – even after centuries – can kindleenthusiasm and help us to develop our skillin “making music”.

Dario De Cicco holds a degree in Pianoforte,Music and Choral Music Teaching, and ChoirDirecting. He has specialised in choral singingand Gregorian chant at the main centres inItaly and elsewhere in Europe. He frequentlypublishes the results of his music studies andresearch in a number of periodicals (includingBequadro, Musica Domani, Il Rigo Musicale,and others) and he holds courses in choralsinging, semiology and Gregorian palaeographyat a number of monasteries in Italy and inother European countries. He collaborates withÉditions de Solesmes, for whom he wasresponsible for the Italian edition of a text byG. Hourlier, published as "La notazione deimanoscritti liturgici" (2006). For OTOSpublishers in Lucca he has edited oratorios byGiacomo Carissimi: "Felicitas beatorum"(2004), "Lamentatio damnatorum" (2004),"Jephte" (2006). He is President of La Speziasection of SIEM (Italian Society for MusicEducation), and a member of the nationalexecutive committee of the same, where he isresponsible for the activities of the varioussections. He is also a member of severalpermanent committees for national studies andresearch, connected with SIEM. He works witha number of schools and music associations atnational level as an instructor in pro-jectsconcerning experimental teaching in the fieldsof teaching to listen and teaching music ininfant and primary schools.

Email: [email protected]


ICB Dossier

Joseph Cristophe, Baptism of the Dauphin in thepresence of Lully, oil on canvas, Versailles, the castlemuseum, in Ritratti di compositori, Officine graficheDe Agostini, Novara 1990, pp. 42-43 (variousauthors, edited by G.Taborelli and V.Crespi)

Here, as well as the instruments, we can see twoalternating choirs, together with the or-gans In thepresbytery of San Petronio Church, the saint’s feastday is being celebrated, in the presence of James IIIof England (the “Old Pretender”) and his wife MariaKle-mentyna Sobieska, 1722, in E. MAULE, Momentidi festa musicale, Op.cit., p. 260.

microphones (microphones on singlesections or single instruments or singers) tothe main array (the panoramicmicrophones). This is because the main arraydoes not pick up a clear signal from all thesections of performers. We need toremember that the main array occupies a

privileged position compared with the seatsin a concert hall, and this means that whatthe array cannot “hear”, the audience – eventhe people in the front row – will hear evenless.Quite often, someone from the audience

will come up to me during the interval and

14 Is there anyone who has not thought, whilelistening to a concert, that that instrument,that singer, or even that whole choir wouldhave been much improved by a little …amplification?In my work, which consists of preparing

master audio recordings for the productionof CDs, the problem is easily solved: all itneeds is an extra microphone to balance thesound made by the performer, which islacking in volume when heard throughheadphones, with the rest of the musicians…To solve the same problem during a live

performance in public is, technicallyspeaking, a little more complicated, owingfirst to the need to use loudspeakers in theconcert hall and for monitoring if this isrequired, and secondly to the visual andpsychological impact of this equipmentwhich we are not used to, whereas we arefamiliar with the equipment normally usedfor recording, since this is routinely used bymany amateur groups and by almost allprofessional ensembles.If we accept – as we must – that live

music, be it sacred monodies, polyphony byPalestrina, or a Mozart Mass, was conceivedto be performed without the aid ofamplification, we must at the same timeremember that the use, consolidated overdecades, of ever more high-performanceequipment produces recordings in whichevery part (at least in good-qualityrecordings) is carefully detailed. And if weexpect the same perfection of sound in a liveevent it follows that performance technique,and a part of the interpretative choicesshown during a concert, must aim primarilyat making intelligible to the audience everypart of the musical score.From my own experience in recording

concerts, I can certainly say that this idealsituation rarely occurs, which means that Ioften have to add one or more accent

DossierThe Use of Amplification Equipment in Classical Music Concerts

Luca Ricci

ask to listen to something, only to remarkafterwards that “it sounds better in therecording than it did live”. It would certainlyimprove my business prospects if I could tellthem that this is all down to my expertise,but the truth is that sometimes the recordingengineer has to intervene in order to makeup for the insufficient volume of aninstrument or a section in relation to the restof the orchestra, in some part of theperformance or even, at times, throughoutthe performance.Where professional performers are

concerned, there are usually two causes ofthe problem.1) When touring, music ensembles tendto take up a standard position on stage,keeping the same spaces betweenperformers whatever the venue.

2) At times the concert venue obliges theperformers to adopt an ad hocpositioning.

In both instances the equilibrium found inthe practice room or the recordingstudio is lost in the concertperformance: in the first instancebecause one rarely has the good fortuneto perform in a place similar in acousticsand structure to the place where theequilibrium in question was reached;and in the second instance because, asshould be obvious, changing position ina space unable to accommodate evenstandard positioning increases the riskof overshadowing some parts of thegroup and/or accentuating others.

Of course, there are ensembles who areable to reorganise their positioningeffectively in the concert hall, but eventhe most expert can do nothing about itwhen they find themselves in a spacetoo small for the number of performers.

3) Another highly inauspicious situation isa venue with excessive reverb. Here too,

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ICB Dossier

not even the most careful positioning ofthe performers on the stage will besufficient to contrast a sound whichlingers so long that it forms clusters,even when the programme does notinclude late twentieth-century classics…

In the last article I published in ChoraliterI discussed the choice of location inproducing recordings destined for the recordindustry. Personally, I feel that concertorganisers should give the same thought andcare to the choice of concert venue; but alltoo often parameters such as the acoustics ofthe hall and its size in relation to the numberof performers engaged are merely secondaryconsiderations, far behind such importantconsiderations as the historic and artisticrelevance of the chosen location, or of itsavailability in relation to more acousticallysuitable venues.A further problem, in addition to points

1, 2, and 3 above, is having to approach apiece of music without having the necessarycomplement of musicians to perform it – aproblem which tends mainly to affectamateur ensembles.Today we have technology which could

improve these situations, in the form ofamplification systems proportioned to thecontext we are dealing with and givingexcellent sound quality. I say “could” becausein concert seasons featuring only professionalmusicians it is unlikely that the use ofelectromechanical instrumentation toimprove sound in the concert hall would bedeemed acceptable. The statistics drawnfrom my work so far lead me to deduce thatin this context, amateur groups are moreopen to compromise than professionals.In the concert hall, when a section, a

single instrument, or a soloist cannot beheard properly owing to the problemsreferred to above, discreet use of

microphones and careful positioning ofloudspeakers can very often solve theproblem. Now let us examine someexamples.One of the most frequent difficulties

arises when a soloist sings from inside asection of the choir or chorus rather than infront of it, and can consequently not beheard well by the audience; a dynamicmicrophone, such as the classic Shure SM58positioned in front of the singer, minimisesfeedback and makes the voice moremanageable. In my view there are twopossible solutions for positioning theloudspeakers. The first, which has a lesservisual impact, is to place a good-qualitysmall or medium-sized speaker at the singer’sfeet, facing the audience; if you regulate thevolume carefully, you could almost think thevoice was not amplified at all. The secondoption involves placing two microphones onsupports in a stereophonic position relativeto the audience – usually at the sides of theensemble and outside it; in this case the solovoice will be very effective, if a little lessnatural.If the soloist has to move about on stage,

the latter solution is the only solutionfeasible; and if there is a sound engineer tooperate sound panning, it becomes possibleto make the sound follow the singer’smovements. In this case a Lavalier (or clip-on) radio microphone is the only optionpossible, even though a good-quality one ismuch more expensive than the above-mentioned SM58.The same difficulty with volume can

affect a whole section of a choir or choruswhen this section is numerically smaller thanthe others, and the problem can be solved ina similar way; the amplifier must be placedclose to the section in need – otherwise yourun the risk of making things worse, notbetter! The type of microphones used are

the choir is standing in a single semicircle)you run a high risk of getting the dreaded“Larsen effect” (the high-pitched squealingnoise sometimes produced by amplificationsystems). Because the type of microphonesystem described above is normally used onlyby providers of large-scale recording services,consequently increasing the cost of hiringthe concert hall, often the organisers will fallback on the alternative of using panoramicmicrophones for each section of the choir orchorus, placing the amplifiers next to the

16 those described above.In the case of a choir or chorus standing

behind the orchestra and covered by it, theamplification system must necessarily bestereophonic and placed at the sides of thechoir, but unless you use a close microphonesystem (usually one condenser microphonewith a half-inch diaphragm for every foursingers, two in front and two behind,keeping to the division between sectionsand/or parts; or one for every two singers if

Dossier

...The Use of Amplification Equipment in Classical Music Concerts

orchestra, but while this does guarantee thatthe words being sung are intelligible, theaudience will often get the impression thatthe singers are …… sitting on the orchestraplayers’ laps!Surroundings with too much reverb

require a close microphone system for thechoir or chorus, for the orchestra if there isone, and for the soloists, in order to pick upas much of the direct sound as possible,instead of the reflected sound which wouldotherwise be amplified. The amplification

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ICB Dossier

system has to be positioned with care, usingpaired medium/small stereo speakers, asmany as are needed in relation to the size ofthe hall and its reverberation time (it is up tothe sound engineer to calculate this),positioned at regular intervals, beginningwith the front row of the stalls, if necessary.(Sometimes the front few rows are not asaffected by excessive reverberation as are theother rows). The volume should be regulatedat medium/low: the principle is the same asthat applied in churches when loudspeakersare used to allow the congregation to followthe liturgy even when the acoustics are poor.Outdoor performances may have the

opposite problem: the sound is excessively“dry”, and at times the volume may beinsufficient.Out of doors there are fewer sound

reflections because there are no walls and/orceilings (here I’m making a generalisation; ina cloister, for instance, there’s no ceiling butthe walls are there! And even a small squaremay cause the same complications ….) Thismeans fewer problems in positioning themicrophones relative to the amplifyingequipment (which can be large-scale if venueand audience size allow) and the question of“dryness” of the sound can be addressed byusing artificial reverberation.It had better be clearly noted here that

where audio amplification, or audiorecording, is concerned, the “do it yourself ”solution is definitely not recommended, evenin the (unlikely) case that the musicalensemble in question actually has thenecessary equipment to deal with everyeventuality. These tasks require the presenceof a competent sound engineer who is usedto working with the type of music beingperformed. An untrained or absent sound

engineer – for instance, a chorister who setsup the necessary equipment and then takeshis position in the choir, leaving theequipment to take care of itself throughoutthe entire performance (you might find ithard to believe, but I’ve seen it done …) –can ruin a performance.As I have already said, at a professional

level you often come across musicians,conductors, and organisers who are veryreluctant to make use of an amplificationsystem. The most frequent excuses are that itspoils the visual effect, risks creatingimbalance in volume (but as we have alreadyseen, imbalance in volume can be resolvedby using good equipment), and even fear ofadverse reviews in specialised publications.My personal opinion is that the worst thingthat can happen to a member of theaudience is to be unable to follow what ishappening on stage; it is impossible toappreciate even the greatest interpretation ifit cannot be heard properly.On the contrary, where school concerts

are concerned, or performances involvingboth music and acting, whether pre-recordedmusic or live music supplied by orchestras ofeither large or small instruments, no qualmsare shown and I find myself called on tohelp; the technology I can supply iswelcomed with open arms by head teachersand conductors, not to mention producersand young performers. When the soundengineer is free to act without worryingabout “purity” of performance, both musicand the spoken word resound loud and clearin the theatre or auditorium hosting theevent.

I have been working as a sound engineerfor ten years, and for part of that time I havealso dealt with classical music, and I haveoften obtained the best results incircumstances like these. The youngergeneration of musicians seems to be muchmore open to the use of electro-acousticsupports, so we may hope that in years tocome every prejudice towards this particularbranch of electro-acoustic technology willdisappear, so that live music can beappreciated to the full at every performance.

Luca Ricci studied composition at theFrancesco Morlacchi Conservatory of Music inPerugia under Maestro Stefano Bracci andelectronic music under Maestro LuigiCeccarelli, in the course of which he took partin recording a number of concerts given by theUmbria Symphony Orchestra, conducted byMaestro Giuliano Silveri. Since 1986 he hasproduced Demo recordings, in his recordingstudio or in a mobile studio, for a number ofclassical, light, and jazz music ensembles, andhas also recorded his own acoustic andelectronic music compositions. Since 1998 hehas devoted himself exclusively to recordingclassical music, gradually adding to hisavailable machinery and technology for thispurpose.Email: [email protected]


Our thanks to the editors of Choraliter, the FENIARCO bulletin, for permission to print these articles.

IFCMParticipating in the 9th World Symposium on Choral MusicVirginia Bono


First International Competition for Choral Composition“A Choral Work for Peace”

International Seminar for Youth Choir ConductorsFred Sjöberg

International Federation for Choral Music

IFCM News

19

ICB IFCM News

Participating in the 9th World Symposium on Choral Music

Why would I participate in aWorld Symposium?

I have been asked to write about my viewsand my experiences in a Symposium onChoral Music. What I have to say is verysimple: a World Symposium on ChoralMusic is a space of unlimited growth, ameeting with colleagues working underconditions similar to and yet different fromours, an opportunity to listen to choirs ofexcellent musical standard, an opportunityto collect ideas and acquire a willingness todevelop new projects, the springboard formany dreams and healthy ambitions; it offersthe advantage of meeting great maestros andthe most outstanding workshop-leaders, full-time auditions, learning and masses of choralmusic (which we love so much and whichsummons us) to one place for one event..When I took part in a Symposium, I

experienced something similar to anexplosion of events, all at the same time andnon-stop. It is true, it is so much in such ashort time, but the enthusiasm it generatesand everything we receive keeps us moving,going from a concert to a conference, from around table to a choral gala, from a meetingof international confederations or regional

associations to an informal chat with knowncolleagues or colleagues unknown for usuntil that moment. In my eyes, the mostremarkable fact is what comes after aSymposium. In an encounter of this type,several realities converge to trigger a doubleopening: on the one hand, being aninternational event, the Symposium allowsus to get into contact with and listen tomusical ideas from all over the worldthrough the numerous choirs performing inconcerts and workshops as well as throughconferences and debates about differentissues related to choral music, conductors,composers and cultural agents that attend itand share their knowledge, ideas and projectswith us. It is a culture shock in some way, aninjection of international experiences; andwe all know that this kind of exchange opensour minds. On the other hand, a Symposiumallows us to reflect on the space we have inthat choral world, it opens our minds to newideas, proposals and dreams that can cometrue because we have seen that they havebeen possible in other places, or because theyare new and clever. Any initiative thatenriches, musically and chorally, the societyin which each one of us lives, benefitsourselves and those who sing with us and put

their trust in our knowledge and actions.I am convinced of the fact that this

double opening is a marvellous thing, due tothe amount of music and informationexchanged in a symposium. I am talkingfrom my own experience and from whatmany colleagues have experienced aftertaking the highly beneficial decision ofinvesting money in order to participate in asymposium. Receiving what is going on inthe world and revitalising our willingness todo our best is the most valuable gain fromsuch an event. I strongly recommend it.In the 2011 Symposium, we will have the

opportunity to enjoy listening to choirs fromall continents in concerts and conferences oftheir own choral traditions, choralconducting master classes with differentrepertoires, with pilot choirs led byprestigious maestros of conducting,pedagogues, composers and arrangers inconferences, round tables, federationmeetings, news about programs and projectson choral music and so much more. Imagine…Translated from the Spanish by Maria de lasMercedes Zavala TelloRevised by Irene Auerbach, UK •

Virginia BonoArgentinean Choir Conductor

3-10 August 2011, Puerto Madryn, Patagonia, Argentinia

Photo:WSCM7,JapanChoralAssociation

IFCM News

20


Dear Friends of Choral Music

The 9th WORLD SYMPOSIUM ONCHORAL MUSIC to which we are invitedby the International Federation for ChoralMusic and which will be held in PuertoMadryn, in the Province of Chubut,Patagonia, Argentina from 3 to 10 August2011, is getting closer by the day.

The CIC Foundation invites you to visitthe up-to-date version of events atwww.wscm9.com where you will find:

• The complete program of artisticactivities to be held during theSymposium.

• The list of participating choirs and thenames of the conductors who will beresponsible for the master classes.

• The registration form for theSymposium; participants must fill thisin to choose the activities they plan toattend.

• A registration cost chart, which is inaccordance with the HDI (HumanDevelopment Index as written by theUnited Nations). Please note that thereare important discounts for those whoregister before 31 March 2011!

Registration payments can be madewith VISA or Mastercard and very soonwith American Express as well.

• The services offered by Argentina Vision,www.argentinavision.com/wscm9, theofficial tour company for theSymposium, with special rates fortransportation, accommodation, mealsand excursions.

• The national interest statements as statedby the Secretary of Culture for thePresident of the Nation and theEducation Department of the Republicof Argentina.

We recommend that participants plan toattend the official activities of theInternational Federation of Choral Musicwhich will take place during the Symposiumand are noted in the program. Theseactivities include both the presentations anddiscussions of projects the IFMC isdeveloping and the General Assembly whichwill meet to elect the new members of theBoard on Saturday 6 August 2011, inaccordance with the current statutes (seewww.ifcm.net ).

The CIC Foundation and the municipalgovernment of Puerto Madryn are workingtogether with the relevant airlines to obtainvaluable discount travel to the cities ofTRELEW and PUERTO MADRYN. Watchfor news updates on this topic!

Please feel free to contact us about yourqueries at [email protected].

We look forward to your visit toPatagonia in August 2011. The warmth ofour people and the natural beauties of theregion make Puerto Madryn the ideal placefor the 9th World Symposium on ChoralMusic.

Translated from the Spanish by Maria de lasMercedes Zavala TelloRevised by Irene Auerbach, UK •

Photo:becky&tinker

Photo:EubandSab

Photo:Beatsworking!

“A Choral Work for Peace”

ICB IFCM News

21Notification and Regulations

1. The International Federation for ChoralMusic (IFCM), in cooperation withEuropa Cantat and Jeunesses MusicalesInternational, announces the FirstInternational Competition for ChoralComposition "A Choral Work forPeace" with the aim of promoting thecreation and the wide distribution of anew choral repertoire and, above all, ofpromoting peace among the people ofthis world with the help of music. TheCompetition will be held every twoyears in conjunction with an importantevent organized by one of the threepartners.

2. Participation is open to composers fromany country, and any nationality, whoare under 35 years old on 31 December2010.

3. The Competition calls for “a cappella”choral compositions (SATB or dividedinto as many as eight parts, SSAATTBB)with a maximum duration of 6 minutes.The text of the composition, sacred orsecular, in any language, written for theoccasion or pre-existing, must treat thetheme of the peace. If the texts are notin the public domain, writtenpermission to use them must beobtained from the author or copyrightholder of the texts and shall be enclosedwith the entry form.

4. A maximum of two works per composermay be submitted. Entries shall arriveby e-mail no later than 31 December,2010.

5. There is no entry fee for participating inthe Competition.

6. Entries must be submitted in the formof scores (either typeset in pdf formator as scans of neat handwritten musicscores). In addition, relevant MIDI filesmay be submitted but are not essential.Do not submit tapes or CDs. Thecomposer’s name should not appearanywhere on the scores. The IFCMCompetition Office will receive theentries and forward them to themembers of the jury. The composer’sidentity will be released by the IFCMonly after judging has taken place. Allparticipants must include a document(.doc or .rtf) with their full address,contact details and the title of thecomposition. This document shall alsocontain a statement by the composerdeclaring that each and every scoresubmitted is unpublished, so farunperformed and has never beenawarded a prize in any previous contest.Entries should be sent by e-mail to:[email protected]

7. The competition will be judged by afive-member jury consisting ofinternational choral conductors andcomposers. The judges’ decision is final.

8. Strong consideration will be given to awork’s potential for performance andrepeated performance by the majority ofchoirs possessing the appropriatevoicing requirements. The winningwork will demonstrate excellence of

writing, “sing-ability” (given reasonablerehearsal time) and choral (idiomatic)effectiveness.

9. The winning work will be premièred bythe World Youth Choir in its firstconcert after the announcement of theresult. The three organisations whosupport this competition, IFCM,Europa Cantat and Jeunesses MusicalesInternational, may award further prizesto the winning work.

10. The winning work will be published bya prestigious publishing house (thename of which will be announced later).Meanwhile the “Composers’ Corner”column of the April 2011 issue of theInternational Choral Bulletin (ICB) willpublish an interview with the winningcomposer and some excerpts of thewinning score as a measure to promotethe composer and his works. EuropaCantat and Jeunesses MusicalesInternational will also promote thewinning composer and his workthrough their publications.

11. Participation in the competitionimplies full knowledge and acceptanceof these regulations.

For more informationAndrea Angelini, ICB Managing Editor,IFCMTel.: +39 347 2573878E-mail: [email protected] •

First International Competition for Choral Composition

IFCM News

22 repertoire and arrangements in the fields ofpopular and jazz music. The course will offerexactly this and is open to interested youthchoir conductors from all over the world.The working language is English. There areten places open for active conductors and upto 40 places for observers.A unique point is the provision of a

clinicians’ choir of 24 singers along with onebeat boxer and with a band (piano, bass,guitar, drums and percussion) for coursework with the conductors. Here, the CoroAccademia Feniarco comes into its own as aresident ensemble specialized in thisrepertoire. Clinicians will be Fred Sjöberg(Sweden), Alessandro Cadario (Italy) andStefan Berglund (Sweden). The course willend with a public concert where the bestconductors will conduct the choir and the

An exciting new conducting course takesplace this autumn in Örebro, held under theauspices of the International Swedish ChoralCenter (SWICCO), founded recently duringthe 2009 WYC 20th Anniversary. Thiscourse is directed towards youth choirconductors and will focus on the pop andjazz repertoire. Last year, FENIARCO heldin Italy the first course in this field and nowplans to continue what was a successfulevent. The major choral organizationsEuropa Cantat and IFCM are co-organizersalong with FENIARCO, SWICCO and theSveriges Körförbund.We see a present need to develop not only

conducting technique, vocal technique,performance technique and staging, but alsoto ensure the creation of suitable new

band. If you love the music of ABBA, TheReal Group, Elton John, Michael Jackson,U2, Phil Collins and others, this is the rightcourse for you. This project is a part of theUniting Youth in Song project which wasselected as part of the European Unionprogramme Culture 2007-2013. Please visitwww.swicco.se in order to download thebrochure. Members of Europa Cantat andIFCM may avail themselves of a reducedparticipation fee. The deadline to sign up is30 September 2010.

Email: [email protected] •

Touché, Denmark at the 8th World Symposium on Choral Music in Copenhagen, 2008

Photo:DolfRabus

International Seminar for Youth Choir Conductors

Fred SjöbergIFCM Vice-President

27-31 October 2010, Örebro, Sweden

Choral Technique

Choral Technique

Brahms the Autumnal:Cyclical and Progressive Structures and Meanings in Im Herbst, Op. 104 #5Frank Samarotto

If you would like to write an article andsubmit it for possible publication in thissection

Please contact Andrea Angelini, ICBManaging Editor

E-mail: [email protected]

Brahms’s late setting of Klaus Groth’s poemIm Herbst has recently come under specialscrutiny by theorists, an attention welldeserved and for more than just theextraordinary quality of the music. Earlyrecognition followed the work’s 1888publication: Heinrich Schenker’s review of1892 commended the power of Brahms’sinterpretation; seven years later this piecewas chosen for performance at the poet’sfuneral. Groth’s meditation on autumn-as-end-of-life seems particularly apposite toBrahms’s position in the tradition of thetonal language. The poem’s central issues oflife, death, and transcendence became anopportunity for Brahms to reconsider thefundamental metaphors of the tonallanguage in which he had become so adept.The purpose of my paper is to revealBrahms’s setting as a complex essay thatreassesses the fundamental metaphors of hismusical language as it explores the resonanceof the poem’s underlying imagery.A first version of Im Herbst was

performed in 1886; a number of significantrevisions were incorporated into the versionpublished two years later. (I will refer tothese later.) The piece is cast in a modifiedstrophic form: The first two strophes are setto identical music in C minor (see theprovided score); the third strophe is in Cmajor and is very freely varied. In light of myanalysis, the adherence of this piece to astandard form of text setting will perhapsseem ironic.Before undertaking a close reading of

Brahms’s score, I will first consider Groth’spoem, as interpreted through my ownsomewhat free translation. (To be sure, thereading of the poem that I will present andthat is reflected in my translation is one thatI have heard through Brahms’s setting of it.)

The central metaphor of this text is a simpleone: autumn is the fading of life and in thecycle of things there must come an ending.The concept of cycle rules the poem: theshort spondaic lines that begin every halfstrophe ring through like the tolling of abell. The second strophe replaces theseasonal metaphor with an image of nightstifling a bleak autumnal day. These first twostrophes unfold cycles of Nature, settingapart the third, which rests entirely in thehuman sphere. The turn toward the humanperspective is effected by the transition fromthe strict assonance/consonance of “Ernst istder Herbst,” through the increasinglydissimilar echoes of it: “Still ist dieFlur,…Bleich ist der Tag,…Früh kommt dieNacht…Sanft wird der Mensch…Feuchtwird das Aug’.” The third stanza also shiftsfrom passive observation to contemplativereaction. The nature of that reaction isambiguous in Groth’s text. I believe Brahms’sreading can be inferred through structuralanalysis.The basic lineaments of this reading are

presented in Figure 1, in which I haveoutlined three types of process. The firstpoetic image is characterized as cyclic.Cycles move unceasingly and inevitablythrough the same points. They possessneither beginning nor end and thus are notgoal-directed. (Cycles of two units, such asday or night, are not even ordered withrespect to either unit.) A cycle is closed andultimately unchanging. At the bottom ofFigure 1 is its opposite, which I have calledprogression, a straight-line unidirectionalmotion toward a single goal. This isembodied in a single life, “Created half torise and half to fall,” to quote Pope, atraversal that ends with closure morecomplete that is desired. Of course, anindividual life is a single iteration of a cyclelarger than itself. This aspect is captured by

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ICB Choral Technique

Brahms the AutumnalCyclical and Progressive Structures and Meanings in Im Herbst, OP. 104 #5

Frank SamarottoIndiana University, Bloomington, USA

my middle process, the spiral, which restrictsgoal-directed motion within a continualcycle. Here, as in annual cycles, growth isbalanced by decay. All must eventually cycleback to the same point that is both departureand return.The spiral, then, is where the central

metaphor of the poem resides. Put in theseterms, the realization of the third strophesees the openness of progression constrainedby the closure of cycle. There is no possibledenial of these forces; there can be onlyacceptance and the possibility oftranscendence.I will now turn to the structural analogies

Brahms creates through his musical setting.As you can see from Figure 1 the first ofthese equates the cyclic with a motivicpalindrome. To illustrate this I will turn toExample 1. The music of the first twostrophes is analyzed on the upper system,which segments this music into anantecedent and a consequent phrase. Each ofthese phrases is prefaced with a two-barfragment, setting the short spondaic lines,that I have labeled a motto, after Kalbeck.The motto is associated with a turn figure;the first statement represents its basic pitchlevel, circling around G with A-flat and F-sharp. (This will often be verticalized into anaugmented-sixth sonority.) I havesymbolized the melodic figure with thegraphic sign for the ornament of a turn.Note that the turn figure recurs,independent of the motto, at the end of bothphrases, anchoring them like pillars. Inbetween the upper voice fills in linearprogressions of a sixth; these take on motivicsignificance as hidden repetitions. Thus eachphrase shows a motivic palindrome: turnfigure, sixth progression; sixth, turn figure.(The pattern is broken only at the work’sturning point in the third stanza.)

Choral Technique

labeled). The progression is expandedthrough the remainder of the antecedentphrase. The complete cycle underlies thestructure of the first and second strophes atthe largest level and finally, by concludingthe third strophe, becomes the structuralharmonic underpinning for the whole piece.This and other harmonic progressions are

a centrifugal counterforce to the staticanchoring of the turn figure, thus composingout in musical structure the two tendenciesenclosed within a spiral. Example 2hypothesizes possible harmonic progressionsthat might occur if the deflecting force of theturn figure were removed. Ex. 2a suggests adiatonic continuation based on the contourof the outer voices in the first bar, leading toa cadence on E-flat. Ex. 2b introduces thechromatic sound characteristic of the turnand suggests how it might lead to a half-cadence in A-flat. Ex. 2c gives the actualopening: F-sharp forces a turn to C minor,almost coercively. The highly unusualaugmented-sixth sonority on the last quarterof bar 1, together with the non-tonicopening, reinforces the sense that the turnfigure has been superimposed on theharmony, which it bends to its demands.Yet harmony resists. Ex. 2d shows that

just as the turn is about to materialize, F-sharp becomes G-flat and resolves as impliedin 2b. (Note how this harmonic progressionis textually connected to a human reaction.)Ex. 2e realizes the implication of 2a and evenrecovers some of the harmonies left off in 2d.A quick glance back at Example 1 will showthat I interpret bar 10 as a tonic chord withadded sixth (or a Leittonwechselklang). This Ichord and the following III chord represent astubborn reassertion of the basic harmonicprogression, literally underneath thesuperimposed turn figure. It is the latterwhich closes the strophe (see Ex. 2f ) as theharmonic cycle reaches its end.

At this point I will introduce the third ofthe analogies outlined in Figure 1. Thosenatural processes that move through growthand decay without cyclic return I havesimply labeled progressions; in the poemthese characterize a human life. The musicalanalogy is not (as we have seen) harmonicprogression, but the linear progression in theSchenkerian sense. The highest level oflinear progression, the Urlinie, embodiesprogression to the greatest degree: a singlemotion to a goal not a cyclic return to abeginning. For Schenker, linear progressionsat all levels represented music’s mostpowerful vehicles of causality and synthesis.I have already pointed out the linear

progressions of a sixth shown in Example 1.These progressions represent agents ofmotion that are constrained by the turnfigure’s cyclic recurrence binding them into apalindrome. However, rising above the turnfigures is a higher-level melodic continuityindicated on Example 1 by the beams abovethe staves. In my reading, the Kopfton is notthe G of bar 2, but the climactic G in bar 35an octave higher. What begins in bar 2 is agradually rising arpeggio that spreads itselfacross the closural divide of the first twostrophes. Example 3 summarizes this (andincludes the third strophe). The arpeggiationof Ex. 3b is not immediately successful inovercoming cyclic closure; it is interruptedin Ex. 3c and cadences with a thirdprogression at 3d (before the first doublebar—Examples 3e and f fill out the contentyet more fully.)The structure presented in Example 1 for

the first two strophes is maintained in itsessentials for the third strophe (even to theextent of giving background significance tothe flat III harmony in a major-key context).The antecedent phrase, however, is

26 Four brief points about the motivicpalindrome and its correspondence with theprocess of cycle:1) Motives in general do not presupposeany logical ordering (at least not apriori); therefore the succession ofmotives is not intentionally goal-directed. The place of motives in anorganic metaphor of coherence suggestsa further relation with the world ofnature.

2) A motivic palindrome is an unusualconfiguration for a tonal piece (thoughnot unknown in Brahms), preciselybecause its mirroring of directions is socontradictory to tonal progression.

3) In tonal content, a turn figure isessentially a static cycle around a singlepitch.

4) In Im Herbst, the turn is incomplete,beginning in the middle (as it doesharmonically), reinforcing the sense ofcycle by entering it at an arbitrarypoint.Figure 1 also shows that the second

structural analogy equates the spiral withharmonic progression. This basic element ofthe tonal language exhibits the spiral’sconflation of the cyclic and progressive.Harmonic progression is cyclic in itsinevitable return to the tonic chord. It isprogressive in that an ordered unidirectionalsequence of harmonies moves from onetonic to the next. The common termsharmonic progression and harmonic cycleconvey the duality of directed motion withinbounded return.Also shown in Figure 1 is the particular

harmonic progression in play in this piece: amotion in minor from I to III, IV or II6,through V returning to I. This progression ispresent in nuce, leading to a half cadence, inbars 3–4 (visible in Example 1 but not

...Brahms the Autumnal

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drastically recomposed as an astonishingseries of augmented-sixth chords drags themusic off course. The crisis is precipitated bythe focal issue of the poem: the realizationthat life’s progress will eventually be closedoff. The import of this sends a shudderthrough the tonal structure: harmonicprogression is foregone (from bar 24); therising arpeggio is cut off and reaches animpasse on C–sharp in bar 26. The hollowoctaves that follow are truly parallel:Example 4 provides more context for myreading of this recondite passage.Thus, all that represents straightforward

progression is minimized. Brahms’s revisionof this passage makes it clear that this was hisintention. The corresponding passage fromthe 1886 version is given in Example 5a.Though common elements remain, the veryprominent sixth progression labeled with abracket was removed from the later version.Momentarily, cycle triumphs overprogression.I will now return to Example 2, to

continue where I left off. Example 2g againillustrates the superimposition of the cyclicturn on a seemingly incompatible harmony.The augmented sixth that sets off the crisisprogression in bar 24 (Ex. 2h) isconsiderably softened in bar 30 (Ex. 2i) andbecomes positively ecstatic in bar 37 (Ex.2j). The turn’s more usual A-flat–to–G hasbeen transformed into G-sharp–to–A.Example 1 shows that in bar 37 the melodyoverflows the high G to initiate anenlargement of the turn figure (see the lettersbelow the beam), now supported by acomplete harmonic progression. All threestructural processes come together at thispoint.

However, there is a dilemma: cadentialclosure, so basic to the tonal language, hascome in this work to symbolize death. Buttotal closure is avoided: the Urlinie’s descentis buried in inner voices and absorbed by theecstatic ending. Finally it is the turn figure’sG that persists in sounding, circumventingcomplete closure. Again Brahms’s revision issignificant: Example 5b shows that a linearsixth, a progressive element, stood in placeof the turn figure in the earlier version.Transcendence can only be attained byaccepting and even embracing theinevitability of the cycle.In conclusion, Brahms in this work

creates musical analogies that are not justcontingent illustrations of a textual detail,but are evocations of the fundamentalmetaphors of tonal processes. The subtlelack of closure of his ending was hardlyextreme for the 1880s, but what is radical isthe way closure as a tonal norm issimultaneously reasserted and questioned.Was this Brahms’s way of reaffirming thevitality of his style in his own time?Probably. Reading in personal resonance isless secure, but hard to escape. Brahms theautumnal may have indeed soughttranscendence: he seems to have realized itin Im Herbst.

Frank Samarotto is Associate Professor ofMusic Theory at Indiana UniversityBloomington, teaching there since 2001, andwas previously at the College-Conservatory ofMusic at the University of Cincinnati. He wasa workshop leader at the Mannes Institute forAdvanced Studies in Music Theory SummerInstitute in Schenkerian Theory and Analysisin 2002, a workshop leader and invitedpresenter at the first conferences in Germanydevoted to Schenkerian theory and analysis heldin Berlin, Sauen, and Mannheim in June of2004, and gave a week of lectures on voice-leading and musical time at the SibeliusAcademy in Helsinki in 2007. He has served asa visiting scholar at Emory University, the PennState School of Music, Bowling Green StateUniversity, Notre Dame, McGill University,and Yale University and was the keynotespeaker at the 27th Annual Music TheoryForum at Florida State University. Hispublications have appeared in SchenkerStudies II, the Beethoven Forum, Theoryand Practice, Music Theory Spectrum, MusicTheory Online, Integral and in conferenceproceedings, as well as a festschrift for CarlSchachter and a recent anthology on sonataform edited by Gordon Sly. He is currentlyworking on a book on Schenkerian theory andanalysis.

E-mail: [email protected] •

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WorldChoral Music in the 21st CenturyCan it Still Fascinate Us?Andreas Herrmann

Jerusalem – Choral Music Overcoming BordersAndré de Quadros

11th International Choir Competition in Riva del GardaStefanie Vera Müller

Pärnu International Choral Festival EstoniaAndrea Angelini

Contest of the Best8th German Choral Competition, 12-15 May 2010Walter Vorwerk

Let us be united in LoveMusica Sacra International FestivalWalter Vorwerk

Europa Cantat Celebrates its 50th AnniversarySonja Greiner

ARS CHORALIS 2010Moving the world!Annemarie van der Walt

Choral World News

News

Choral

Photo: Ars Choralis 2010 Concert

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ICB Choral World News

Choral Music in the 21st CenturyCan it Still Fascinate Us?

You would probably not be reading thisarticle if one fine day in the past you had notbeen infected by a virus: the fascination ofchoral music, the human voice as the mostdirect means of artistic expression. If youhave ever listened, the way a child wouldlisten, to how countless human voices canmeld into a whole, into vivid sounds, intopure harmony that conveys an immediatemessage, you will be hooked for life:wherever choral music is concerned, you willnever be free from a certain missionary zeal,no matter whether you happen to be acomposer, a music teacher, a choral singer orjust a “simple” listener and consumer ofmusic.Do you know families who still sing

together? Lullabies, rounds, counting songs,nursery rhymes – up to a few years ago, inmany families singing was a part of livingtogether with children that was taken forgranted. But insecurity is spreading: thestereo, the TV, the computer, the mp3 player– these devices produce a kind of vocal andinstrumental perfection that would not havebeen imaginable even a short time ago, and itemanates from every quarter. And thus thethought creeps into our subconscious,whether it might not be better to leavematters musical, as far as the child isconcerned, to the specialists, those who dealprofessionally with early years: the media,the musicologists, the schools, the teachers –those who know about such things, even tothose proficient pop stars whose vocal skillswill immediately (and with the aid ofcomputers) be professionally categorized andranked.

Voice – Breath – Technique“He breathed into his nostrils the breath

of life, and Man became a living soul”– thisverse from the libretto for Joseph Haydn’soratorio “The Creation” precedes all humanendeavours. Breath is the precondition for

Andreas HerrmannProfessor of Choral Conducting

musical impulse. Healthy breathing is theprecondition for healthy singing andspeaking. In its turn, wholesome air isneeded if we want to make sensible use ofthe good breathing exercises which can befound in plenty in all good singingtextbooks. Singers’ voices are subject to aheavy burden, comparable to the kind ofphysical stress experienced by athletes. Herelies a task we must not underestimate,namely to break out of the tunnel vision ofour musical education and recognize thevalue for modern civilization of pure“creation”, and of wholesome air to breathe,and to preserve this.Carefully selected vocal exercises during

warming up can help smooth the way tomaking music, be it for a rehearsal or for aconcert. In an ideal situation, tensions willbe relaxed, and there will be a spiritual andphysical turn towards the music. Much thatis good and much that is less good has beenwritten about warming up. A recentphenomenon in the relevant literature is thedescriptions of the physiologicalfoundations. These can be very helpful,particularly when we are looking at questionslike the treatment of the immature voice,vocal difficulties through overuse, orextension of, and smooth changes between,the vocal registers. We must not forget thatchoral warming up is no substitute for solidvocal training, and that the overriding aim ofevery rehearsal, namely to make good music,must not be missed because exercises end upoccupying a disproportionate part of therehearsal time. Thus: good singing lessonsthat bear these matters in mind are valuablefor everybody.We can only deduce what is good singing

by hearing it. However, in the situation of arehearsal we have to learn to differentiatebetween aural and vocal training. If you areable to sing a bit more loudly, it does notautomatically follow that intonation will

always be correct: vocal technique has to beright, too. Technical and vocal difficultiescan be overcome, but only if you have learntto listen. In order to achieve that, learn tolisten: hum along, make notes, comparedifferent interpretations. Recall tunes frompieces of music and try to whistle and to singthem in the shower. Look after your physicalhealth – it is the key to a fulfilled intellectualand spiritual life. Only in possession of goodhealth will you have the strength to enthuseothers in your role of an ambassador forchoral music. Who in your choir does yogaexercises? Who does not?

Initial Studies and in-Service Training“Be not afraid!” [“Fürchtet euch nicht!”]

I would like to pass on this joyous Christmasmessage, which Bach used as the title for oneof his six motets, to all politicians andcommittees who get lost in timorous littledetails when they address the arts and try tocreate an upheaval in any educationalsystem. No matter how high theadministrative cost, the raw humandiamonds – the students – are polished andhauled through the machinery of theBologna Accords until they are all deemed asbeautiful as only a perfect system, dreamt upby humans, can imagine them. The “joy ofthe gods” at the start of the final section ofBeethoven’s Ninth Symphony, The Choral,has become subject to the fetters of theadministrators. Let us raise our voices in aplea for their favour! In their desire perfectlyto streamline each child in a technocraticsystem that resembles a wind tunnel, thetechnocrats have robbed young people ofpriceless time. Give it back now! Keep thetrust and fear not – all will be well if youallow those with an artistic bent simply tobecome artists. Give them time; allow themto choose what is on offer; give them moreliberty to go their own way, including theliberty to raise their voices, including theliberty to play and to sing! You have only

Choral World News

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...Choral Music in the 21st Century

borrowed the world from your children!Drop the reins!

Sight readingThis is a topic I am particularly keen to

touch upon, because it links my first groupof topics – vocal technique – with thesecond: training. Unfortunately, for manyensembles, sight reading will either remainan alien concept or be linked together withfear. And the older choir members are, themore difficult it becomes for them to acquirethis skill, which in my opinion is veryimportant.Sight reading is one of the most

important and possibly the most difficultskills demanded of choral singers. Of course,teaching sight reading during a choralrehearsal is a time-consuming matter.Nevertheless, choral directors who are goodsight readers themselves should give thoughtto the questions of how much time theyshould dedicate to this subject, whichstarting points for teaching might beemployed and what methods exist tomonitor success. A large variety of systemsexist which tackle rhythm and pitch, andsurely a large number of didactic approacheswill be required. In America, a number ofsuch publications go back to the seventeenthcentury. In our day, music publishers areintroducing us to ever newer and bettermethods. However, competence in this fieldremains a topic that, within choral music, isfrequently neglected. I ask myself how manyof you reading this article just now will beasked to sight read new works in a rehearsal.I am also curious to find out whether youhave ever broached the subject with yourchoral conductor. Does he or she possess theability to sight read accurately? Let us hopethis is not too provocative a question! It iscertainly worth while to give some thoughtto this topic. Recent academic research hasrevealed that those choral directors who are

not able to teach sight reading are far lessmotivated to react accordingly. Warm-upsare fun, but they are not the be-all and end-all. Is enough being done to train our voicesand our musical brains? If we all knew moreabout scales and intervals, we would all be ina much better situation to sight readunknown pieces. Moreover, this theoreticalknowledge can and should be connected tothe feeling that is aroused in our bodies bycertain musical gestures and phrases. JustGoogle “movable do” and “minor la” – youwill be surprised!

Who is in charge of the choir?A choir can only ever be as good as its

conductor. Many things that come togetherto make a really good choral conductor canbe learnt: there are courses one can attendfor practical skills and books and articles forthe musicology. Make use of the manifoldofferings in this direction and take aninterest in new things, in matters that up tonow were not your strong points. If you arenot a choral conductor yourself, speak withsomeone who is. Do not shy away fromasking them questions about the route theyare following. Either you will learnsomething from this, or they will. Be brave!The conducting of instrumental

ensembles and orchestras is another topic ofenormous importance. This should be anabsolutely essential part of training as achoral conductor. The choral literature withinstruments is immensely varied, and as achoral conductor you will soon find yourselfhaving to deal not only with vocal but alsowith instrumental ensembles. I know aboutplans in some German music conservatoiresto reduce this important aspect of trainingout of a mistaken zeal to save money.Anybody who has ever stood in front of anorchestra for the first time knows this vaguefeeling of uncertainty: here, in addition to ahelping of musicality, you also need a

helping of learnable technique. Give youngchoral conductors the opportunity to gainpractical experience in this, even thoughunfortunately – like much that is good,beautiful and important in life – it costsmoney.

Something creativeRead good books, watch good films, go

to good restaurants, play sports, laugh, be ahuman being. Question everything. Don’tlet a day pass without following up a topic ofwhich you know nothing whatsoever. Startwith “Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt”*. When youare watching a good film, pay attention tothe music. When you are having a good mealout, pay attention to the music. When youencounter choral singing, pay attention tothe music. When you go to a concert, payattention to the music. Enjoy the music andindulge in the joyful luxury of occasionallynot being critical.IQ stands for the intelligence quotient,

EQ for emotional intelligence. Singing iscommunication. Therefore, if you occupyyourself with choral music, a high EQ willtake you further than your IQ, so you shoulddevelop your emotional abilities further: ringold friends, try sensing how they are withoutasking many questions. React appropriately.Learn to say no without hurting yourself orothers. If you make music within anensemble yourself, make sure that there areregular conversations about how mattersmight be improved. Help open the ensemblefor new members.In everyday theatrical life, there is far too

little time to work on choral quality per se. Ifyou are a fan of opera, also attendperformances in which your opera chorusappears, and supply appropriate feedback. Ifyou are a fan of performances of pieces forchoir and orchestra, also attend concerts inwhich your choir appears a cappella, andsupply appropriate feedback. Encourage a

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person from among your friends andacquaintances whose main interest does notlie in matters musical, for a piece of choralmusic that is close to your heart. Long livevariety.

Organising comes in many shapes and sizesTake seriously the creativity of children

and young people: they can and want toachieve more in the artistic sense than somewould deem possible. Supply constructivecriticism and motivation: for any onenegative criticism praise at least three otherthings …When planning concerts andevents always leave space for new ideas:therefore be open-minded in respect ofcontemporary music, but on the other handdo not shy away from including in yourprogrammes well-known, valuable piecesthat have stood the test of time. Considerthe degree to which the use of newequipment like a video projector, lightingeffects, sound engineering etc might help.After all, that’s show business. However, alsodo bear in mind how far the inner beauty ofsome music can get by without suchsuperficialities. You should have a goodstructure in place for all your artistic aims.What? You are not artistically active? Then itis high time you did something about that.You can do it. World premières are the icingon the cake. Contemporary music removesthe museum-like stuffiness from concerthalls. Do not shrink from also attendingconcerts in which your choir performs newmusic and supply appropriate feedback.Choral competitions can offer marvellousopportunities for encounters. However, artper se is not something that lends itself tothe competitive element. This should bedeliberately put on record despite the largenumber of artistic competitions. Trueintellectual and artistic genius will alwayscome through, no matter what somecommittees or juries may decide. We all

know that Mozart ended up in a pauper’sgrave, while other, far inferior spirits whosenames nobody knows any more left thecompetitions of their times as victors.As I write, many national choral

organisations are musing about the future ofchoral singing. There are huge numbers ofworking parties, groups for planning projectsand round tables, and every one of themstates that something has to be done. Buthow can choral singing be made so attractivethat it has a real future? What are the currentstructures in your national or regionalumbrella organisation? And what is thedegree to which the larger nation-wideorganisations work with the future in mind?It would be interesting to know the thoughtsof those at the grass roots, and whether thosewho work in our organisations really occupythemselves with singing. It is not enough topin down the number of choirs and of theirmembers on paper. Does your choralorganisation make excessive demands on itsmembers? Or does it try to act as a model ofgood – musical – activity? It goes withoutsaying that there is absolutely nothing wrongwith many of the existing structures andmechanisms. But the times they are a-changin’, and committees, boards and circlesof friends have to confront ever newrequests. The unpopular topics are alwaysthose that are hardest to sort out. So back tothe topic of vocal technique and sightreading!Another relevant question is the one as to

whether choral life is designed to serveprofessionals, or if it is only by amateurs, foramateurs. The one does not automaticallyexclude the other, and the latter maysometimes sound as if it were the former.What remains is the fact that the committeemembers of most German nationwideorganisations fulfil political as well asmusical functions. But politicians, too, needto be called to account. Are they doing what

we expect and demand of them? And arethey helping to set up initiatives, withinwhich “change” – as Obama put it – can takeplace? Only when the “ordinary” memberfeels supported from below as well as fromabove will choral life receive new impulses.

The mediaYour own websites, YouTube, MySpace,

Facebook and Twitter can help attractinternational attention to artistic projectslong before the established television and thepress ever start to prick up their ears.Familiarize yourself with the techniquesrequired. The German radio “landscape” hascreated a system of radio orchestras andradio choirs that is unique in the world. It isin this fertile soil that professional Germanchoral and orchestral culture is flourishingand thus, with its outstanding quality,inspires both semi-professional and amateurchoirs in Germany. Such national effects alsoextend beyond national borders. Stick outyour neck when it comes to maintainingsuch quality in Germany and also toconsolidating it in other countries. Maybethis culture is one of the very few true exportvalues which Germany can offer at aninternational level, the human value ofwhich might be a lesson to be learnt fromGermany all over the world. The financialcosts for these choirs and orchestras are – asrelevant studies prove – comparatively low ifwe bear in mind the gains, both socio-economically and materially as well as thepriceless spiritual and intellectual value.Financial cuts in this area are stupid, short-sighted and merely cutting corners.

QualityThere is no way past quality. Artistic

everyday life allows too little money for anawful lot of what is desirable. But if there isquality, often doors open, the existence ofwhich you hadn’t even known about. Always

Choral World News

40 pleasing. All music is serious, everything thathappens on-stage must be entertaining.Remain faithful to music, and you will notbe disappointed.“And if I knew that the world were to

come to an end tomorrow, I would still plantmy young apple tree today” (attributed to DrMartin Luther [the famous German religiousreformer– and musician! – who lived around1500 – translator]).

*Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt, born 1928 in Vienna. Animal

ethologist, investigated experimentally and descriptively the

development of behaviour of mammals and compared the

behaviour of communication of vertebrates.

The author, Professor Andreas Herrmann, isProfessor of Choral Conducting at theUniversity of Music and Performing Arts,Munich, and Choirmaster of the MunichPhilharmonic.E-mail: [email protected]: www.prof-andreas-herrmann.de

Translated from the German by IreneAuerbach, UK •

work on the quality, no matter where you areplaced, in a choir or in front of it. Bear inmind that which matters most: the work, themusic. Organisations and structures are notends in themselves, they must serve thecause. Even if that may be an unpopularword, it’s the only way to ensure that there isa future. Do not lose sight of the holisticpicture: in that moment when vocal training,aural training, sight reading and conductingare efficiently entwined with each other andblend into one, a totally new sound comesinto being, one which the public finds most

...Choral Music in the 21st Century

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Jerusalem – Choral Music Overcoming Borders

André de QuadrosIFCM Board Advisor

Jerusalem is the city that provokes noblesentiments and spirituality; it is truly theonly city in the world that all the threeAbrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, andJudaism) hold sacred, but it is also a city thatprovokes territorial possessiveness.Unusually, it was also the place, where, inFebruary, 2010, three youth choirs whichlive close to each other demonstrated yetagain that singing together and collaboratingcan be a conscious and assertive act to createa better world. And, historically, theFranciscan Custody of the Holy Landmonastery and administration hosted a five-day conducting course for Arab and Israeliconductors.The choirs: Efroni Choir from Israel; the

Sawa Choir from Shefar’am (the Palestinianpart of Israel) and the Yasmeen Choir fromEast Jerusalem have a long history ofcollaboration. Their conductors, MayaShavit, Eva de Mayo and Rahib Haddad, andHania Soudah-Sabbara have quietly andeffectively pursued their collectivecommitment to overcome the hurdlescreated by political realities to give the youngpeople in their choirs the experience ofmusical collaboration across borders. Formany years, several musical encounters inIsrael and in Europe between these youngpeople have fostered close personalconnections between the singers and theirvisionary conductors, and created anawareness of each other’s musical traditions.IFCM founded its Conductors without

Borders project a few years ago, primarily forbuilding professional expertise in countrieswhere access to educational programs inconducting is limited. When IFCM gave itsapproval to designate this project, partlysupported by the Eric Ericson InternationalChoral Centre through the Carpe Vitam

Foundation, as a Conductors withoutBorders project, it affirmed the continuingneed for choirs and their conductors to besupported in border crossings. Indeed, thereality of borders as boundary restrictions is adaily source of anguish for both Arabs andIsraelis.Each of these choirs has its own border

problems and different social contexts. TheSawa Choir, based in the Arab part of Israel,was founded by Eva de Mayo and RahibHaddad as a Jewish-Arab partnership andthis is the source of their rich singing. TheYasmeen Choir, with Palestinian Catholicsingers from East Jerusalem, is part of aninnovative music education program, theMagnificat Institute, located in theFranciscan monastery in the old city ofJerusalem. The Efroni Choir from Emek-Hefer in Israel is an extensive program,distinguished internationally, and seeks torepresent the diversity of Israel’s musicalcultures.I came to be a part of this as a guest of the

three choirs. I worked with each choirindividually and then together just prior tothe combined concert – Blessing – in which Iconducted them in three pieces at theconclusion. The concert was notable in itsrich and fascinating diversity of repertoirerepresenting the many cultural wellsprings ofthe three choirs. For example, the EfroniChoir sang Hebrew music for the first timein this part of Jerusalem.The Blessing concert was planned to take

place in the Augusta Victoria church on thenorth side of the Mount of Olives, a site holyto both Christianity and Judaism. TheGarden of Gethsemane is at the foot of theMount of Olives. The substantial oppositionfrom local Palestinians who saw this concertas a step towards normalisation resulted inthe church closing its doors to the concert.In the hours preceding the concert, the

organisers and the conductors, committed tothe human dimensions of the project,decided to move the concert to the relativelysmall performance venue within theFranciscan compound.The singers and their conductors, in

intimate and crowded conditions, created ahighly-charged atmosphere of intense artisticand personal engagement. It was marvellousto see – here were the three choirs living inprofoundly difficult situations, with nocommon language save English, simplysinging and interacting together as though itwas a natural thing to do. According to theconductors and audience members, theenthusiasm, the feelings of happiness andreconciliation swept all in an unprecedentedtidal wave of transformational emotion.On the day after the concert, I started

teaching a conducting course to a group ofArab and Israeli conductors. Mostly young,and all with substantial musical experience,the purpose was on the acquisition ofconducting skills and techniques, vocalability, sight-singing skills. It wasprofoundly moving to see these conductorsin a mutually supportive learning situation,experiencing the vulnerability of standing infront of their peers and developing their ownindividual conducting styles.The words of the project participants

have an eloquence that needs no explanation– see below.Music is irrepressible and choral music

with its access and appeal has the power toengage both heart and mind. The youthchoral concert and the conducting course aretestimony to the courage and vision of thefour conductors, Maya, Hania, Rahib andEva, and the many supporters of their choirs.The years ahead will likely have immensechallenges for the people in this region but

42 completely different backgrounds. By the powerof music we were so united in our voices andhearts what made every minute of that concertunique and unforgettable! This concert hasbeen a true Blessing for each of us, an eventthat gave us again the chance to open our heartsand minds and stand up for our beliefs in peaceand coexistence" (Nadine Abboud, SawaChoir)

Maybe the idea to bring Arabs and Israeli tosing together will bring peace but while when Iwas singing with the Israeli choir I felt musicmay bring people together but we need justicefor peace (Maura Makhoul, Yasmeen Choir)

…a dream of a moment of joy and peace, thatwill help us remember that we have more in

common than we think… (Rawan Azzam,Sawa Choir)

I would not trade this week for any other. Therewas no tension whatsoever, I always realize thatin doing music or through music itself we forgetdifferences and just want to enjoy the heavenlysounds that we can make through peace alone.(Jamil Freij, conducting course participant,East Jerusalem)

André de Quadros is a professor of music atBoston University and an IFCM Board Advisorand member of the Conductors without BordersSteering Committee. As a conductor, musiceducator, researcher, and human rights activist,he has worked in more than forty countries.E-mail: [email protected] •

choral music there will continue to buildbridges of understanding, and to provideconsolation and comfort in dark times.

Commentary…the amount of people who gathered in thatsmall room, who didn't care who is an Araband who is Israeli, that came to enjoy theatmosphere and the music… (InbalDonnenfeld, Efroni Choir)

In Jerusalem, the city that has been for a longperiod the symbol of the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, where violence and nationaland religious struggles have blinded the beautyof variations in this special city, we coulddefinitely create an amazing experience ofcooperation between people who come from

Choral World News

...Jerusalem – Choral Music Overcoming Borders

Efroni, Sawa and Yasmeen choirs performing in Jerusalem with André de Quadros

It was a beautiful spring day asINTERKULTUR representatives and thecity mayor, Claudio Molinari, welcomed thechoirs to the International Choir Competitionin Riva del Garda. In all, a total of 38 choirsmade up of almost 1,500 singers fromthirteen nations had made the trip andmarched through the town in the traditionalparade of choirs before performing in thecompetition and concerts. The colourful andentertaining programme on the openingevening, 28th March, got audience andchoirs alike into the mood for an enjoyableand musical few days. Featuring choirs fromDenmark, Singapore, Norway, Austria,Trinidad and Tobago, and South Africa, thefestival held the promise of a uniquelydiverse musical experience.One of the surprise moments of the

opening ceremony was the presentation ofcertificates of honour to participants whohad performed at many previousINTERKULTUR events. These loyaltycertificates were presented to choirs fromSingapore, Austria, the Czech Republic,Germany, Hungary and Italy. TheKammerchor des Kurfürst FriedrichGymnasiums Heidelberg, Germany,conducted by Werner Glöggler, wasattending its fifth INTERKULTUR eventand won a little boat trip on Lake Garda.Werner Glöggler and his choir firstperformed at an INTERKULTUR event inNovember 1989: and they all remember wellthe significance of the date, which markedthe fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse ofthe border that divided the two Germanstates.The competition featured the categories

“Sacred Choral Music”, “A Cappella” and“Children’s and Youth Choirs”. Ensembles

from Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asiaperformed in front of the jury. Jurors Prof.Giovanni Acciai (Italy), Dr. Kinga Litowska(Poland), Prof. Tatyana Malysheva (Russia),Dr. Vivien Pike (Britain) and HubertusWeimer (Germany) were deeply impressedby the quality of singing and awarded 24gold, 16 silver and 4 bronze diplomas.Choirs awarded a gold diploma areautomatically qualified to take part in theChampions Competition at the World ChoirGames or the World Choir Championships.Two conductors’ prizes were awarded at

the International Choir Competition. Thedistinction went to Helena Fojkar Zupančič,conductor of the Zbor Gimnazije Litija(Slovenia) and Matteo Valbusa, conductor ofthe Coro maschile "La Stele" (Italy). A specialprize went to Danmarks Radio Pigekoret(Denmark), conducted by Michael Bojesen,for their outstanding performance of thesong "Plant a Tree", written by Michael

Bojesen. Akustika Chamber Singers (SouthAfrica), conducted by Christo Burger alsoreceived a special prize for their uniquerendering of "Karimanatu kuicha" by KoMatsushita.The most outstanding performance was

by Akustika Chamber Singers (South Africa)and conductor Christo Burger, which wonthe category “Mixed Choirs withCompulsory Work” and the Grand Prix.Danmarks Radio Pigekoret (Denmark) withconductor Michael Bojesen was awarded theaudience prize. The Kammerchor des KurfürstFriedrich Gymnasiums Heidelberg, conductedby Werner Glöggler won the category“Mixed Youth Choirs”.Email: [email protected]

Revised by Gillian Forlivesi Heywood, Italy •

43


11th International Choir Competition in Riva del GardaA “Singing Boat Trip” on Lake Garda - Press Release by Stefanie Vera Müller

Choral World News

44 harmonization and arrangement of a greatmany traditional melodies. The result isamazing because these pieces, while retainingthe charm of truly fresh and genuinemelodies, simultaneously contain in theirDNA that harmonic finesse which makesthem worthy of the very best classicalcompositions. If these two ingredients –exceptional choirs and the sheer beauty ofthe music – are on hand, the result willalways be astonishing.Choirs and ensembles competing for the

Grand Prix hailed from Estonia, Latvia,Finland and Norway. It is difficult to list allof them and almost impossible to choose justtwo or three as the best. Maybe however theTallinna Muusikakeskooli Noortekoor(Youth Choir of Tallinn Music High School,Estonia) and the AINO-Kuoro from Finlandwere winners by a short head. Whatever, thiswas a struggle amongst champions! Balticand Scandinavian choirs constantly emergeas winners in competitions around theworld, even though they ultimately have toshare this record with Filipino andIndonesian ensembles.The Festival organization was excellent,

with the entire artistic and managing

committee staffed by the distaff side, somehighly capable ladies then, whodemonstrated great efficiency yet overallsensitivity. The Pärnu theatre has a great hallwith good acoustics and a magnificent pipeorgan placed just over the stage. Manysingers (but I too) enjoyed during the freetime the beach and a sea that wasexceptionally warm for May. The onlynegative consideration was the thousands ofmosquitoes who happily dined on us!Another pleasant aspect to note is that in

these northern realms, choral singing issimply seen as one of the most normalactivities to participate in: children areaccustomed to sing until their early youthand choirs are therefore made up of manyyoung people whom one would scarcely findin ensembles from, say, Mediterraneancountries, where choral activity is often seenas a hobby to be taken up in adulthood or inadvanced age.

For more information about the festival justvisit the website www.prkf.ee

E-mail: [email protected] •

For many readers, Estonia is still anunknown Country. Until a couple of decadesago it was to all intents and purposes aregion of western Russia, famous to a degreeperhaps because its inhabitants, who speak atongue belonging to the finno-ugrianlanguage group, have always been treated asbeing basically Hungarian or Finnish. I knowthis small country well, having cultivated somany good friends there, and I can say withmy hand on my heart that the Estonians candefend an enviable record. What might thatbe exactly? If I merely cite the fact thatinternationally speaking, the land boasts thehighest number of top level choirsproportional to the population.From 20-23 May I participated as a jury

member at the International Choral FestivalPärnu. The event was held in what is a quiettown abutting a long white sandy beach thathelps it resemble a Mediterranean resort. TheCompetition proffers only a single category:choral music of the folk tradition. At theselatitudes popular music is held in much thesame esteem as the music of the goldenFlemish or Italian Renaissance age. There is aplethora of Estonian composers, but I wouldlike to mention just a single name (and begthe many others for forgiveness): VeljoTormis. So many figures have dedicated theirlife to researching and the subsequent

Pärnu International Choral Festival EstoniaGreat Music in a Small Country

Andrea AngeliniICB Managing Editor

AINO-Kuoro (Finland) Tallinna Muusikakeskooli Noortekoor (Youth Choir of Tallinn Music High School, Estonia)

Photo:PärnuChoralFestival

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45

46 the organisers, but also of a few problems,because, for financial reasons, thecompetition had to be reduced to four daysonly.Hans-Willi Hefekäuser, President of

Arbeitsgemeinschaft DeutscherChorverbände (the federation of Germanchoral associations), comprising about 2.5million singers, is also a Vice-President of theGerman Music Council and very proud ofthe competition’s excellent results: “TheGerman Choral Competition is a very specialevent: proof of the extension, high performanceand quality of choral singing in Germany”.Never had so many prizes been awarded

before: fifty-one in all. Only those whoorganise this kind of event know the effortnecessary to make it a success. Since 1993Helmuth Schubach has been the projectleader of this competition and also of theGerman Music Council orchestracompetition. He relies on a large staff ofvolunteers, on the federal as well as regionalbasis: “It is a good thing that competitions arealso organised on a regional (“Land”) level ase.g. in the ‘Jugend musiziert’ competition. Thisis a first step towards proving oneself andwinning against others in the same category.This means that on the federal level, only thebest participate. They also come in order tolearn from each other, to get new ideas and takepart in a general programme in Dortmund. It

is not only for the competition”.Without doubt, the preparations for the

German Choral Competition incite thechoirs to work intensely and to strive for thebest performance possible. Internationally,the result compares very favourably. Oneexample is the Via-Nova-Chor, Munich,conducted by Florian Helgath, which wonfirst prize in the “Mixed Choirs” categoryand a special prize for the interpretation of acontemporary piece (“O Domine” byThomas Jennefeld); another example is theCamerata Musica Limburg male vocalensemble under Jan Schumacher, selected asthe best male chamber choir in Germany.From Berlin came seven ensembles; theyobtained two second and two third prizes. Itis not possible to name all 51 winners here,and it was not easy for the eleven juries toselect the winners of the respectivecategories.A novelty was the high number of

internationally renowned jury members fromabroad, in addition to the German experts –they came from Austria, Belgium, Estonia,France, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, Sweden,the USA and Venezuela. “This internationalcharacter”, says Helmuth Schubach, “showsthe international esteem of our work. Forinstance, the evaluation of vocal jazz ensemblesby a representative of the USA is a significantfactor. And it is always enriching to have other

It is a bit like the Olympic Games: everyfour years, the German Music Council, anot-for-profit project company for thepromotion of musical life in Germany,invites the country’s best choirs to itsGerman Choral Competition. This time ittook place in Dortmund, Westphalia, from12-15 May. Those admitted to participatewere already winners, for they had beennominated as the winners of a region (Land).There was a good reason to select Dortmundas the venue. Eight years ago, a choralacademy was created here, and with its 1,300active members it is the biggest singingschool in Europe; as a consequence, the city’scultural programme has been enriched withchoral music. In spite of the financial crisis,the city’s cultural budget has not diminished,as was underlined by Mayor Birgit Jörder.Dortmund is also part of the region“Cultural Capital of Europe – RUHR 2010”.The 8th German Choral Competition wastherefore held in a context of “superlatives”.Jürgen Budday, Head of all eleven juries,

Board President of the German ChoralCompetition of the German Music Counciland conductor of the MaulbronnerKammerchor, said that he had not imaginedthat so many choirs would participate. All inall, 132 choirs with about 5,000 singers fromall parts of Germany came to Dortmund.This number was a source not only of joy to

Choral World NewsContest of the Best8th German Choral Competition, 12-15 May 2010

Walter VorwerkMusic Journalist

Photo:Sabine

Vorwerk

German Choral Competition team. From left to right:Helmut Schubach, Martin Maria Krüger, Jürgen Budday

Waiting for the results on "Platz von Amiens",Dortmund

Jury of category "Mixed choirs, 16 - 40 members".From left to right: Hannelotte Pardall, (Germany)Klaus-Jürgen Etzold, (Germany - Jury President),Maria Guinand, Venezuela, Anders Eby, (Sweden)Andreas Göpfert, Saarbrücken, Germany

countries participate in an assessment. Thechoral conductors appreciate this, especiallyafter our discussions with them after thecompetition. Many new ideas can be takenhome.”One of the five jury members of the

“Mixed Choir – 16-40 Singers” category wasMaría Guinand, a woman sought afterworldwide in the field of choral music. Sheteaches in Caracas, Venezuela, and is themost renowned choral conductor in SouthAmerica. In the past she has been Presidentand Vice-President of the IFCM, theInternational Federation for Choral Music,now she is an IFCM Advisor. Regarding herjury work in the German ChoralCompetition, she says: “I feel very honouredand proud to have been invited to this event.This national German Choral Competition is avery important moment in the life of choralmusic. It is not only important for Germany; itis a landmark for Europe and other countries.It is exemplary for choral music as a whole. Asregards the competition and my participation asa jury member, it is marvellous for me to meetchoral experts from Germany and othercountries. It is also always a learning process forme to see how excellent German choral directorsconduct and build their concert programme.Some of them are internationally active whichoffers the opportunity to meet them again. Thefact that such a competition is organised every

four years is also very important for me. And itis interesting to see the approach of many choralconductors in order to ensure participation. Ihave heard wonderful ensembles with verydistinctive sounds, ideas and qualities, andwith very interesting programmes of mostlycontemporary choral music.”But María Guinand was struck by

something else at the German ChoralCompetition: “I have noticed that many choirsin Germany have a colourful aspect. A younggeneration of children with a background ofmigration has grown up integrated andenriching the country’s cultural life. Thecountry’s culture and the choral world get newblood, for integration means life in Germany.This contributes enormously to mutualunderstanding. The number of good singersand composers is growing. What happens here isa milestone for choral music.”All of this speaks in favour of Martin

Maria Krüger, the President of the GermanMusic Council, for his projects are in manyways a motor of musical development in

Germany: “There is no doubt that the basis ofhuman expression through music is the humanvoice, and therefore, singing. The GermanChoral Competition attracts attention andshows what is possible, and it sends out a signalabout the importance of singing.”

However, excellent as our choral life maybe, there is no denying the fact that there areproblems in Germany concerning thepractice and appreciation of music. Prof.Krüger brings this topic up: “Together wemust fight for singing to remain a central,fundamental part of primary school education;singing must become even more important.Instead we notice a regressive development ofsinging in general education. Proof of thistendency is the recommendation by the GermanConference of Culture Ministers to considermusic no longer as part of an artistic-aestheticeducation, and that means the certain death ofmusic and singing in schools. We must spare noeffort to prevent this from happening. Weappeal to politicians and associations to maketheir influence felt; they must be aware of thecatastrophic consequences of such a decision,which must be revoked. We have about 8million music-making men and women inGermany, of whom about 2.5 million areorganised in choral associations: this is apowerful instrument that must be used.

I do hope that you will use it, not only bysinging, but also around you, in order to fightfor what singing means to you.”The 9th German Choral Competition in

four years’ time may show whether thisappeal has fallen on good ground.


Translated from the German by Jutta Tagger,France

Revised by Gillian Forlivesi Heywood, Italy

•

47


The winner of the First Prize in the category “Mixedchoirs, 16 - 40 participants”: Via-nova-chorMünchen, dir. Florian Helgath The winner of the Male Chamber choirs category:

Camerata Musica Limburg, dir. Jan Schumacher

AllPhotos:WalterVorwerk

48 Aida Swenson-Simanjuntak came withher Indonesian children’s and youth choirCORDANA, which she created in 1992.The ensemble unites children from Muslim,Hindu and Christian families and is a livingexample of how different religions caninteract peacefully. Aida’s aim is to makeIndonesian children and youngsters sing andhelp them get a music education. Most ofthe families are poor and do not have themeans to pay for this. The festival public wasfascinated by the immense commitment ofthese youngsters during their concerts.

“The blessed day” was the title of animprovisation on a Swedish folksong, inwhich the Indian Raga singer AshishSankrityayan (Hindu), the Swedish St.Jacobs Vocal Ensemble (Christian) and amember of the Israeli Collegium Singers TelAviv (Jewish) playing the sitar made musictogether under the direction of Gary Graden.The Tibetan Loten Namling (Buddhist),

a friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,who lives in exile in Switzerland, and theIndian Ashish Sankrityayan sang together inthe Augsburg synagogue.In the Aswanuta Global Voices youth

choir from Jordan, Muslims and Christianssing together under the direction of ShireenAbu-Khader and André de Quadros …Conductor Shireen is a Christian; aftermusic studies in the USA she now teaches inRamallah and Jerusalem. The artisticdirector, André, is a music educationprofessor at Boston University. He says: “Wewant to show the musical riches of this worldund promote singing together beyond borders”.This is the spirit of Marktoberdorf.Seven conferences were also part of the

festival programme.It is noteworthy that Musica Sacra

International has grown geographically.Within the programme “Musica Sacra onTour”, several groups participated in the

Second Ecumenical Church Congress inMunich; they gave concerts at the TrinityChurch in Worms and at the Musica SacraFestival in Chimay, Belgium. The spirit ofMarktoberdorf bears fruit in another field:one project is called “Toleranz macht Schule(tolerance sets a precedent) – for a peacefulfuture for our children”. Within thisprogramme, movies with different religiouscontents were shown in schools, and groupsillustrated these religious contents with theirmusic. Festival director Dolf Rabus: “For usit is extremely important to work withchildren, not only because they might be ourfuture public but also because it is necessaryto confront young people with the idea oftolerance as early as possible so that we willremain an open country. In my opinion, thisis just as important for Germany as for othercountries…”

Comments on the Musica Sacrafestival in MarktoberdorfLoten Namling: “The fact that musicians

from different religions meet here isUtopia become reality... Music has unitedus – this is something very beautiful. Wehave the feeling that we are really doingsomething for a better world…This givesme renewed strength and is a great honourfor me.”

Gary Graden, choral director of St Jacob’schurch, Stockholm: “... For instance, Iwas very much concerned about finding away for my Swedish singers to performtogether with the Tibetan and the Indiansingers. We came up with an idea how todo this very simply – an improvisationwhich expresses our common feelings. Thatis electrifying, a wonderful encounter ofpeople of different ages, voices, languagesand cultures. For me, this open, creative,atmosphere is part of spirituality…”

Alexander Vatsek (Ukraine), director ofthe Oreya chamber choir, and IFCM

21 – 26 May 2010,Marktoberdorf/Ostallgäu,Germany“Let us be united in love and find our peace ofmind together with our friends. Let us recogniseour mistakes in the cleansing light ofHeaven…” were the words sung by theErguvan Ensemble, Istanbul, at the 10thMusica Sacra International Festival inMarktoberdorf, Bavaria. The text is by sultanWalad (1226-1312), the son of the Islamicmystic Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi(1207-1273) who was one of the mostimportant medieval Persian poets. For hisSufi reform teachings of love, humanity andunity, “Maulana” in Persian, or “Mevlana” inTurkish, he was called “Lord and Master”.Music and dance represent love and establisha connection with God. The openness of thisIslamic dimension was expressed againduring this 10th Musica Sacra InternationalFestival. The festival, sponsored byArbeitsgemeinschaft DeutscherChorverbände (ADC, Working Group ofGerman Choir Associations) and establishedby Dolf Rabus in 1992, was created to be anencounter of the world religions(Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism andBuddhism) through music as a means ofreducing misunderstandings and developinga climate of mutual respect and tolerance.The ensembles and artists came fromDenmark, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy,Jordan, Sweden, Tibet, Turkey, Ukraine andthe host country, Germany. Thirteenconcerts were given in churches, concerthalls, castles, mosques and synagogues. Onceagain, the event was exemplary for puttinginto practice visions of a peacefultogetherness of peoples.An interesting fact is that this became

evident even within the different groups andin the joint concerts. Here are a fewexamples:

Choral World NewsLet us Be United in LoveMusica Sacra International Festival

Walter VorwerkMusic Journalist

Photo:Sabine

Vorwerk

member: “To meet, to listen to each other,to talk to each other, singing together –that is Marktoberdorf. Of course, in eachreligion, there are normal believers andfanatics. ... God exists for all of them …The Divine that unites us is Love. It is notimportant whether one comes from Turkey,Indonesia or the Ukraine. Music unites us.For us, music is the language of the heart,and this is why we understand each otherand we learn from each other…”

Volker Hempfling, choral educator anddirector of the Kölner Kantorei choir:“Music is the least complicated way ofmoving towards each other, as shown byMusica Sacra. The Augsburg diocese,which has banned from its churchesmusicians from other religions, shouldthink about this; they should not only talkabout ecumenical dialogue but alsopractise openness towards other religions.”

Aida Swenson-Simanjuntak: “Ourmembers come from three differentreligions. We concentrate on music and

texts and feel responsible for these, nomatter whether we make music onKoranic, Biblical or Mantra texts. All ofthem have in common the message of love.We are Indonesians, and religions do notseparate us… I am deeply touched by whathappens at the Musica Sacra festival… wealso need something like that in Asia, inorder to contain violence...”

Shireen Abu-Khader: “For me, the festivalis a fantastic opportunity to meet so manypeople from different cultures. We are amulticultural choir and we try to put intopractice our visions of how to live together.I am a Christian, but in my choir thereare many Muslims; we get on very welltogether. Of course we do not overlook thefact that there is violence all around us…Music is a powerful means of promotingtolerance and peace. Musica Sacra provesthat it is possible for people from differentcultures to come together and implementtheir visions…”

Avner Itai, founder and director of

49


Ensemble CORDANA, Indonesia - Hindu dancing andsinging

Ensemble CORDANA – Islamic dancing and singing

Collegium Singers Tel Aviv, Israel – hebelongs to those who criticise theirgovernment’s policy concerning Gaza –: “The idea of Musica Sacra and itsimplementation is wonderful. We in Israelare trying to do this in a small way: formany years my group has been part of the‘Voices for Peace’ project. We are practisingJewish-Arab cooperation and performtogether Jewish, Arab and Christianmusic. Here in Marktoberdorf we have agreat opportunity to learn new things. …It is particularly important for us to seehow other choirs from other continentsand other cultures perform, and howtraditional elements are integrated intocompositions. It was very interesting for usto see how, for example, the Jordanianchoir has built its programme.”


Translated from the German by Jutta Tagger,FranceRevised by Gillian Forlivesi Heywood, Italy •

Loten Namling, Buddhist (Tibet/Switzerland)

AllPhotos:WalterVorwerk

50

from 12 different European countries. Thelist included a choir from what wasYugoslavia at the time, as well as a choir fromLeipzig whose singers experienced the specialatmosphere of an international meeting afew days before the building of the wall – anexperience most of them would not be ableto repeat for many years. During the festivalGottfried Wolters went on stage togetherwith a French colleague, Roger Motz, whohad been blinded during the war. They toldthe young people how they had discoveredthat they had been fighting on the same dayon the two sides of the river Rhine.Therefore, one might have been responsiblefor blinding the other, and – with theEUROPA CANTAT festival - they nowwanted to avoid that something like thatcould ever happen again.This principal idea of promoting

tolerance and peace through singing togetherat intercultural events, and to promote anddisseminate European choral repertoire, isstill behind the huge programme of thefederation which changed its name in the1990s to become “Europa Cantat –

European Federation of Young Choirs”. On9 February 1963 the association wasregistered in Bonn as a charitable associationaccording to German law, supported by theGerman Youth Ministry from the verybeginning, and recently also by the EuropeanUnion. Today, Europa Cantat has over 40member organizations from 28 Europeancountries as well as hundreds of memberchoirs and individual members. Itsprogramme includes the tri-annual festivalas well as all kinds of events for choirs,singers, conductors, composers and choralmanagers.During the anniversary year Europa

Cantat will organize a number of events (seewww.EuropaCantat.org). On the birthdayitself, President Sante Fornasier will bepresent at the Hearts-in-Harmony concert inBarcelona, where children and young peoplewith disabilities will sing a concert togetherwith other young people; Europa Cantatmeans singing together across all boundaries,not only geographically speaking.At the age of 50 Europa Cantat also feels

ripe for further change. Thus the last GeneralAssembly in autumn 2009 decided to mergeEuropa Cantat with the EuropeanAssociation of Choral Federations – AGEC(Arbeitsgemeinschaft EuropäischerChorverbände). From January 2011 themembers of the two associations will speakwith one voice on behalf of choral music inEurope, under the name of “EuropeanChoral Association – Europa Cantat”.

Further information onwww.EuropaCantat.orgEuropa Cantat, Haus der Kultur, Weberstr.59a, DE-53113 BonnTel: +49 228 9125663,E-mail: [email protected] •

Those who attended the impressive openingceremony or the colorful atelier concerts ofthe EUROPA CANTAT festival in Utrechtin July 2009 could meet singers of allgenerations – those of the generation of thefounders, who are now over 80; choirs of allkinds and age groups; children and youngpeople from Benin and Hong Kong whoshared the stage with their peers from all overEurope; and even a 5-year-old soloist whobrought the audience to tears. It is difficultto imagine that the Europa Cantatfederation, which organized such aninnovative, colorful, young and multiculturalfestival, was founded half a century ago.However, the aims of the founding fathersare still valid today.On 15 May 1960, a group of conductors

mostly from countries which hadparticipated in World War 2 (Austria,Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerlandand Yugoslavia), came together in Genevaand decided to found a European Federationof Young Choirs. The founding fathers (yes,it was really only “fathers” at the time) hadthe war in mind and were looking for waysto increase understanding among peoplesthrough their young choirs. The drivingforces were two conductors from France andGermany, César Geoffray and GottfriedWolters, as well as the choral organizations“A Coeur Joie” (France) and “ArbeitskreisMusik in der Jugend” (Germany). A series ofinternational youth meetings on the Loreleiin the 1950s had prepared the path for thisidea: What better way to promoteunderstanding for each other than a 10-day-event, during which the young people wouldnot only sing for each other, but mostly witheach other, sharing accommodation andmeals so that they would be spendingvirtually all their time together.In 1961 the first EUROPA CANTAT

festival took place in Passau with 69 choirs

Choral World NewsEuropa Cantat Celebrates its 50th Anniversary

Sonja GreinerGeneral Secretary

Gottfried Wolters & Roger Motz

and is getting younger and younger at the same time - Press Release

51

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52 • Science / voice and hearing (oto-rhino-laryngology, phonetics, speechpathology, voice rehabilitation,neurology)

• Science / music (musicology,ethnomusicology, the life and word ofmusicians)

• Music pedagogy / education (school andsinging, society and musical culture)

• Musica Sacra (liturgical music, sacred artmusic, Gregorian chant, psalmody,traditional church singing)

• Music media / technology (musicproduction, sound recording,discography, digital technology)

A Round Table on Choral Organizationsand Institutions / Educational programs andpossibilities for choral conductors indifferent countries took place. Participantsrealized again that choral music is hard workand not always easy to pursue, but the mainproblems are widespread and international.However, there are people all over the worldwith enough passion to continue and whowill never give up!This first Symposium of its kind in

Croatia, Ars Choralis, was dedicated to EmilCossetto (1918-2006) (Presented by BojanPogrmilović) and Sergije Rainis (1919-2008)(Presented by Snežana Ponoš).Recognition for ongoing work carried out inthe international, national and local choralworld was awarded to choral practitioners.• The Honorary title, MAGISTERCHORI/MAGISTRA CHORI, (adiploma with a golden pin andHonorary membership of the CroatianChoral Conductors Association) wasgiven to:

1. Giovanni Acciai-Italy2. Andrea Angelini-Italy3. Thomas Caplin-Norway4. Rudolf de Beer-South Africa5. Joy Hill-United Kingdom

6. Harald Jers-Germany7. Susanna Saw-Malaysia8. Romans Vanags-Latvia9. Annemarie van der Walt-South Africa• Honorary membership of the CroatianChoral Conductors Association wasgiven to: Yoichi Adachi of Japan.

• The Award of The Association ofCroatian Choral Conductors waspresented to Johan Sundberg (Sweden)for his Life's Work in the Field ofResearch into Music and Voice. He wasalso the guest of honour and thekeynote speaker, his topic The Scienceof the Singing Voice.A big thank you then and “bravo” to the

Japanese women’s choir, Tokio Josei Choirunder the direction of Yoichi Adachi, whichacted as the guest choir of the symposiumand performed at the choral concert. It wasa privilege for the participants to hear thisgroup and attend the workshops aboutJapanese choral music.On the second evening of the Symposium

a choral concert, We Move the World waspresented in the “Hrvatski glazbeni zavod”concert hall. Various choirs took part and asa closing item the songWe move theWorld,by Branko Stark, was premiered in a massedchoir comprising 150 members. This was amagic moment indeed – and a feeling ofhappiness was experienced by the wholeaudience. This song is the signature song forthe World Choral Song Project of the HUZ– one song for all choirs in the world. In thiswork, the composer, Branko Stark, praises allthe beautiful and noble things which arehappening in singing everywhere. It is ahymn dedicated to choral singing, invitingeverybody to take part and sing.No sooner had the first Ars Choralis

Symposium taken place, than we witnessedthe foundation of the International ChoralInstitute (ICI), the scientific branch of the

The first International Artistic andScientific Symposium on Choral Art,Singing and Voice, ARS CHORALIS 2010,took place between 8-10 April 2010 in theCroatian capital Zagreb, a city that is fastbecoming an international location for thedevelopment of choral music! The intentionof the Croatian Choral Directors Association(HUZ) was to hold a Symposium that wouldcontribute at an international level to theimprovement of choral music and stimulatechoral conductors to incorporate more fullycurrent knowledge about the voice andsinging, along with recent scientific insightinto artistic and educational work.Participants came from 14 different

countries: Austria, Croatia, Germany, Italy,Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Norway, Portugal,Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey andthe United Kingdom, and were able toexperience the hospitality and excellentorganization of HUZ under the direction ofBranko Stark. The symposium took place inthe newly renovated “NadmiskupijskiPastoralni Institut” in Zagreb, a very suitablevenue.Lecturers and lecturesForty-three lecturers from the 14 different

countries gave lectures and ran workshopsabout topics concerning the following:Choir and Choral director (methodology ofwork with the choir, psychology, conductorsand their duties),• Art of Singing / Vocal Pedagogy (vocaltechnique, voice posture, methodologyof the teaching of singing)

• Conducting / interpretation (technique,expressiveness, performance practice,historical style)

• Composition / analysis (the process ofcomposing, finding the sense andmeaning of the music)

• Vocal performance / vocal stylistics (vocalwork and different voice postures)

Choral World NewsARS CHORALIS 2010Moving the world!

Annemarie van der WaltIFCM Board Member

HUZ which will publish a scientificallyaccredited electronic journal with aninternational editorial reviewing board. Itwill be called Ars Choralis and will use twoofficial languages, namely German andEnglish. It will focus on “chorusology”: thenew discipline for scientific and artisticresearch of the choral art, created by BrankoStark. An ongoing contest for new choralcompositions will also be established, everysix months prizes will be awarded.It is very clear that nothing will obstruct

the movement that is the Croatian ChoralDirectors Association – HUZ. Over the pastten years in Croatia, since the Association ofCroatian Choral Conductors was founded, aVocal Academy also saw the light of day, andin June 2008 the choral competition“Sounds of June” was established, along withthe recording of a CD containing Croatianchoral music for free distribution all over theworld. The ongoing International Project forthe Development of Choir Music (IPDCM)by the Association of Croation ChoralConductors was established in 2009 inSouth Africa and will soon be implementedin Asia: in Singapore, Malaysia and HongKong. To sum up, Ars Choralis 2010happened, the ICI has been established, anda composers competition will be held. TheCroatians move the world!The next “Ars Choralis will take place in

Zagreb between 12-14 April, 2012.Some comments from participants:I think the conference was very refreshing: anew forceful initiative and a very efficientorganization and realization. The papers weremixed, some I liked very much. But theconference successfully addressed a broadaudience with very different backgrounds.

Johan Sundberg

The Ars Choralis 2010 symposium took placein an harmonic atmosphere and with theparticipation of renowned internationallecturers. The location in the diocesan buildingwas magnificent and the technical equipmenttop. Interkultur was a sponsor of thesymposium, and we wish to congratulate theCroatian Choral Directors Association for theexcellent organization of this symposium!

Michael Reimer

Very well organized symposium – interestinglectures that connected the sciences and the arts– Croatia starts to move the choral world….

Franz Jochum

The Ars Choralis 2010 has been a greatexperience for me. It was nice to learn moreabout choral singing from the scientific angle. Icannot wait to share the information with thechoirs in Malaysia. Susanna Saw

This looked to be a real breakthrough for theinternational contacts of Croatian choral lifeon the institutional basis. Gábor Moczar

It was a privilege to have been part of thisenterprising and successful conference. Allcongratulations to the Croatian ChoralDirectors Ass. and especially to their maestroBranko Stark whose vision and integrity madeit happen!' Joy Hill

I had a wonderful experience at Ars Choralis2010, and a great time in Croatia! I havelearned many interesting things concerningchoral conducting, differences between solo andchoral singing, and the science of the singingvoice applied to vocal performanceoptimization, in both solo and choir contexts,themes which were delivered by some of today’smost important choral conductors, scientistsand lecturers. And I have acquired all this newinformation in an extremely friendly

53


environment, in a well organized event where Ihave met wonderful people and heard lots andlots of good music, coming from all over theworld. For all these reasons I stronglyrecommend to all interested in the field of thesinging voice to participate in incoming events.I will be there again, for sure. Filipa Lã

It is difficult for me as one of the organizers ofevent to say something and not to be subjective,but knowing the wonderful quality of PEVOCevents (Pan European Voice Conference) orsymposiums in Salzburg organized by AustrianVoice Institute, I can say with great pride thatwe were very close. With a low budget weorganized a great event in every sense. Weoffered great quality, and had wonderfullecturers from abroad and Croatia, a greatdiversity of themes, a neat schedule and a superaudience. But above all, there was a fantasticatmosphere. Bojan Pogrmilovic

Ars Choralis 2010 was another event whichopened up opportunities for internationalencounters. It spread the message of vocalmusic, which unites people and peoples andgenerates euphoria in our soul like nothing elsecan. The symposium contributed to theinternational improvement of choral music. Itsupplied a stimulus for choral conductors andsingers to incorporate current scientific insightsinto their artistic and educational work. It wasa wonderful experience for me.

Maria Luisa Sanchez Carbone

It was a truly rewarding experience. Croatiaproved to have a very interesting choral culture,unknown to me until now. This was afantastic symposium arranged by the amazingBranko Stark. A perfect blend between choralart and science. Bravo! Thomas Caplin

54 And the world shall seewhat can be done,to be together hereas if we are one.

All the bells will ringand the sun will shineright into our heartsinto yours and mine.

Open up your souland spread out your wings,take all the joy and hopethat music brings.

All the clouds are gonewhen you take my handand this song we sing

will never end

We move the worldWe move the worldwe are the lightwe sing all daywe sing all night.We touch the moonthe stars abovewe sing for peacewe sing for love

Choral World News

...ARS CHORALIS 2010

The MP3 and the score of this song will be available on the Croatian Choral Directors Association’s website www.choralcroatia.com •

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55

In Search of a Definition for Children’s and Youth ChoirsAnne Kankainen

World of Children’s & Youth Choirs

Children’sand Youth

World of

Choirs


Please contact Cristian Grases, Editor


Choral singing means a group of peoplesinging together in unison or in parts, withor without instrumental accompaniment.Another prerequisite of a choir as aninstrument is that each part consists ofmultiple singers. When thinking aboutchildren's and youth choirs, this definitiondoes not sufficiently describe the subject.Characteristic features such as the soundquality, the physical aspects of the voice ofyoung people and - above all - the age rangein these ensembles are essential to definewhat kind of instrument we are talkingabout.One might ask why a definition of

children's and youth choirs is necessary. Is itneeded because each ensemble, led by itsconductor, must decide the criteria andmanner in which to group the young singersin relation to the pedagogical approach, theartistic goals, the structure of the choir, andtime available? The answer is yes, as long asthe ensemble is not taking part in particularchoral events, such as festivals orcompetitions. A clear definition of age forchildren's and youth choirs becomes moreimportant when the ensemble becomesexposed to the national and internationalchoral scene. Specifically, competitionsdemand standard categories in order toguarantee the same - or at least similar -conditions of competition.In order to give an idea of the current

situation in the international field, I havecompiled some definitions of ensembles forthe categories Children's Choir and YouthChoir as stated in the terms of participationfor different choir events around the world.By studying them we can attempt to generatea definition that comfortably fits theinternational choral scene.

57

ICB World of Children’s and Youth Choirs

Anne Kankainen

In Search of a Definition for Children’s and Youth Choirs

• Zoltán Kodály International Children’s Choir • Festival 2010 (Hungary):• Children’s Choir category:• Singers must be 16 years old or younger

• Youth Choir category:• Non-existent

• Other criteria:• None

• European Music Festival for Young People 2010 (Belgium):• Children’s Choir category:• Singers must be 14 years old or younger

• Youth Choir category:• Singers must be 25 years old or younger (for ensembles with both equal and mixedvoices)


• Il Garda in Coro International Choral Competition of Children's Choirs (Italy):• Children’s Choir category:• Singers must be 16 years old or younger


• Other criteria:• Choirs can participate in two different categories:1. Sacred2. Secular

• Cork Choral Festival 2009 (Ireland):• Children’s Choir category:• Non-existent

• Youth Choir category:• Singers must be 24 years old or younger

• Other criteria:• Choirs can participate in two different categories:1. Primary school choirs2. Equal voices - post-primary3. Mixed voices - post-primary

• International Choir Festival Tallinn 2011 (Estonia):• Children’s Choir category:• Singers must be 16 years old or younger

• Youth Choir category:• Singers must be 20 years old or younger


• International Anton Bruckner choir competition & Festival 2009 (Austria):• Children’s Choir category:• Singers must be 16 years old or younger

• Youth Choir category:• Singers must be 19 years old or younger (women’s choirs)• Singers must be 25 years old or younger (men’s choirs)• Singers must be 25 years old or younger (mixed choirs)


World of Children’s & Youth Choirs

58 This comparison shows some variation interms of age range. The informationprovided refers primarily to age limits:• Children's choirs:• If there is only one category, themaximum age varies from 14 to 17.Some competitions set an average agefor participants. For example, theGerman Choir Competition requiresthat only an average age of 13 years isallowed for singers in children's choirs.

• If there is more than one category forchildren's choirs, further distinction ismade for younger groups. For example,12 is the maximum age for singersparticipating in the International YouthMusic Festival in Bratislava.

• Children's choirs have a commonfeature because the repertoire is voicedequally. One exception is the CorkInternational Choral Festival, where twocategories for school choirs are defined:one for equal voices and the othercategory for mixed voices (The agerequired is: “after preschool”).

• Youth Choirs:• The maximum age for youth choirs inthe examples provided is 30! The'lowest maximum age' is 19 years oldfor girl's choirs, which is required atthe International Anton Bruckner ChoirCompetition and Festival.

• The category “youth choir” needs to besubdivided into treble and mixedvoices. Youth choirs which sing inequal voices are usually girl's choirs.Some competitions offer an extracategory for male choirs (see:International Anton Bruckner ChoirCompetition and Festival).

• Youth choirs with mixed voices can beeither boy's choirs or mixed choirs. The

...In Search of a Definition for Children’s and Youth Choirs

• World Youth Choir:• Children’s Choir category:• Non-existent

• Youth Choir category:• Singers must be between 17 and 26 years old


• Pacific Rim Children's Chorus Festival 2010 (Hawaii):• Children’s Choir category:• Singers must be in grades 6 to 12 (which corresponds to approximately 12 to 18 years old)


• Other criteria:• Treble children’s choirs only

• International Youth Music Festival Bratislava (Slovakia):• Children’s Choir category:• Subdivision:1. Preschool2. 12 years old or younger3. 16 years old or younger

• Youth Choir category:• Subdivision1. 21 years old or younger (equal and mixed voices separate)2. 30 years old or younger (equal and mixed voices separate)

• Other criteria:o None• German Choir Competition 2010 (Germany):• Children’s Choir category:• Singers must be 16 years old or younger, and the average agemust not be greater than 13 years old

• Youth Choir category:• Singers must be between 13 and 22 years old, and the average age must not be greaterthan 16 years old

• Other criteria:• Singers in boy’s choirs must be 30 years old or younger

• Coastal Sound Festival 2011 (Canada):• Children’s Choir category:• No age limit

• Youth Choir category:• No age limit


59

ICB World of Children’s and Youth Choirs

age range in boy's choirs ranges fromabout 10 years (sopranos and altos) upto 30 years or more (tenors and basses).

One aspect that must also be taken intoconsideration when determining definitionsfor children or young people is their legalstatus. In Germany the situation is asfollows: “children” are persons who have notreached the age of 14 years. The followinggroup called “Jugendliche” describes minorswho are 14, but not yet 18 years old.Furthermore, according to the social securitystatutes, persons from 18 years up to 27 arecalled “young people”. When applying theseguidelines to our topic, it shows thatchildren's choirs often “exceed” the age limitsby several years. In the case of youth choirs,the broader definition of “young people”applies to many ensembles.Finally, a word should be said about

young voices and their characteristics. Achild's voice - if used naturally - usuallysounds bright and straight, which means novibrato is used. Furthermore, the voices arenot yet very strong in terms of dynamics.During the years of pre-puberty and puberty,the actual voice and the voice quality of boysand girls changes dramatically because of thephysical growth of the organs involved in thesinging process. Naturally, the age of pubertyshould play an important role in theconceptualization of children's and youthchoirs. That means, for example, that boyswho have reached puberty should be placedaccording to the restricted possibilities oftheir voice at that time. Boy's choirs have to'plan' accordingly so that their singers canstay in the choir for a longer period of time.This becomes more and more difficult whenconsidering the fact that puberty oftenbegins earlier than anticipated. In regard toyoung adults, the voices in youth ensembles

can sound more mature and develop morevolume compared to children’s choirs. This,of course, depends on the vocal educationand individual voices in the youth choir.The acoustic criteria used to differentiate

between children's and youth choirs areimportant and should also play a role in theconception of choruses. As stated above, themusical background and individualdevelopment of each singer is alsosignificant. In other words, age prerequisitesare not always helpful when a choirconductor has to decide which ensemble is'right' for one singer or another.Nevertheless, as I have already pointed

out, an international guideline would behelpful in providing an orientation for choirsand choir conductors and make it easier forthose who want to participate in choir eventsand competitions abroad. I suggest that weuse the following criteria to define theseensembles:1) Children’s Choirs (equal voices):• Young children’s choirs (boys and girls):maximum age 12, with an average agenot older than 10 years.

• Older children’s choirs (boys beforepuberty and girls): maximum age 16,with an average age not older than 13years.

2) Youth Choirs (Girls’ Choirs, YoungMale Choirs and Mixed Choirs inseparate categories): maximum age 26,with an average age not older than 18years.

3) Boy’s Choirs (S-A-T-B): ages from 10 to26, with an average age not older than18 years.

The advantage for these suggestionswould be that there are no strict age limitsbut rather average age prerequisites. For thesecond children’s choir category, the averageage of not more than 13 years guarantees aclear focus on young voices, taking intoaccount the legal status “child” (see above) atthe same time. The maximum age of 26 yearsin youth choirs seems quite high comparedto some guidelines stated before in thisarticle. Requiring an average age of 18 yearsprovides that there will not be a majority of,for example, 25-year-old choristers in ayouth choir (who would have a broaderexperience in choral singing than 17-year-olds, have a more developed vocalinstrument, and also might sounddifferently).My recommended categorization is only a

suggestion. It cannot take into account allthe different conditions and traditionsconcerning choirs made up of children andyoung people around the world.Nevertheless, it can be considered a startingpoint for a discussion about defining andstandardizing children’s choirs and youthchoirs as choral ensembles, and, in addition,it also provides specific requirements forchoral events at an international level.

Anne Kankainen (b. 1982) graduated fromthe University of Music and Drama inHanover, Germany. After one year at theSibelius Academy in Helsinki, she completedher studies. She has recently done research onthe topic “Contemporary Music in Children’sand Youth Choirs” and is active as a conductorof the Children’s Choirs at the “EvangelischeSingschule Lübeck”, a Christian choir school forchildren and young people.E-mail:[email protected]

Revised by Diana Leland, USA •

Critic’s Pick…Jonathan Slawson

Choral Music Recordings


If you would like a CD to be consideredfor review

Please contact Andrea Angelini, InterimEditor of the column


The Drakensberg Boys Choir,South AfricaAmaculo Ase-Afrika (DVD)

Full of rhythmic energy, trueprofessionalism and at the same time agenuine youthful innocence, theDrakensberg Boys Choir brings to life severaltraditional African songs in their newestDVD, Amaculo Ase-Afrika. The choir is asvisually captivating as they are aurallypleasing; each song is accompanied withperfectly synchronized choreography, almostmilitaristic with a playful relaxed feel thattruly delights their audience. Their directorof music, Christian Ashley-Botha, describesthis movement as “marching with swagger!”Often choreography is an afterthought inchoral music production, particularly in theNorth American tradition. We learn a pieceof music, and once we master it, only then dowe add the choreography. However, heremovement and music emerge as one. Theirperfectly in sync movements never distortthe ensemble’s healthy vocal production.The DVD is framed with a traditional

greeting song, “Morokeni” and closes with afarewell song, “Siange”. Selections inbetween range from South African stompdances, to percussive riffs played ontraditional African drums, to large often

unaccompanied staged numbers. Each piecehas a raw organic flare; nothing about theirperformance seems manufactured orcontrived. As one boy states, “African musicjust comes naturally to us.” Thesyncopations that are inherent in the SouthAfrican culture come naturally to the‘Drakies,’ as they are called; the rhythm,movement, and vocal production emerge asone. The combination of these threeelements is what distinguishes theirperformance among many other boys’ choirsaround the globe, such as the esteemedVienna Boys Choir, for example.The group is almost entirely student run;

though they have a conductor, Rudolf deBeer, and a director of music, ChristianAshley-Botha, their repertoire is aconvergence of music that students presentand teach to the group from their own nativecultures. In addition, they select repertoirefrom a library of African music. Favorites arepassed down through the ensemble. Atypical rehearsal is described as someonesaying, “Hey, let me show you how thisgoes.” Groups then form around songleaders who teach the piece to their peers.This democratic approach to teaching andperforming music is inclusive, accessible, andmost importantly fun.I recommend their DVD for any music

teacher, but particularly those who struggleto recruit boys in their ensemble. This DVDteaches us that music can be fun. The boys’captivating performance would make anyyoung boy want to join in the excitement.

Situated nearWinterton, Natal, SouthAfrica, the Drakensberg Boys' Choir School is anon-racial, bilingual boarding school, Foundedin January 1967, the school serves between 100and 120 boys, ranging from 10 to 15 years ofage. Drawing recruits from all over SouthAfrica, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia,the school offers its pupils a comprehensive

music and academic training as well as a fullrange of athletic activities. For moreinformation go to www.dbchoir.info

RockapellaLive In Japan (CD)

The advent of popular a cappella music isa widespread phenomenon around theworld. Since its birth, Rockapella was, andcontinues to be, at the apex of itsdevelopment. Live from Japan is an essentialaddition to any vocal music CD collection;its repertoire is a collection from the group’srecent tour to Japan, and represents the bestof contemporary a cappella music. Bothrefined in technique and well versed in amultitude of musical styles, they continue todelight audiences all over the globe withtheir music. These musical masters scout theworld for the best talent; while their cast ofcharacters has for the most part changedsince their founding, their high musicstandard has remained the same.The group consists of only five members:

Scot Leonard, John Brown, Steven Dorian,George Baldi and the acclaimed beat boxingpercussionist Jeff Thatcher. Those who havebeen to a Rockapella concert know theircatch phrase, “We make our music with our

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ICB Choral Music Recordings

Critic’s Pick…

Jonathan SlawsonJournalist


62 This CD holds my highest recommendation.For more information, log ontowww.rockapella.com

Jonathan Slawson holds a Bachelor of Musicdegree fromWestminster Choir College and iscurrently pursuing a Master’s in NonprofitManagement at the New School University.His professional interests cross arts education,policy, and management. He is theDevelopment Assistant for the Bravo LincolnCenter Campaign, the capital campaign toraise the necessary funds for Lincoln Center’sredevelopment. Prior to that he served asLincoln Center’s Government and Community

mouths.” Percussionist Jeff Thatcher leadsthe world in rhythmic vocal percussion. Atfirst listen, you will not believe that theinstrumental accompaniments are producedby human voices; their entrancing music ismade entirely by themselves.Rockapella successfully breaks down the

perceived pretentious barriers of vocal music,and exposes their audiences to good qualityfun repertoire. This particular collection oftunes is filled with upbeat musical gems:Love Potion #9, Pretty Woman, ZombieJamboree, My Girl, among many others.Rockapella teaches us that music can be

fun, cool without sacrificing vocal quality.

...Critic’s Pick...

Relations Intern. In addition he has writtenfor Disney’s, In Tune MonthlyMagazine,where he was editor of the Teacher Guide. Healso worked at NewWorld Stages (StageEntertainment) and the McCarter TheatreCenter. He has taught music at Maureen M.Welch Elementary School, the New JerseyPerforming Arts Center, and StagestruckPerforming Arts Center. He serves on BlairAcademy’s Board of Governors, and was therecipient of the Westminster Choir CollegePresident’s Award in 2009; the university’s tophonorDo you have a CD that you would likereviewed in the journal? Please contact me [email protected] •

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Celebrating 500 Years:Heinrich Isaac’s Choralis ConstantinusJames D. Feiszli

Eastern Light: Choral Music from Asia - Part 1Dr. Marian Dolan

Repertoire

Repertoire


Please contact Marian Dolan, Editor


Tokyo Ladies' Consort SAYAKA, conducted by Ko Matsushiba in Marktoberdorf

Singing music outside of one's own cultural "comfort zone" can be achallenge, a risk, and also an amazing adventure. For some singersand conductors that new exploration might be Orthodox repertoirein church-Slavonic or the dance-inspired rhythmic complexities of aLatin American piece. For others it could be an African-Americangospel score or even a Bach cantata. A conductor willing to do thiskind of culturally-based choral exploration is often challenged to finda musical guidebook for the new culture. How many of us register toattend an IFCMWorld Symposium, and then, as a part of ourplanning, also buy travel books for Japan (WSCM-8) or Argentina(WSCM-9), or get online and read about that country's culture,customs and language? But what if we want to explore the choralmusic of, say, Asia – where is our musical 'travel book'? While notmeant to be comprehensive, this two-part article is, hopefully, ahelpful initial roadmap for beginning your journey through Asianchoral music.This article (Part 1) covers music from China, India, Indonesia,

Japan and Korea; Part 2 will explore scores from Malaysia, Mongolia,the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. The first challengefor a conductor who desires to investigate music from these countriesand cultures is finding scores. Some Asian composers circulate or selltheir own scores, some scores are published with national publisherswho may or may not have a website or web pages in other than thelocal language, and still other scores are published by western choralpublishers. Notation of music and texts may also be a challenge. Forexample, an Indonesian composer's manuscripts may be written innotasi angka (cipher notation), which is often used for gamelanmusic. Therefore, choirs from outside this region may be dependenton whether or not western notation 'translations' of the music areavailable. Similarly, languages with symbolic scripts (Tamil, Japanese,Korean, etc.) may need to be transliterated into a phonetic Roman-based script in order to make a score more accessible to internationalchoirs. Finally, there is the issue of cultural context: of understandinga region's customs, history, faiths, geography, languages, etc. Forthose of us who do not live in Asia but wish to learn about thisrepertoire, we are fortunate to have internet, social media, and videosites which provide resources and networking possibilities that werenot available even a few years ago. We can invest time in 'virtually'visiting a score's Asian homeland and begin to study its culture andcustoms. Incidentally, many Asian composers, choirs and choralfestivals not only have their own websites, but they are also nowposting on YouTube, Facebook and MySpace.With a few exceptions, the scores cited below are written by native

composers and are a cappella (acap) unless noted otherwise. Most

65

Eastern Light: Choral Music from Asia - Part 1

ICB Repertoire

Dr. Marian DolanChoral Conductor

scores are published; publishers' contact information appears at theend of this article. A few scores are available from the composer, asindicated. Scores with texts in the native language are transliteratedinto Roman characters. Many of these scores also have videos online,so I urge you to go and explore the Web! Finally, I want to expressmy personal thanks to all of the composers and conductors whocorresponded with me during the process of gathering thisinformation. May your native scores find new global homes andbuild fresh and creative cultural bridges.

CHINABorn in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, Chen Yi was the first

woman to receive a master’s degree in composition in China (1986)when she gave an evening concert of her orchestral works in Beijing,performed by the Central Philharmonic of China. A composer-in-residence with Chanticleer, now a university professor of music in theU.S., Dr. Chen has composed/arranged a large number of choralscores for various voicings including A Set of Chinese Folk Songs (10)available in satb (optional piano), sa+strings, or ttbb (acap); ChineseMountain Songs (5) for women's choir; Tang Poems (acap satb orttbb); Chinese Myths Cantata (ttbb, orch); and To the NewMillennium (satb, S, MzS) set to texts by Du Fu, Wang Wei and CaoCao. Dr. Chen's scores are published by Theodore Presser; a list ofher choral-vocal scores is available online (http://bit.ly/a5K8xj).

Photo:DolfRabus

Guangzhou Palace Children’s Choir, conducted by Leon Tong Shiu-wai atPolyfollia 2006

Allah Rkah Rahman, an internationally renowned film composer,has sold over 300 million soundtracks. Called the "Mozart ofMadras" and the "Music Storm," Rahman wrote Jai Ho for theOscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. Global music conductorEthan Sperry received permission from Rahman to arrange the piecefor satb and percussion (satb; Earthsongs). A language guide for theHindi text is available. Rahman wrote Zikr (satb, perc; Earthsongs)for the documentary film Bose: The Forgotten Hero and is based uponthe music of the Sufi 'whirling dervish' tradition where a simplemelody increases in intensity as the piece unfolds. Sperry has alsowritten Jai Bhavani, based on a Sanskrit prayer (sa, perc.; Earthsongs)and Ramkali (ttbb; Earthsongs) based on the complex raga of thesame name. U.S. composer-conductor Eric Banks (http://bit.ly) hasspent considerable time in India, learning the various culturaltraditions for his scores. Sarasvati (2008) is a setting of two ancienthymns to the Hindu goddess of music and enlightenment, includingmelodies from the mantra Sarasvati vandana, as well as three verses ofthe Vedic hymn to Sarasvati (Rig Veda 1:3:10-12), in both Sanskritand English, translated by the composer, for sixteen-part chorus(sssaaatttbbb) a cappella.

INDONESIAThe choral music from this country of 17,508 islands and over

230 million people is indeed a rich multi-cultural treasure. FromBudi Susanto Yohanes comes Janger, a traditional Balinese dance(satbb), Gai Bintang/Reach for the Stars (ssaattbb; Balinese) a settingof a Madurese play song with Gamelan-like textures, and theBanyuwangi celebration folksong from East Java, Luk LukLumbu/The Taro Leaves Bend (ssaattbb, S; Osing). All are publishedby Earthsongs. Rindu kepada kediaman Allah/Psalm 84 (satb; Carus)by Daud Kosasih, Chairman of Medan Choral Society, uses aJavanese pentatonic scale. Composer-conductor Pontas Purba'sSiksik Si Batu Manikkam (ssatb, S; Batak; Earthsongs) is a popularBatak song from Sumatra, the theme of which is "beauty is worthlessif you don't have a beautiful character." Part of the text is syllabic; the

66

Repertoire

...Eastern Light: Choral Music from Asia - Part 1

Shui Jiang Tian, born in China but now working in Singapore,arranged Usuli Boat Song (satb, T; Earthsongs). Ying Zhang won theWen Hua Prize for his compositions based on classical Chinese style,for example, River Snow (satb, ba-wu/flute harp; Walton-WDW1011). A graduate of Shanghai Conservatory, Bright Sheng(www.brightsheng.com) is a conductor, pianist, opera/theatercomposer. He served as the Artistic Advisor to Yo-Yo Ma’s "Silk RoadProject." In both The Boatmen's Song (ssaa, perc, harp; G. Schirmer)and Two Folk Songs from Qinghai (satb, orch; G. Schirmer), Sheng"blends Eastern folk idioms with Western techniques to producemusic of unusual sophistication and expressive power."* Leon Shiu-wai Tong's article "Four Chinese Composers" (ICB, 2007-3) is ahelpful Chinese choral resource.

INDIABorn in Mumbai, Vanraj Bhatia is considered to be one of India's

leading classical composers. Six Seasons (satb, Earthsongs) wascommissioned by Coomi Wadia, conductor of the ParanjotiAcademy Chorus. Each piece in the collection is based on the rāg(raga = traditional Indian mode) associated with that season.Acclaimed Indian choral composer-conductor Victor Paranjoti

wrote Dravidian Dithyramb (satb, ssaa or ttbb; Earthsongs), set onlyto the syllable "na." The word Dravidian is a reference to southernIndia; a dithyramb was a wild, passionate Greek hymn sung toDionysus the god of wine and fertility. The composer writes,"Dravidian Dithyramb is an expression of uninhibited festivity. Anelusive but persistent pulse motivates the music, the pulse drivingonward faster and faster toward the final frenzied utterance." Hisscore Svaagat (satb, Hindi, Earthsongs), an Indian song of greetingand peace, is based on the rāg parasu ragam which is traditionallysung between 3am and 6am to invoke love and devotion.

Photo:DolfRabus

Parayangna Catholic University Choir, Indonesia at WSCM7 Ex. 1 – Budi Susanto: Janger, m. 13-16

extended challenging setting by Toru Takemitsu (satb-divisi; Schott);and a treble version by Dwight Okamura (ssaa; Alliance-AMP-0120). An accessible satb folk score is Osamu Shimizu'sarrangement of Sohran Bushi / Fisherman's Work Song (satb; Jap;Ongaku No), and a very popular folk score for women's choirs is RoOgura's arrangement of Hotaru Koi / Ho, Firefly (ssa; Jap/Eng;Onagaku via Presser-31241520). Pana-Musica store(www.panamusica.co.jp/en), with a website in Japanese and English,sells many Japanese scores worldwide.

KOREAHyo-WonWoo, currently the composer-in-residence for the

Incheon City Chorale and faculty member at Seoul TheologicalUniversity, is an important and innovative voice in the choral sceneof Korea. Woo receives numerous commissions, has written for andworked with Korea's leading choirs, and her works are becomingincreasingly popular in international choral competitions. Hervibrant and energetic Alleluia is scored for mixed voices (8'; satb-divisi, S; Chorus Center #CCC-00007). The three-movement Gloria(13', satb-divisi, T; Chorus Center), commissioned by the IncheonCity Chorale, is challenging and exciting: a very rhythmic openingmovement leads to a deeply emotional, layered, chant-like centersection; the closing section mirrors the rhythmic vitality of theopening by setting the 'amen' as an exuberant 3+3+2 against 2+3+3cascade.

musical texture is very gamelan-like. Christian Tamaela's TokiGong/Beat the Gong (satb; Hinshaw HMC2135) imitates in words theexuberant sound of an Indonesian drum. For many years, Canadiancomposer R. Murray Schafer's Gamelan (satb or ssaa; syllables;Arcania) has been a very popular score for vocal exploration of thegamelan style. Other important Indonesia composers are AlfredSimanjuntak, Bonar Gultom and Ronald Pohan.

JAPANThanks to publishers in Japan and Europe, to his own excellent

choirs, as well as to a strong internet presence, the scores ofcomposer-conductor Ko Matsushita are becoming globally known.Updates about his compositions are available from his website(http://komatsushita.com/en) and Facebook pages, and videos of hischoirs are on YouTube. His many folksong settings embody his visionof "projecting the tonal characteristics of the Japanese music intomusic for chorus." Elegant, challenging, and often scored for divisi acappella ensembles, these folksongs are available mostly in collections(satb, ssaa or ttbb; Japanese with Roman transliterations; EditionKawai). His numerous Latin-texted a cappella scores for satb-divinclude O salutaris hostia, Jubilate Deo, O lux beata Trinitas, Paternoster (all published by Carus) andMissa tertia (Sulasol). Latin-texteda cappella treble scores include Ave Maris Stella, Miserere mei, Tantumergo, Christus factus est, Haec dies published by Sulasol and HodieChristus natus est (Carus); also aMissa Secunda for ssa and organ(Sulasol). His Ave Maria setting is available in satb, ssaa and ttbbvoicings (all 3 via Sulasol; satb and ssaa via Edition Kawai).

Sakura/Cherry Blossoms, known worldwide, has many choralsettings including these fresh, contemporary ones (all in Japanese):Takatomi Nobunaga includes Sakura in his collection Nostalgia(satb, ssaa or ttbb; Kawai); Chen Yi, simple yet elegant 5-voicesetting written for Chanticleer (satbb; Presser 312-41748); an

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ICB Repertoire

Tokyo Ladies' Consort SAYAKA, conducted by Ko Matsushiba in Marktoberdorf

Ex. 2 – Ko Masushita: Asadoya Yunta / Asadoya Song, m.1-4.

Photo:DolfRabus

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Written for the Incheon City Chorale, Jung-sun Park's InchonMass is a powerful, culturally idiomatic setting of the Latin text (satb,acap; D.J. Music Publishing). Professor at Dankook University inSeoul, Park studied composition at the Eastman School of Music(USA). In this mass, he fuses Western structures with Korean modes,melodies (including Arirang) and vocalisms. Hak Wan Yoon and theIncheon singers have a superb recording of this work. Geon-YongLee, one of Korea's most regarded composers of choral music, is alsoPresident of the Korean National University of the Arts. He createsscores that represent Korean identity, styles and forms. The "Kyrie"from hisMissa AILM, written for the Asian Institute of Liturgy andMusic, is scored for satb choir and percussion (AILM). Kashiri / AreYou Going Away? (satb/piano or ssa/piano; Earthsongs) was composedby Tae Kyun Ham, professor of Music at Kunsan NationalUniversity, for the 16th Seoul Music Festival and premiered by theHonggi Choi choir from Seoul. The treble-voice version was writtenfor the Seoul Ladies' Choir for their 1993 IFCMWorld Symposiumperformance. The text, a lament on leaving and loss, is a traditionallyric poem that is given a totally original musical setting.If you are programming folk music, Arirang/Rolling Hills, the

beloved and elegant Korean folksong, has arrangements by Hee-JoKim (satb acap; Korean; Carus), Chen Yi (satb acap; Korean; Presser312-41747), and Shin-Swa Park (ssa acap; Korean; Alliance). Orconsider Jisoo Kim's Three Korean Folksongs (satb; Earthsongs):Gyeongbokkung Taryeong / Gyeong Palace Song, Hangangsu Taryeong /Han River Song, Shingosan Taryeong / Shingo Mountain Song.Cross-cultural musical seeds are often planted in unplanned but

exciting ways. In 2009, the Incheon City Chorale performed at thenational convention of the American Choral Director's Association.There, the Incheon conductor, Dr. Yoon, met the Americancomposer Paul Carey and subsequently commissioned Paul to write aconcert mass for his choir. TheMissa Brevis Incheon (satb-div),

Repertoire

...Eastern Light: Choral Music from Asia - Part 1

written to showcase the Chorale's amazing bravura technique andexpressiveness, premiered in Seoul in October 2009. The score isavailable from the composer (http://bit.ly/Incheon).

Publisher's Information:AILM – Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music([email protected]); Alliance Music (www.alliancemusic.com);Arcania (www.patria.org/arcana/); Carus Verlag(www.carus-verlag.com); Chorus Center Seoul(www.choruscenter.co.kr / [email protected]); D.J. MusicPublishing (www.djmusic.co.kr); Earthsongs Music(www.earthsongschoralmusic.com); Hinshaw(www.hinshawmusic.com); Edition Kawai (editionkawai.jp/en/);Presser (www.presser.com); G. Schirmer (www.schirmer.com);Sulasol (www.sulasol.fi/en/sheet).*Peter Davies, New York Magazine, 19/10/1992.I would love to hear from you with your suggestions of scores,composers or repertoire topics ([email protected]).

Marian E. Dolan is founding Artistic Director of The Choir Projectbased in Naples, Florida (USA), has edited international choral scores forfour publishers, and was IFCM’s chairperson for Voices Conferences inSouth Africa and the Baltics. She holds MM, MMA and DMA degreesin choral conducting from Yale University and was on the faculty ofEmory University (Atlanta). She also leads honor choirs, workshops, andrepertoire sessions both in the U.S. and abroad, and has commissionedover 35 new choral scores. E-mail: [email protected] •

Ex. 3 – Hyo-Won Woo: Gloria, mvt.1, m.46-49.

Photo:DolfRabus

National Chorus of Korea at WSCM7

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Events

EventsCompiled by Nadine Robin

I. Conferences, Workshops & Masterclasses

II. Festivals & Competitions

We are pleased to provide these lists ofinternational festivals, competitions,conferences, workshops and master classesto our members. They are based on thebest information available to us. However,we advise you to check the specific detailswith the organizers of the individual eventthat you may be interested in attending.

IFCM does NOT specifically recommendany of the events listed. However, weencourage you to check with the ‘ChoralFestival Network’(www.choralfestivalnetwork.org) whosemembers have signed the IFCM “TotalQuality Charter”, which is an agreementto follow the minimum requirements ofquality, transparency and fairness forchoral festivals.

Please submit event information forpublication to:

Nadine Robin1600A ValleyridgeAustin, TX 78704, USAE-mail: [email protected]: +1-512-551 0501

European Seminar for Young Choral Composers,Aosta, Italy, 18-24 July 2010. For composers andaspiring composers interested in choral music andchoral conductors with composition andelaboration experience. Contact: FENIARCO(Italian Federation of Regional Choir Associations),Tel: +39-0434-876724, Fax: +39-0434-877554,Email: [email protected] - Website: www.feniarco.it

Choral Conducting and Vocal Group Technique,Freiburg, Germany, 28 July-7 Aug 2010. WithVolker Hempfling, Sabine Horstmann, WelfhardLuaber, Michael Reif and Maria Tönnesmann.Apply before: 15th April 2010. Contact:Arbeitskreis Musik in der Jugend, Tel: +49-5331-46016, Fax: +49-5331-43723, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.amj-musik.de

Texas Choral Directors Association 55thConvention and NewMusic Reading Clinic, SanAntonio, Texas, USA, 28-31 July 2010.Convention headliners: John Rutter, RolloDilworth, Lynne Gackle, Tim Lautzenheiser.Convention offers 13 new music reading sessions,30+ workshops including specifically designedworkshops for students, Student Day, and a tradeshow with over 300 exhibitors. Contact: TexasChoral Directors Association, Tel: +1-512-4742801, Fax: +1-512-474 7873 -Website:www.eventbrite.com/contactorganizer?eid=541617994

Sarteano Chamber Choral ConductingWorkshop,Sarteano, Italy, 31 July-7 Aug 2010. For fullconductors, conducting auditors and singers. Vocalpedagogy ensemble work with Bronislawa Falinskautilizing the Rohmert method of functionalvoicetraining, and clinics on developing a vitalchamber choir with Brian O'Connell. Contact:Sarteano Chamber Choral ConductingWorkshop,Tel: +1-781-6520158, Email:[email protected] -Website:www.sarteanochoralworkshop.com

Corsham ConsortWorkshop, Corsham,Wiltshire,United Kingdom, 1-6 August 2010. A week of one-to-a-part consort singing in Corsham (near LacockinWiltshire) with JanJoost van Elburg. Contact:Andrew van der Beek, Tel: +44-1249-730468,Email: [email protected] - Website: www.lacock.org

Days of South/South Cooperation, Abidjan, IvoryCoast, 11-21 August 2010. In cooperation with theFrench speaking African movements A Coeur Joie.Ateliers: vocal technique with Gislain Pambou,Ivorian popular songs writting with Isaac Dogbo.Concerts and musical sessions. Contact: A CoeurJoie Côte D'Ivoire, Tel: +225-7-165706, Email: [email protected]

7th Masterclass & Course of Choral Conducting,Murcia, Spain, 21-28 Aug 2010. With NestorZadoff, Martin Schmidt and Albert Alcaraz.Contact: Federación de Coros de la Región deMurcia, Tel: +34-650-476 100, Email:[email protected] or [email protected] -Website: www.fecorem.es

Rimini International ChoralWorkshop, Italy, 22-29 Aug 2010. For advanced choristers andconductors. With Peter Phillips (Tallis Scholars),Ghislaine Morgan and Andrea Angelini. Repertoryfocused on Renaissance Sacred Music. Final concertand diploma. Individual vocal tuition. Contact:Musica Ficta, Tel: +39-347-2573878, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.musicaficta.org

EnglishWeekend, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 4-5Sep 2010. Choral evensong in Dordrecht's historicGrote Kerk. Contact: Andrew van der Beek, Tel:+44-1249-730468, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.lacock.org

North Carolina American Choral DirectorsAssociation Fall Conference, UNC GreensboroSchool of Music, Greensboro, North Carolina,USA, 17-18 Sep 2010. Clinician: Dr. JerryBlackstone. Contact: North Carolina AmericanChoral Directors Association, - Website:www.ncacdaonline.org/

2010 Berlin International Masterclass, Berlin,Germany, 1-6 Oct 2010. For highly qualified youngchoral conductors. Individual work with SimonHalsey (UK) and Joe Miller (USA) followed by 3days with Rundfunkchor Berlin ( two-timeGrammy®-winning chorus). Contact:Rundfunkchor Berlin, Simon Halsey, Tel: +49-30-202987 330, Fax: +49-30-202987 40 -Website:www.runfunkchor-berlin.de

Singing in Venice, Italy, 10-15 Oct 2010. A week ofVenetian music directed by Erik van Nevel. Thecourse will be held in the Centro Culturale DonOrione Artigianelli. Contact: Andrew van der Beek,Tel: +44-1249-730468, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.lacock.org

One Song Sacred MusicWorkshop, Marietta FirstUnited Methodist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, USA,21-23 Oct 2010. Co-sponsored by the AmericanChoral Directors Association and American ClassicTours and Music Festivals. For professional,amateur, and bi-vocational conductors who leadchoirs in sacred spaces. Contact: American ClassicTours and Music Festivals, Tel: +1-800-733 8384,Email: [email protected] -Website:www.amclass.com

International Seminar for Youth Choir Conductorsand Singers, Örebro, Sweden, 27-31 oct 2010.Collaboration between SWICCO, Europa Cantat,Feniarco & IFCM. Clinicians: Fred Sjöberg,Alessandro Cadario, Stefan Berglund. Clinic choir:Coro Accademia Feniarco. Apply before: 30 Sep.Contact: Swedish International Choral CenterÖrebro (SWICCO), Tel: +46-19-765 2788, Email:[email protected] - Website: www.swicco.se

Management in International Choral Events,Saint-Lô, France, 26 Oct-2 Nov 2010. Study Tourfor young choral managers and every personinterested in choral management at an internationallevel. In collaboration with Europa Cantat. Applybefore 28 Feb. Contact: Polyfollia, Tel: +33-2-31736919, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.polyfollia.org

Hay-On-WyeWinter School, United Kingdom, 28Dec-2 Jan 2010. A week of music-making for choralsingers with Paul Spicer. The music will be a mixtureof renaissance settings of Christmas texts andBruckner, Howells and two of James Macmillan'sStrathclyde motets. Contact: Andrew van der Beek,Tel: +44-1249-730468, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.lacock.org

6th Eric Ericson Masterclass for ChoralConductors, Haarlem, Netherlands, 24 June-1 July2011. For talented young choral conductors with 2masters of conducting: Jos van Veldhoven (NL) andMichael Gläser (D). Choirs in residence: theNederlands Kamerkoor and the Netherlands RadioChoir. Repertoire for chamber and symphonicchoirs. Contact: Eric Ericson MasterclassFoundation, , Email: [email protected] Website: www.ericericsonmasterclass.nl

9thWorld Symposium on Choral Music, PuertoMadryn, Patagonia, Argentina, 3-10 Aug 2011.Organized by the CIC Foundation in cooperationwith ADICORA. Motto: "Singing in Nature".Contact: , Tel: +54-2965-439232, Email:[email protected] - Website: www.wscm9.com

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...Festivals & Competitions

49th International Competition of ChoralSinging Seghizzi, Gorizia, Italy, 16-18 July2010. For choirs or musical groups.Categories: Renaissance, Baroque, 19thCentury, 1900 to the present day, folk andtraditional songs or spirituals and gospels,pop and jazz music, contemporary music.22nd Grand Prix Seghizzi 2010 - 3rd Trophyof the Nations special Categories. Contact:Associazione Corale Goriziana "CASeghizzi", Tel: +39-0481-530288, Fax: +39-0481-536739, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.seghizzi.it

Melodia! South American Music Festival,Buenos Aires, Argentina and Rio deJaneiro, Brazil, 21 July-2 Aug 2010. Guestconductor: Doreen Rao. Acceptingapplications from youth and children'schoirs (treble and mixed voices), as well asyouth orchestras. Outstanding artisticexperiences are combined with once-in-a-lifetime cultural and outreach opportunities.Contact: Alessandra D’Ovidio, ClassicalMovements, Inc., Tel: +1-703-6836040,Fax: +1-703-6836045, Email:[email protected] -Website: www.ClassicalMovements.com

26th Takarazuka International ChamberChorus Contest, Takarazuka City, Hyogo,Japan, 23-26 July 2010. For choirs with aminimum of 8 and maximum of 20 singers,excluding conductor and accompanists. Fourcategories: Renaissance, Romantic era,Folklore and Theater pieces. No compulsorypieces. Contact: Takarazuka InternationalChamber Chorus Contest Committee -Takarazuka Foundation for CulturePromotion, Tel: +81-797-858844, Fax: +81-797-858873, Email: [email protected]

56th International Choral Contest ofHabaneras and Polyphony, Torrevieja(Alicante), Spain, 23-30 July 2010.Outdoors habaneras, polyphony in theauditorium "Eras de la Sal" on theMediterranean Sea coast. Apply before: 15Feb 2010. Contact: Certamen Int'l deHabaneras de Torrevieja, Tel: +34-965-710702, Fax: +34-965-712570, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.habaneras.org

World Vision 2010 International Children’sChoir Festival, Seoul, South Korea, 24-30July 2010. From traditional and classical tocontemporary music festival. ArtisticDirector: Hee-Churl Kim. Contact: WorldVision Korea Children's Choir, Tel: +82-2-2662 1803, Fax: +82-2-2661 2568, Email:[email protected] -Website: www.wvchoirfestival.or.kr

Taipei International Choral Festival, Taipei,Taiwan, 25 July-1 Aug 2010. 6 to 8 invitedchoirs from around the world, 20 localchoirs from Taiwan, world renowned choralconductors and scholars. Workshops forchoral singers, masterclass for conductors,lectures and session on choral music, sight-seeing tours. Contact: Taipei PhilharmonicFoundation, Tel: +886-2-27733961, Fax:+886-2-27733692, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.tpf.org.tw

Hong Kong International Youth &Children Choral Music Camp, Hong Kong,China, 26-31 July 2010. Artistic Director:Prof. Leon Shiu-wai Tong. Workshop andconcert holding in best venues. Attractiveaccommodation fee, selective touringarrangement. Contact: Hong Kong TrebleChoirs' Association, Tel: +852-2381 9262,Fax: +852-2380 7302, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.hktreblechoir.com

10th China International Chorus Festival,Beijing, China, 28 July-2 Aug 2010.Competition, concerts, workshops, culturalexchange programs on the theme "ForverFriends". For all kind of choirs. Contact:China International Chorus Festival, Tel:+86-10-8403 8225, Fax: +86-10-8403 8226,Email: [email protected] - Website:http://en.cicfbj.cn/

IHLOMBE South African Choral Festival,Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg &Game Park, South Africa, 28 July-9 Aug2010. In association with CHORISA, theChoral Institute of South Africa. 10 nights'hosted festival package. Festival including 24choral directors, 16 workshops, 12 concerts,1000 participants, and 2 new commissionseach year. Contact: Jayci Thomas, ClassicalMovements, Inc., Tel: +1-800-8820025,Email: [email protected] -Website: www.ClassicalMovements.com

24th Béla Bartók International ChoirCompetition and Folklore Festival,Debrecen, Hungary, 28 July-1 Aug 2010.The only competition in contemporarychoral music for five categories. The winnerof the Grand Prize will be invited to theCompetition for "The Grand Prix forEuropean Choral Music" held every yearalternately in Arezzo, Debrecen, Maribor,Tolosa, Tours and Varna. Folklore festival,world-premiers, church concerts, masterclasses and social meetings. Contact: FonixEvents Organizer NPO, Tel: +36-52-518400, Fax: +36-52-518404, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.bbcc.hu

8th International Choral Festival and 6thCompetition - The Singing World, St.Petersburg, Russia, 30 July-4 Aug 2010. Forchoirs and vocal ensembles of various styles,levels and origins from all over the world.Event promoting long-term contacts amongchoirs. Contact: International ChoralFestival and Competition, Tel: +7-812-3283921, Fax: +7-812-3283921, Email:[email protected] [email protected] - Website:www.interfestplus.ru orwww.singingworld.spb.ru

Festivals & Competitions

ICB Events

20th Choralies of Vaison-la-Romaine,France, 2-10 Aug 2010. Large non-competitive choir meeting in the beautifulRoman town of Vaison. 40 workshops forsingers, 2 workshops for conductors, 100concerts and all kinds of activities forparticipants and conductors. Internationalstudy tours for choral managers during thefestival. Contact: A Coeur Joie France, Tel:+33-4-72198340, Fax: +33-4-78434398,Email: [email protected] -Website: www.choralies.fr

World Peace Choral Festival Vienna 2010,Austria, 3-6 Aug 2010. Concerts,workshops, mass concert "singing for abetter world!". Contact: World Peace ChoralFestival, Tel: +43-1-2698 699-0, Fax: +43-1-2698 699-21, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.wpcf.at

1st Choir Competition Heart of Europe,Gelnhausen, Germany, 12-15 Aug 2010. 4categories, international jury, meeting andgala concerts, choir parties, workshops,awards. Please apply before: 31 Dec.Contact: 1st Heart of Europe ChoirCompetition, Organization Committee,Rapahel Trageser, Tel: +49-174-279 3686,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.heartofeurope.de

Pécs Cantat 2010, Pécs, Hungary, 15-22Aug 2010. For choirs and individual singers.6 int'l workshops with focus on theHungarian composers: Kodály, Bartók andmore. Possible individual concerts for choirs,final workshop concerts, daily open singing.Contact: Pécs Cultural Centre, Tel: +36-72-510 655 - Website: www.pecscantat.hu

22nd Zimriya World Assembly of Choirs,Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel, 16-24Aug 2010. Open singing, choir to choirsessions, concerts. Workshops: AharonHarlap (Israel): Jewish and Israeli Music;Michael Gohl (Switzerland): Songs of allNations; Fred Sjöberg (Sweden): RomanticMusic; Anton Armstrong (USA): Afro-American Spirituals; Theodora Pavlovitch(Bulgaria): Rhythms from the Balkans to theJazz; Stanley Sperber (Israel): Mendelssohn -Psalm 42; Volker Hempfling (Germany):Mozart - Mass in C minor. Contact:ZIMRIYA, Tel: +972-3-6041808, Fax:+972-3-6041688, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.zimriya.org.il

6th International Choral Festival MarioBaeza, Valparaíso, V Región, Chile, 19-22Aug 2010. Non competitive Festival forchoirs in all categories. Apply before 31March. Contact: Waldo Aránguiz-Thompson, Tel: +56-2-6627689, Fax: +56-9-4917519, Email:[email protected] [email protected]

8th International Youth Chamber ChoirMeeting, Usedom Island (Baltic Sea),Germany, 20-29 Aug 2010. Girls' and youthchoirs, max 35 persons (incl. staff ). Age: 16-26. 3 Ateliers, concerts in churches and openair. Time to get to know each other on thebeautiful island of Usedom. Contact:Arbeitskreis Musik in der Jugend AMJ, Tel:+49-5331-46017, Fax: +49-5331-43723,Email: [email protected] -Website: www.amj-musik.de

Pannonia Cantat Youth Choir Festival2010, Kaposvar (Lake Balaton), Hungary,23-28 Aug 2010. For children (age 8-12),youth female (age 15-21), boy (age 8-21)and youth mixed (age 15-21) choirs.Contact: Pannonia Cantat Youth ChoirFestival, Tel: +36-20-284 0480, Fax: +36-1-577 2387, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.youthchoirfestival.org

Bohemia Cantat, Liberec, Czech Republic,26-29 Aug 2010. Non-competitive festivalfor individual singers or choirs. 6 workshopson various music styles (Czech choircomposition, jazz, spirituals, madrigals,folklore songs, overtone singing, etc).Contact: Bohemia Cantat Liberec, Tel:+420-322-507168, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.bohemiacantat.cz

1st NINA Griegfestival for Young Voices,Bergen, Norway, 14-17 Sep 2010. Choircompetiions for children's and youth choirs,workshops, concerts and events. Applybefore: 1 June 2010. Contact: Annlaug Hus,Tel: +47 55 56 38 65, Fax: +47 55 56 38 66,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.griegfestival.no

58th "Guido d'Arezzo" InternationalPolyphonic Competition, Arezzo, Italy, 15-19 Sep 2010. For amateur choral ensembles.Categories: Christian plainchant,polyphony, polyphony for children's voices,special competition, int'l choral festival offolksong. Contact: Competition secretariat,Tel: +39-0575-356203, Fax: +39-0575-324735, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.polifonico.org

International Choir Festival Tonen2000,Westland, Netherlands, 24-26 Sept 2010.Open to mixed choirs and ensembles up to36 non-professional members, male andfemale ensembles up to 24 non-professionalmembers (professional conductor preferred).Categories: sacred and secular music, MiddleAge, Renaissance, Romatic, Modern.Contact: Tonen2000, Jos Vranken, Tel: +31-174-245520, Fax: +31-174-245520, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.tonen2000.nl

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Suwon International Competition &Festival 2009, Suwon, Rep. of Korea, 4-9Oct 2010. For amateur mixed, male &female choirs of 20 or more singers (over age18). Apply before 24 July. Contact: SuwonInternational Choral Competition &Festival, Tel: +82-31-236 5533, Fax: +82-31-236 5523, Email: [email protected] Website: www.sicc2009.com

Rimini International Choral Competition,Italy, 7-10 Oct 2010. Competition for equalvoices, mixed, chamber, children, young,folk and Spiritual Choirs in the beautifuland ancient Town of Rimini. Possibility of asing Mass in The Renaissance Cathedral.Contact: Rimini International ChoralCompetition, Tel: +39-347-2573878,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.riminichoral.it

Festival Magic Mozart Moments, Salzburg,Austria, 7-10 Oct 2010. Voices from all overthe world and the Salzburg Cathedral Choir& Orchestra. Singers are required to havesung the performed piece before. Contact:Cultours Europe, Tel: +43-662-821310,Fax: +43-662-82131040, Email:[email protected] - Website: www.cultours-europe.com

International Choir Festival of Uruguay2010, Montevideo, Uruguay, 8-17 Oct2010. Concerts in different cities, galaconcerts including symphonic pieces,workshops, tourist activities. Apply before23 April. Contact: Infinito - RealizacionesCulturales , Tel: +598-2-9247798 or9247943, Fax: +598-2-9246326, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.infinitorc.com

4th Cantapueblo for Children Singing forEarth, Mendoza, Argentina, 12-16 Oct2010. For children choirs from around theworld. Exchange of cultural traditionsthrough choral singing as a means tostrengthen ties of brotherhood. Contact:CantaPueblo - La Fiesta Coral de América,Tel: +54-261-4295000, Fax: +54-261-4295000, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.cantapueblo.com.ar orwww.coppla.org.ar

Lago di Garda Music Festival, Italy, 14-18Oct 2010. International festival of music forchoirs and orchestras on Lake Garda.Contact: MusikReisenFaszination Chor- undOrchesterreisen, , Email: [email protected] - Website:www.lagodigarda-musicfestival.com

4th International Choir Festival CorearteBarcelona 2010, Spain, 18-24 Oct 2010.Non-competitive event open to choirs ofvarious backgrounds from all over the world.Performances and workshops. Contact:Festival Internacional de Coros CorearteBarcelona, Tel: +34-93-6350166, Email:[email protected] - Website: www.corearte.es

International Choral Espoo Festival, Espoo,Finland, 20-24 Oct 2010. Work on newmusic with the composers; activeparticipation of the audience. Artisticdirector: Club For Five (Finland). Contact:International ChoralEspoo, Tel: +358-50-385 1623, Fax: +358-9-81657500, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.kuoroespoo.fi

International Festival of Choirs CantusAngeli, Salerno, Italy, 20-24 Oct 2010.Friendly meeting between groups of variousmusical and territorial origins. Contact:International Festival of Choirs CantusAngeli, Tel: +39-3494295308, Fax: +39-089879917, Email: [email protected] Website: www.cantusangeli.com

6th International Robert Schumann ChoirCompetition, Zwickau, Germany, 20-24Oct 2010. Competition in differentcategories and difficulties. Contact:Interkultur Foundation, Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

International Choral Weekend VoicesUnlimited, Veldhoven, Netherlands, 22-24Oct 2010. For choirs with singers aged 15 to40. Categories: classical,pop/musical/gospel/jazz or close harmony/acapella. Contact: Voices Unlimited, Tel:+31-40-2545220, Fax: +31-40-2785449,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.voicesunlimited.eu

4th International Showcase for ChoirSinging Polyfollia 2010, La Manche,Normandy, France, 27 Oct-1 Nov 2010. Areference meeting point between the bestamateur choirs and promoters and organizersof festivals, music seasons, etc.... Plus a"choral festive party" open to all choirs.Contact: Polyfollia, Jacques Vanherle, Tel:+33-2-31736919, Fax: +33-2-31051590,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.polyfollia.org

Mediterranean Choir Contest, Palmanyola,Mallorca, Spain, 27-31 Oct 2010. Formixed choirs from all over the world.Contact: Festival de Corals Mediterrani, Tel:+34-971-617 361, Email: [email protected] - Website: http://fcm-mallorca.com

International Choir Festival it's oh so choir,Brussels, Belgium, 30-31 Oct 2010. Festivalfocusing on Scandinavian choral music.Reading sessions by various Europeanpublishers. Lecture on Danish choralliterature by Bo Holten. Festival guest:Sandra Miliken. Wokrhops "Singing withchildren" by Kurt Bikkembergs. Contact:Vlaamse Federatie van Jonge Koren -Koor&Stem, Tel: +32-9-2202484, Fax: +32-9-2202485, Email: info

22nd Cantapueblo - La Fiesta Coral deAmérica, Mendoza, Argentina, 2-7 Nov2010. Great Latin American festival open tomixed choirs, equal voices, mixed youthchoirs, chamber ensembles and other vocalgroups. Contact: Cantapueblo ArtisticDirector: Alejandro Scarpetta, Tel: +54-261-4295000, Fax: +54-261-4295000, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.mendoza.gov.ar or www.coppla.org.ar

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Alanya International Choir Festival, Alanya,Turkey, 3-7 Nov 2010. Four sections: "openair" performances (required), competition,folk music, pop music. Contact: AntalyaInternational Choir Festival, Tel: +90-242-316 4660, Email:[email protected] -Website: www.festivalantalya.com

9th International Festival "Coros en elBosque", Pinamar, Argentina, 5-7 Nov2010. Workshops on Argentinian and LatinAmerican folk music with NéstorAndrenacci and Ricardo Mansilla, for singersand/or conductors. Concerts byparticipating choirs, adults or youth choirs,mixed or equal voices. Contact: 9noEncuentro Coros en el Bosque - Pinamar2010, Martín Lettieri, Diego García Picasso,Tel: +54-114-7712316, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.corosenelbosque.com.ar

Miramar Canta 2010, Prov. de BuenosAires, Argentina, 6-7 Nov 2010. Non-competitive choral meeting for all kind ofchoirs. Contact: Miramar Canta, Tel: +54-11-47323983, Email:[email protected] [email protected] -Website: www.miramarcanta.com.ar

76 Winter Choral Festival at Hong KongDisneyland Resort, Hong Kong China, 6-10 Dec 2010. Be part of an enrichingmusical learning experience for choirsthrough workshops, performance andcompetition with Dr Eugene Rogers (USA)as artistic director. Contact: Winter ChoralFestival 2010, Tel: +65-6336-6518, Fax:+65-6338-8795, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.ravegroup.sg/winterchoralfest

Krakow Advent & Christmas ChoirFestival, Krakow, Poland, 10-12 Dec 2010.For all amateur choirs. Contact: ChoralSociety LIRA Varsovia Cantat, Tel: +48-22-641 6157, Fax: +48-22-641 6157, Email:[email protected] - Website:[email protected]

9th International Festival of Sacred MusicSilver Bells, Daugavpils, Latvia, 14-16 Jan2011. For children's, male, female, mixedchoirs, vocal ensembles and pop-musicsoloists. Contact: Silver Bells, Tel: +371-5476798, Fax: +371-5423601, Email:[email protected] or [email protected] -Website: www.silverbells.narod.ru

ACDA National Conference, Chicago,USA, 9-12 March 2011. ACDA will hold itbiennial conference for choral conductors.Included in the event will be choralperformances, interest sessions, readingsessions, the premier of the 2011 BrockCommission, networking, a trade show, andother special events. Contact: AmericanChoral Directors Association, Tel: +1-405-2328161, Fax: +1-405-2328162, Email:[email protected] - Website: http://acda.org

7th Palm Sunday Concerts, Portugal, 11-17Apr 2011. Guest Conductor: Jean-MariePuissant (France). No participation fee. Jointhis International sacred choir for a week andperform 5 concerts. Stay in private homes ofchoir singers. Meals will not be organized.Maximum 30 singers with singingexperience. A wonderful andemotional experience! Contact: Vox Laci,Myguel Santos e Castro, Tel: +351-938407985, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.voxlaci.com

3rd Antalya International Choir Festival,Antalya, Turkey, 13-17 Apr 2011. Foramateur choirs. Categories: female, male,mixed, children and youth choirs. Contact:Antalya International Choir Festival, Tel:+90-242-316 4660, Email:[email protected] -Website: www.festivalantalya.com

12th International Choir Festival, Tallinn,Estonia, 14-17 Apr 2011. Competition inEstonia concert hall and concerts in Tallinnchurches and concert houses. Apply before: 4Nov 2010. Contact: Eesti Kooriühing -Estonian Choral Society, Tel: +372-6-274451, Fax: +372-6274450, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.kooriyhing.ee

11th International Choral CompetitionMaribor 2011, Slovenia, 15-17 Apr 2011.Member of the European Grand Prix forChoral Singing Association (together withArezzo, Tours, Tolosa, Debrecen and Varna).For up to 12 selected choirs: female, maleand mixed with 16-48 singers (free mealsand accomodation). Non-competitive andthree competing programs (compulsory, freeand Grand Prix). Apply before: 22. Nov2010. Contact: Mihela Jagodic, JSKD, Tel:+386-1-2410525, Fax: +386-1-2410536,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.jskd.si

13th International Choir Competition,Budapest, Hungary, 17-21 Apr 2011.Competition in different categories anddifficulties for all types of choirs. Contact:Förderverein Interkultur, Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

5th Children’s Festival Vox Pueri, Cascais,Portugal, 18-21 Apr 2011. Non-competitivefestival for all kinds of children´s choirs withmany concerts and common singing.Contact: Vox Laci, Myguel Santos e Castro,Tel: +351-938407985, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.voxlaci.com

3rd International Festival Interfolk inRussia, St. Petersburg, Russia, 11-16 Nov2010. For folk groups, vocal andinstrumental ensembles, choirs and dancegroups of various styles, levels and originsfrom all over the world. Contact:International Choral Festival, Tel: +7-812-3283921, Fax: +7-812-3283921, Email:[email protected] or [email protected] Website: www.interfestplus.ru

6th International Warsaw Choir FestivalVarsovia Cantat, Warsaw, Poland, 12-14Nov 2010. For all amateur choirs. Contact:Choral Society LIRA Varsovia Cantat, Tel:+48-22-641 6157, Fax: +48-22-641 6157,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.varsoviacantat.pl

Cantapueblo Brasil 2010 - Vocal Tribute toBrazilian Music, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 16-21 Nov 2010. Non-competitive festival opento choirs and vocal groups. Performances,workshops socialization, cultural exchange,tourism and leisure. Contact: CantapuebloBrasil, Sergio Sansao, Tel: +55-21-38526877, Fax: +54-261-4201135, Email:[email protected]

The American International Choral FestivalSt. Louis 2010, Missouri, USA, 17/21 Nov2010. For all kinds of choirs from all aroundthe world. Contact: Interkultur Foundation,Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.interkultur.com

27th International Franz Schubert ChoirCompetition, Vienna, Austria, 24-28 Nov2010. For all kinds of choirs from all aroundthe world. Contact: Interkultur Foundation,Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.interkultur.com

International Festival of Advent andChristmas Music, Bratislava, SlovakRepublic, 2-5 Dec 2010. Competition,workshop, concerts in churches. Contact:Bratislava Choral Agency, Tel: +421-905-111827, Fax: +421-265-957054, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.choral-music.sk

Events


9th Venezia in Musica, Choir Competitionand Festival, Venice, Italy, 27 Apr-1 May2011. For all kinds of choirs from all aroundthe world. Contact: Interkultur Foundation,Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.interkultur.com

The American International Choral FestivalReno 2011, Nevada, USA, 4-8 May 2011.For all kinds of choirs from all around theworld. Contact: Interkultur Foundation,Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.interkultur.com

3rd International Choral CompetitionAnton Bruckner, Linz, Austria, 1-5 June2011. For all kinds of choirs from all aroundthe world. Contact: FördervereinInterkultur, Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax:+49-6403-956529, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

Harmonie Festival 2011, Limburg-Lindenholzhausen, Germany, 2-6 June2011. 14 different competitions for choirsand folk groups, concerts and folkperformances with an audience of up to4,000 people and the hospitality of a wholeregion. Contact: HarmonieLindenholzhausen, Tel: +49-6431-732 68,Fax: +49-6431-97 66 47, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.harmonie-festival.de

Tampere Vocal Music Festival, Tampere,Finland, 8-12 June 2011. Chorus review,contest, workshops, concerts. Contact:Tampere Sävel, Tampere Vocal MusicFestival, Tel: +358-20-7166172, Fax: +358-3-2230121, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.tampere.fi/vocal

12th International Chamber ChoirCompetition, Marktoberdorf, Germany,10-15 June 2011. Two categories: Mixed andfemale choirs (over 16 years old/ 36 singersmax.). Compulsory work for each category.Apply before Contact: Modfestivals,International Chamber Choir Competition,Tel: +49-8342-8964033, Fax: +49-8342-40370, Email: [email protected] -Website:www.modfestivals.org/iccc_ausschreibung_en.php

14th Alta Pusteria International ChoirFestival, Alto Adige-Südtirol, Italy, 22-26June 2011. Non-competitive festival in theheart of the Dolomites: concerts, open-airreviews, day-meetings. Contact: Alta PusteriaFestival Office, Tel: +39-06-33652422, Fax:+39-06-33652422, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.festivalpusteria.org

Serenade! Washington, DC Choral Festival,USA, 23-26 June 2011. Individual sharedchoir concerts in cathedrals, churches,schools, halls and National Monuments,workshops, choral evensong eervices inprestigious cathedrals, churches andbasilicas, sightseeing in Washington, DC,Alexandria, Baltimore and surroundingareas. Contact: Yarina, Classical Movements,Tel: +1-703-6836040, Fax: +1-703-6836045, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.ClassicalMovements.com

Sing A Mile High Children's ChoralFestival, Denver, CO, USA, 23-27 June2011. Rollo Dilworth, guest conductor.Non-competitive festival for Treble-voicedchoirs. Each choir will participate in massedchoir rehearsals and performance andindividually in the finale concert at theNewman Center for the Performing Arts atthe University of Denver. Contact: YoungVoices of Colorado, Tel: +1-303-7977464,Fax: +1-303-7940784, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.singamilehigh.org

7th International Cantus MM Festival ofSacred Music, Vienna, Austria, 24-27 June2011. Performing festival in Vienna andsurroundings. Contact: Chorus MM, Tel:+43-662-645972, Fax: +43-662-645972,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.chorus2000.com

12th International Cantus MM Choir andOrchestra Festival, Salzburg, Austria, 30June-3 July 2011. 10 selected choruses ororchestras of any age and composition (alsodance groups). Performances in Salzburg andsurroundings. Contact: Chorus MM, Tel:+43-662-874537, Fax: +43-662-874537-30,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.chorus2000.com

4th Musica Sacra a Roma, Italy, 2-6 July2011. Competition in different categoriesand difficulties. Contact: FördervereinInterkultur, Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax:+49-6403-956529, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

Summa Cum Laude International YouthMusic Festival, Vienna, Austria, 2-6 July2011. Cross-cultural and musical exchangeevent including workshops, lectures,seminars, concerts in and around Vienna,competition with an international and highlyrenowned jury. Contact: Summa Cum LaudeYouth Music Festival, Tel: +43-650-6192152, Fax: +43-1-968 5750, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.sclfestival.org

Songs of the World - Coastal SoundInternational Choral Festival, Vancouver,BC, Canada, 4-9 July 2011. GuestConductors: Rollo Dilworth & Henry Leck.Imagine these 2 conductors leading yourChildren’s Choir/Boy Choir/Girl Choir oryour SATB Youth Choir at the same festivalfeaturing these voicings in separaterepertoire, and also, exciting massed works.Concert places in multicultural downtownVancouver and surrounding areas. Contact:Coastal Sound International Choral Festival,Tel: +1-604-469-5973, Fax: +1-604-469-5974, Email: [email protected] Website: www.coastalsoundmusic.com

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Festival 500 Sharing the Voices, St. John's,Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, 6-13July 2011. International non-competitivechoral festival featuring multipleperformance opportunities and workshopsfor choirs as well as individual “Come Solo”participants. New for 2011: our ProfessionalDevelopment Program for small vocalensembles. Deadline for choir and smallvocal ensemble applications is June 18,2010. Contact: Festival 500 Sharing theVoices, Tel: +1-709-7386013, Fax: +1-709-7386014, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.festival500.com

7th International Johannes Brahms ChoirFestival & Competition, Wernigerode,Germany, 6-10 July 2011. Competition indifferent categories and difficulties. Contact:Interkultur Foundation, Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

International Choir Festival of Preveza,International Competition of Sacred Music,Preveza, Greece, 7-11 July 2011. For mixed,equal voices', children's, chamber vocalensembles, mixed youth choirs & choirs ofByzantine chant. Repertory must include acompulsory piece, a piece composed before1800, a piece composed during 1800 - 1950,a piece composed after 1950 & a folk songfrom the choir's country of origin. Contact:Choral Society "Armonia" of Prevesa, Tel:+30-2682-024915, Fax: +30-2682-029852,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.choralpreveza.gr

Cantus Salisburgensis International Choirand Orchestra Summer Festival, Salzburg,Austria, 7-10 July 2011. Kaleidoscope ofNations and cultures interacting in the cityof W.A. Mozart´s birth. Contact: CultoursCarl Pfliegler, Tel: +43-662-821310, Fax:+43-662-82131040, Email:[email protected] - Website: www.cultours-europe.com or www.cantussalisburgensis.at

1st World Choir Championships, Graz,Austria, 10-17 July 2011. For youth andyoung adults choirs from all over the world.Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

2nd Grand Prix of Choral Music, Graz,Austria, 10-17 July 2011. Choirs which aresinging on a high level but don’t have a longlasting experience in competitions or haven’ttaken part in international competitions fora long time get the chance to give a concerton the spot to qualify for the Grand Prix.Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

29th International Music Festival,Cantonigròs, Spain, 14-17 July 2011.Competition and exhibition of music formixed choir, female voices, children’s choirand popular dances. Contact: Anna Jover &Joana Gonzal - FIMC 2010, Tel: +34-93-2326444, Fax: +34-93-2463603, Email:[email protected] - Website: www.fimc.es

Rhapsody! Children’s Music Festival,Prague, Czech Republic and Vienna &Salzburg, Austria, 14-25 July 2011. Withguest conductor Joan Gregoryk.Participating choirs will perform at famousvenues in three of Europe's most musical andhistorical cities: Vienna, Salzburg, andPrague, highlighted by the Grand FinalConcert. Choirs will enjoy a workshop,musical exchanges and sightseeing tours.Contact: Zhongjie Shi, ClassicalMovements, Inc., Tel: +1-703-6836040,Fax: +1-703-6836045, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.ClassicalMovements.com

Istanbul International ChorusCompetition, Istanbul, Turkey, 20-25 July2011. For children, female, male, mxedchoirs and folk groups. Contact: IstanbulHarman Folklor, Tel: +90-216-3461354,Fax: +90-216-3461308, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.harmanfolk.com

Melodia! South American Music Festival,Buenos Aires, Argentina and Rio de Janeiro,Brazil, 21 July-2 Aug 2011. Guestconductor: Francisco Nuñez. Acceptingapplications from youth and children'schoirs (treble and mixed voices), as well asyouth orchestras. Outstanding artisticexperiences are combined with once-in-a-lifetime cultural and outreach opportunities.Contact: Alessandra D’Ovidio, ClassicalMovements, Inc., Tel: +1-703-6836040,Fax: +1-703-6836045, Email:[email protected] -Website: www.ClassicalMovements.com

IHLOMBE South African Choral Festival,Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg &Game Park, South Africa, 27 July-8 Aug2011. In association with CHORISA, theChoral Institute of South Africa. Travel toCape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg & aGame Park. Concerts, individual and sharedwith top South African Choirs, Workshops,African drumming, dancing, and singing.Contact: Jayci Thomas, ClassicalMovements, Inc., Tel: +1-800-8820025,Email: [email protected] -Website: www.ClassicalMovements.com

9th World Symposium on Choral Music,Puerto Madryn, Patagonia, Argentina, 3-10Aug 2011. Organized by the CICFoundation in cooperation with ADICORA.Motto: "Singing in Nature". Contact: , Tel:+54-2965-439232, Email: [email protected] Website: www.wscm9.com

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A Coeur Joie FranceAlta PusteriaAmerican Choral Directors Association ACDAChoral Society “Armonia” of PrevezaClassical Movements, Inc.Distinguished Concerts International New YorkFörderverein InterkulturInternational Choral Competition of HabanerasSmall World MUSICFOLDER.comSwedish International Choral Center Örebro SWICCO

p 62p 51p 69p 10p 45, 55 & 80p 63p 40 & 54p 75p 73p 4

A regularly up-dated list of all events may befound on our website: www.ifcm.net

7th International Choral Festival "San JuanCoral 2011", Argentina, 11-16 Aug 2011.Non competitive choral festival organizedby Universidad Católica de Cuyo´s Choir for8-10 selected mixed, female, male andchamber choirs. Each choir will participatein massed choir rehearsals and performanceand individual concerts at the AuditorioJuan Victoria. Concerts, lectures andworkshops for choirs, singers andconductors. Contact: María Elina Mayorga,Tel: +54-264-4234284, Fax: +54-264-4234284, Email:[email protected] [email protected] - Website:www.sanjuancoral.com.ar

11th International Choir Contest ofFlanders, Maasmechelen, Belgium, 23-25Sep 2011. Limited to ensembles from 12 to40 equal voices and 16 to 40 mixed voices.Contact: International Choir Contest ofFlanders, Gert Vanderlee, Tel: +32-89-769668, Fax: +32-89-721815, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.ikv-maasmechelen.be

9th In... Canto Sul Garda, Riva del Garda,Italy, 13-17 Oct 2011. Competition indifferent categories and difficulties. Contact:Interkultur e.V., Tel: +49-6403-956525,Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

Festival Magic Mozart Moments, Salzburg,Austria, 13-16 Oct 2011. Voices from allover the world and the Salzburg CathedralChoir & Orchestra. Singers are required tohave sung the performed piece before.Contact: Cultours Europe, Tel: +43-662-821310, Fax: +43-662-82131040, Email:[email protected] - Website: www.cultours-europe.com

4th International Choir Competition andFestival, Malta, 3-7 Nov 2011. Open to allcategories. Contact: FördervereinInterkultur, Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax:+49-6403-956529, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

7th International Warsaw Choir FestivalVarsovia Cantat, Warsaw, Poland, 4-6 Nov2011. For all amateur choirs. Contact:Choral Society LIRA Varsovia Cantat, Tel:+48-22-641 6157, Fax: +48-22-641 6157,Email: [email protected] - Website:www.varsoviacantat.pl

28th International Franz Schubert ChoirCompetition, Vienna, Austria, 16-20 Nov2011. For all kinds of choirs from all aroundthe world. Contact: Interkultur Foundation,Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email: [email protected] -Website: www.interkultur.com

Krakow Advent & Christmas ChoirFestival, Krakow, Poland, 9-11 Dec 2011.For all amateur choirs. Contact: ChoralSociety LIRA Varsovia Cantat, Tel: +48-22-641 6157, Fax: +48-22-641 6157, Email:[email protected] - Website:[email protected]

Summa Cum Laude International YouthMusic Festival, held in the Musikverein inVienna, Austria, 1-5 July 2012. Cross-cultural and musical exchange eventincluding workshops, lectures, seminars,concerts in and around Vienna, competitionwith an international and highly renownedjury. Contact: Summa Cum Laude YouthMusic Festival, Tel: +43-650-619 2152, Fax:+43-1-968 5750, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.sclfestival.org

7th World Choir Games, Cincinnati(Ohio), USA, 4-14 July 2012. WCG takingplace in the USA for the first time. The cityof Cincinnati, situated on the borderline ofthe US states of Ohio and Kentucky, has along cultural tradition including the oldestongoing choral festival in the world. Forchoirs from all over the world. Contact:Interkultur Foundation, Tel: +49-6403-956525, Fax: +49-6403-956529, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.interkultur.com

Europa Cantat Festival 2012, Turin, Italy,27 July-5 Aug 2012. Spectacular vocalfestival with participants from Europe andbeyond. Workshops by internationalconductors in all vocal genres. Open singing,concerts: sing & listen, internationalcontacts. Contact: Europa Cantat Festival2012, Tel: +49-228-9125663, Fax: +49-228-9125658, Email:[email protected] - Website:www.ectorino2012.it

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