Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus: Tour of Brazil
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
tour •notes Performing Arts News from Around the World 2002/2003 AUCKLAND Glen Ellyn Children’s BARCELONA BERLIN Chorus: Tour of Brazil LONDON by Lori Sommars, Tour Participant MELBOURNE light attendants, prepare for of beauty, mystery, and delight. takeoff.” With that, the plane Our first introduction to local culture MOSCOW “ began to speed down the came with a visit to a churrascaria, a F NEW YORK runway, gaining momentum with Brazilian barbeque restaurant. After PARIS each passing second. A great filling our plates at a salad bar, we rush of air filled the passen- returned to our tables for the next PORTLAND stage of dinner. A small army of gers’ ears as the plane left the PRAGUE familiar soil, and set a course waiters bustled around us, each SAN FRANCISCO for Brazil. Forty-five eager young one offering a different cut of faces leaned toward the nearest meat. We were surrounded by every- SEATTLE thing from pork to filet mignon, and the windows, unable to conceal their hardest part was turning them down ST PETERSBURG excitement. The Glen Ellyn Children’s when our stomachs were full. VENICE Chorus was airborne, headed for a land (Continued on Page 8) PLU CHORAL UNION’S No MSG Group Highlights FIRST INTERNATIONAL TOUR Tours China: Washington Chorus An interview with Judy Roberts, Page 2 he Pacific Lutheran We had about 400 people University Choral attend. We practically gave Tour Manager for the University Siberia Union spent two away all our programs at of California Alumni Chorus Page 2 T brazilweeks in Central Europe the first concert. People Can you give me some background on Adventure in on its first international from all over the world the history of University of California Scotland attended to benefit the Page 3 tour. Alumni Chorus (UCAC), how long ACFEA organized cathedral. It was really you’ve been involved in the choir, and Stetson University their first concert in great.” Page 3 why you enjoy it? The World Harp Vienna’s cathedral, the The Chorus was formed in 1985 by Congress invited the Choral William & Mary Stephansdom, to benefit a group of about 25 alumni who had Page 4 its restoration Union to come to Geneva and perform in St. Peter’s Miami University program. Page 5 “Finding out Cathedral. Nance’s compo- that we were sition for choir, soloists, Cascade Youth Symphony one of a very organ, percussion and harp, Page 6 select number entitled Mass for a New of ensembles Millennium, was a great North Dakota success. Nance says, “It was State chosen to previously sung as undergraduates at Page 6 the biggest thrill of all to Richard Nance perform in the the University of California, Berkeley. sing this Mass on tour. The Overseas Staff Stephansdom At a reunion they decided they wanted choir grew to love it and Page 10 was a real highlight,” says to keep singing. About ten of the conductor Richard Nance. sang it so emotionally; it North American founding members still sing with the Staff “It was so well promoted. went over big everywhere Page 11 (Continued on Page 8) (Continued on Page 12) The Washington Chorus Tours Germany and Austria his could easily have been the tour that never happened; the TGrammy award winning Washington Chorus almost had their touring plans hampered by world events. During the summer of 2001, much work was done — particularly in securing a concert in Vienna’s Stephansdom — with the aim of announcing the details to the chorus members when they reconvened on September 10. However, the following day all thoughts of touring were for- gotten, as the chorus worried about their many members who worked at the Pentagon and began to plan their participation in several memorial con- certs. “I think that the best thing to do at this point is wait.” Wise words from Basilica of the Benedictine Abbey in Ottobeuren, Germany Dianne Peterson, Executive Director of The Washington Chorus, which echoed (Continued on Page 4) Q&A Choir from Maine Tours Siberia: An Interview with Anthony Antolini, Director, Down East Singers and Bowdoin Chorus This was your second tour to comfortable and user friendly. They are opposed to having a committee of volun- Russia, but this time you includ- learning the art of hospitality; we expect- teers take on such a task. ed Siberia. What differences did ed a far more primitive country than we Q found. I understand your choir sang a your choir experience this time around as Liturgy in Church Slavonic. How opposed to 1988? As a Choir Director, are you Qdifficult is it for you to arrange The political system is entirely dif- personally involved with the something like that in a foreign tongue? ferent and that affected our choir Qfundraising necessary to take It is my specialty. I have worked because we could now sing your choir to Russia? A for years with Russian choral lan- sacred music; it isn’t against the law any- Yes, directly responsible. We guage. I write the language out more — a huge difference. Audiences are A raised approximately $95,000 and phonetically for them to sing and the now well acquainted with sacred music. I feel that the Director has to be results are extremely gratifying. The food is much more plentiful now and A directly involved in that process as hotel accommodations are much more (Continued on Page 9) 2 acfea Adventure in Scotland: Prospect Presbyterian Church Choir ith their new baseball caps Toronto Children’s and robes the Prospect Chorus sings Mahler 8 WPresbyterian Church Choir scotlandwith Simon Rattle (PPCC) from Maplewood, New Jersey set for BBC in London’s off for Scotland. Home to John Knox, Albert Hall the founder of Presbyterianism, We loved our tour! I send you my Scotland is a haven for Presbyterians thanks for organizing a tour that the world wide, and with good reason. As When asked to describe a typical children will remember all of their these choristers soon found out, the lives, and I do look forward to work- day-in-the-life for a touring choir, ing with you again. Scots were quick to welcome them. the PPCC Tour Coordinator Gene Before their concert in the beauti- Zielinski sums it up this way: Jean Ashworth Bartle, Artistic Director ful 12th-century St. Fillian’s Church in Aberdour, members of the choir visited • Up early (again) STETSON UNIVERSITY the church parishioners’ homes. There • Continental breakfast, with haggis (again) the PPCC choristers were treated to a CONCERT CHOIR light supper, in addition to the lovely • Beautiful scenery, beautiful hills, beautiful flowers, TAKES ON EUROPE company of their hosts. Such an evening beautiful seascape (again) of fine food, drink and stories will for- • Old buildings, old streets, old by Lindy Eller, Tour Participant ever remain with them as a sign of the history; when does new begin? This summer I took the dream vaca- camaraderie both cultures share. One • “That’s the new wing of the tion of a lifetime. The Stetson University tour cathedral, it wasn’t finished until Concert Choir, led by Dr. Duncan Couch, member the 1750’s” (again) went on a two-week tour of Europe. even • We need to get to rehearsal; we After a full year of planning and remarked found the church; we’re there on fundraising for the trip, the 37 member that the time (again) group performed five concerts at five dif- festive • We feel welcome (again) ferent venues. The itinerary singing • We perform; the audience of the tour included vis- and applauds; we feel appreciated (again) iting: Prague, Vienna, dancing often experienced during • Dinner: food, drink, sometimes Salzburg, Lucerne, their ACFEA tour reminded them of song — good feelings (again) Garmish- hoe-downs in the south! • Bus ride home with a trusty Partenkirchen and The choir gave a recital in Iona driver — we make it alive (again) Freiburg, and Paris. Abbey, during which a smaller group of • Back to the hotel — The primary singers performed an a cappella piece, “Is this the same one we were in purpose of our trip Kyrie (written for PPCC by Timothy last night?” was to make music Brumfield, the organist at the Cathedral • We’re tired, we fall asleep, we’re and share it with others of St. John the Divine). This special happy (again). around the world. piece was seemingly made for the Performing in the most awe-inspiring chapel’s acoustics. According to tour locations, the choir sang works by member Tim Welles, Brahms, Victoria, and Stanford, as well as “Visiting the tiny Isle of many African-American Spirituals. Iona was the highlight of Stetson student conductors were given the tour.” Tim used his free the opportunity to lead the ensemble in time to explore the island Vasiliauskaite’s Missa Brevis. Many stu- by bicycle riding from one dent soloists were featured in the con- end to the other: “It is a certs, as well. perfect picture of Scotland. A musical highlight of the tour for I will always carry it with (Continued on Page 8) me.” I .com 3 William & Mary Orchestra Plays for Sicily n May, 2002, the College of William tiful flowers to Noto, where working together on such a community members partici- community effort.” and Mary Orchestra (from pate in arranging and placing According to Michael, Williamsburg, Virginia) embarked I the flowers along the main “Before we went on this on their first international tour. Led by street, creating a large and tour, nobody really knew director Wes Kenny, the group spent six fragrant work of art. anybody. I knew the people nights on the island of Sicily, in the Commenting on this that I sat next to [in the towns of Acireale, flower festival, tour orchestra], and I knew their Noto and Palermo.