Welcoming the World in 20 Languages
As I mentioned in my first post, I’m exited to be working on Welcome the World: A Choral Gala, the 4-choir extravaganza presented with Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. Chor Leoni has been rehearsing our selections since we resumed after the Christmas break and they sound terrific. I’m particularly happy that we’ve resurrected a piece by Seppo Paakunainen that makes terrific use of overtone singing. I think it’s going to be mind-blowing when performed in St. Andrew’s-Wesley!
Assembling a concert program shared by 4 very different choirs (2 professional, 2 considered amateur only because their singers aren’t paid, 2 equal voiced, 2 mixed voiced, and all of them of differing sizes) was a challenge, and I’m glad that I could leave that aspect of the show up to Morna Edmundson, Artistic Director of Elektra. She’s a terrific organizer as you’ll see!
- 30 works programmed, all a cappella (unaccompanied)
- 21 works written by living composers
- 20 languages
- 10 works by Canadian composers/arrangers
I’m particularly proud of the Canadian content on the programme and that over 2/3 of the works are by living composers. I think it shows the vitality of choral music in general and the strength of Canada’s vibrant choral scene. While we’ve used the 20 languages as a hook that looks impressive, any choral singer I know regularly sings in a plethora of tongues (some of which are made up!) There’s 2 such pieces on the programme listed below, and Canadian composers/arrangers are in red.
Welcome the World: A Choral Gala
Tuesday, February 9 @ 7:30 pm
St. Andrews-Wesley United Church
Burrard & Nelson, Vancouver, BC
tickets $35 from Ticketmaster and at the door
Programme
Around the World in 15 Minutes
language title composer
English Welcome Here trad. Shaker tune, arr. Robert de Cormier (b.1922)
Haida Welcome Song trad. Haida
German Die Nachtigall Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)
Swedish Sommarpsalm Waldemar Åhlén (1894 – 1982)
Estonian Where did you sleep last night? Veljo Tormis (b. 1930)
Chinese Fengyang Ge trad. Anhi, arr. Chen Yi (b. 1953)
Korean Arirang trad. arr. Robert De Cormier (b. 1922)
Croatian Dobri Denek trad. arr. Emil Coessetto (1918 – 2006)
Wolof Kaki Lambe trad. arr. Brian Tate (b. 1954)*
Elektra Women’s Choir, Morna Edmunson, Artistic Director
Latin Ave Maria David MacIntyre (b.1952)*
English Music for a While Henry Purcell arr. Gunnar Eriksson (b. 1936)
Inuktitut Snowforms R. Murray Schafer (b. 1933)*
Latin Dona Nobis Pacem Ko Matsushita (b. 1962)
Vancouver Chamber Choir, Jon Washburn, Conductor and Artistic Director
Chinese Chinese Melodies trad., arr. Jon Washburn (b.1942)*
Japanese Sakura trad., arr. Jon Washburn
Indonesian Sapu Tangan Shin-ichiro Ikebe (b. 1943)
Tango to Evora Loreena McKennitt (b. 1957)*
Spanish En la Macarenita Bob Chilcott (b. 1955)
Russian Bogoroditse Djevo Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
English Lay a Garland Robert Pearsall (1795 – 1856)
Inuktitut Inuit Hunting Song Derek Healey (b. 1936)*
Spanish Son de la Loma Miguel Matamoros, arr. Jonathan Quick (b. 1970)*
French Mon Pays Gilles Vigneault, arr. Marianne de Kleer (b.1969)*
Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, Diane Loomer, Artistic Director
Zulu Wimoweh Chant by Solomon Linda, arr. Ron Smail (b. 1950)*
Dalvi duoddar luohti trad. Lapp, arr. Seppo Paakkunainen (b.1943)
Russian Spaseniye trad., arr. Pavel Chesnokov (1877 – 1944)
Czech Selection from Zornicka Jaroslav Kricka (1882 – 1969)
French Trinque l’amourette trad. French Canadian, arr. Guy Isabelle*
Spanish La Cucaracha Mexican folk song, arr. Robert Sund (b. 1942)
Massed Choirs
Welcome Here (reprise)
Vive l’amour trad. college song, arr. Robert Shaw and Alice Parker
*Canadian composers and arrangers
