A Gala Concert with an outstanding program
Finish Folklore, chants of the Maori and on top of this Country and Blues
Yesterday the Gala Concert in the Gesellschaftshaus Magdeburg was announced as a highlight of the „2nd European Choir Games & Grand Prix of Nations”. Rightly! Three choirs from Finland, New Zealand and the USA presented choral music at its best. From finish Folklore and music from New Zealand to Country and Blues from the USA - different styles of choral music were presented.
The choir Naiskuoro Timotei showcased traditional choral dresses from Finland. In addition to dance-like passages, loud calls and whispers, the singers also used the acoustics of the concert hall for their performance: some singers placed themselves on the backside of the hall and sung with full power. Due to this position a Dolby surround sound was created, which found its climax in the center of the concert hall.
The Fundamentals is a mixed chamber choir of students aged 14 to 18 from Rangitoto College in Auckland, New Zealand. Singing in the Maori style they performed a powerful dance, which focused on the quick hand-moves. The face of one singer had been painted with ornaments and she wore a traditional dress.
Especially one performance moved the audience to the New Zealand landscape. The singers started to sing in close ranges of tones one after another, whereby a special sound carpet was created, which reminded of a bee buzzing. The New Zealand soundscape of nature and animals were imitated by the usage of single accents, clapping, whistles and other sounds made by their voices. With seemingly threatening words shouted by the pitches of tenor and bass the journey into the world of the Maori ended.
The last choir of the evening University of Houston Moores School Concert Chorale from the United States brought the life of cowboys to Magdeburg. In proper style they intoned with a harmonica. „If You’re Gonna Play in Texas, You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band”, a kind of country-song, which was arranged by Paul Hart, made the audience imagine cowboys, how they sit together in a Texas bar, make music and celebrate life. The playing of the fiddles and the plucking of the contrabass were perfectly imitated by the female and men voices (“deididelei”). The American singers also knew how to sing a Blues Song with a powerful chest voice and accompanied by haunting bass lines and finger snapping. „Fever” was originally sung by Little Willie John, but has often been covered. With a thunderous applause the audience and the other choirs declared the choral version as phenomenal!
Due to the artistically ambitious repertoire all three choirs made the Gala Concert being an unforgettable experience. More impressions can you see in a short video!
We are looking forward to the last Gala Concert on Friday July 9, 2015 with choirs from the Netherlands, Turkey and China in the Gesellschaftshaus at 19:30 h! Tickets are still available!
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