Musical gifts for everyone
A colorful Opening Concert in Monterey promises breathtaking festival moments
"On behalf of INTERKULTUR and its President, Mr Günter Titsch and on behalf of the City of Monterey and the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, I would like to welcome you and especially all participating choirs, conductors and singers that have come to Monterey for the 1st “Golden State Choral Trophy".
These words by Johan Rooze, Artistic Director of the festival and jury member, welcomed all the choral friends that followed the organizer’s invitation to officially open the Golden State Choral Trophy festival in the evening of November 20.
Sunday night at 7pm, the Pacific Grove Performing Arts Center was well-filled. 50 young singers gradually entered the stage and stunned the audience for the first time. "Music Down in My Soul": With their conductor Elena Sharkova, the "Cantabile Youth Singers" spread a warm and fuzzy feeling among the audience, which deeply got under the skin. A successful start in the evening promising further moving moments!
Endless cheers and roaring applause reached its volume peak during the performance of "We are Family" sung by the Bay Area Showcase Chorus (directed by Julie Starr) from Monterey. The only non-American choirs of the evening, the ensembles Vox Singers and Positive Vibrations from Poland presented, among others, pop music sung in their native language. A lovely greeting from Europe being worth the long journey!
This evening the audience was not only presented musical gifts, but also received wise words by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, presented by Morten Lauridsen, Artistic Honorary President of INTERKULTUR. As in many of his speeches, Lauridsen created a connection to his music with the help of recitatives. One of Rilke's poems, for example, served as a model for the composition "Chanson Eloignee", which will be sung in the competition by the participating choir "East Central University Chorale".
"Oh distant song, lyre supreme,
giving itself only to one who fervently
and without rest bears and endures
the long sweet martyrdom of your endeavor,
O song born last to complete
the unended childhood, yesterday's heart.
When all I wanted was to sing,
I was granted
the honor of living."
Rainer Maria Rilke, Translation: Diana Rand Fairclough
A Singing Together medley of American pop songs with all participating choirs was not only a successful conclusion, but rather a symbol of the Golden State Choral Trophy uniting all voices in one - a motto that will accompany the whole festival.
Please find a small audio impression here.
