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Saturday 18th April sees Tenebrae return to Switzerland give the closing concert of the 45th International Choral Festival of Montreux.
During the Festival amateur choirs from around the world compete for the various prizes – the ‘Prix du Jury, the ‘Prix du Public’, the ‘Prix des œuvres imposées’ (compulsory pieces) or the ‘Prix du meilleur programme et de son interprétation’ (best programme and interpretation).
On the Saturday afternoon the choirs all gather to receive the results, the trophies and their prizes and give a combined concert during the afternoon.
This is followed in the evening by a traditional ‘Gala Concert’ given by a specially invited professional choir and for the second time Tenebrae has the honour to give this performance in the magnificent Auditorium Stravinsky in the centre of Montreux (a town with a rich musical history heritage; the Montreux Jazz Festival, Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke on the Water’, long time resident Freddy Mercury, the recording of Queen, David Bowie and many others).
This year the programme includes some Russian repertoire which showcases the beauty and power of the choral music of composers such as Rachmaninov, Chesnokov and Tchaikovsky (and features the renowned ‘low bass-line’ of Tenebrae’s male singers).
The choir will also perform parts of the ground-breaking 17-part choral masterpiece ‘Path of Miracles’ by Joby Talbot (of ‘The Divine Comedy’ fame). This work was commissioned by Tenebrae in 2005 and takes the listener on a journey along the route of the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. It is one of the most challenging a cappella works known to modern choirs and calls for many unusual and vituoso vocal techniques.
[for more details see diary section or visit www.choralfestival.ch]
Following a number of very successful tours in Spain (including most notably the ‘Path of Miracles Tour’ in venues along the route of the famous pilgrimage Santiago de Compostella) Tenebrae will return to various parts of Spain throughout 2009 and further establish its reputation as one of Europe’s leading choral ensembles.
These visits begin with an evening concert of Victoria, Tallis and Lobo for the Zamora Festival on Saturday 28th March.
A week later Tenebrae returns, this time to Cuenca, for a morning concert in the Iglesia de la Merced (11h00). The programme includes the Tallis ‘Lamentations’, Palestrina’s Stabat Mater and ‘Sobre un xtasis de alta contemplacin’ by Jonathan Harvey. At 13h00 the choir move to the Cathedral to participate in the Sunday Liturgy with Alonso Lobo’s ‘Missa Maria Magdalene’
‘Choeurs de Lumière’
Friday 14 and Saturday 15 November 2008 at 19h30
Cathedral St-Pierre, Geneva
Tickets & CD sales: Plain Chant, 40 rue du Stand, 1204 Geneva, tel. +41 (0)22 329 54 46 www.plainchant.ch:
TENEBRAE performs choral music by Tavener, Poulenc, Rachmaninov plus a world premiere performance of ‘A la Liberté’ by Pierre Thilloy:
in support of foundation ARES:
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‘Choeurs de Lumière’
vendredi 14 et samedi 15 novembre 2008 à 19h30
Cathédrale St-Pierre, Genève
Vente de billets et CDs: Plain Chant, 40 rue du Stand, 1204 Genève, tel. +41 (0)22 329 54 46 www.plainchant.ch:
TENEBRAE chantera des œuvres chorales de Tavener, Poulenc, Rachmaninov, ainsi qu’une première mondiale ‘A la Liberté’ de Pierre Thilloy:
en soutien de la fondation ARES:
TENEBRAE will have a stand at the EXPAT-EXPO this Sunday (12 October) at the Palexpo in Geneva to promote its charity concert project ‘Choeurs de Lumiere’.
As it says on their website [www.expat-expo.info/Geneva.html] “the Expat-Expo is not just for expats! We welcome all visitors to come to an exhibition that guarantees to enhance your lifestyle in Switzerland…whether you are here for a week or a lifetime… join us for a day of discovery!”
“In the space of an afternoon, you will find important goods and services such as doctors, accountants and lawyers, schools and day-care, clubs and churches, even specialty food items and much more.”
We would like to agree that Tenebrae’s amazing and unique ‘Choeurs de Lumiere’ project in Geneva Cathedral will certainly enhance anyone’s experience of the City and leave them with a lasting memory of one of the most moving musical evenings of a lifetime. These events are for everyone not just classical music lovers and the Expat Expo is your chance to discover more about them!
To find out more, meet us, watch the brand new and exclusive DVD or even purchase your tickets for one of these two special charity concerts come and see us at our stand.
3rd Expat-Expo Geneva
Palexpo, Hall 7
Sunday October 12th, 2008
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Free admission!
‘Choeurs de Lumiere’ is in support of the Vaud Charity ‘ARES’ (Actions Recherche Enfant Sida) www.ares-sida.ch/choeurs.htm
1. In the early 1930s Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote two Welsh folk songs for the Gregynog Choir. These commissions were never performed and Tenebrae have been invited to Premiere them at the 75th Anniversary Year of the Gwyl Gregynog Festival. The two folk songs are ‘Gan mlynedd i ‘nawr’ and Tros y mor’ and will be part of the concert at the Music Hall in Gregynog on 15th June.
2. Welsh-born composer Hilary Tann has also been commissioned to write a piece to mark the occasion of the Festival’s anniversary celebrations. This World Premiere will comprise part of the same Tenebrae concert. ‘Paradise’ sets the text of the George Herbert poem.
3. Tenebrae’s summer season of Premieres continues with the launch of a new project entitled ‘Rhenus Fluvius’ (music by Nigel Short and libretto by the Swiss poet Jurg Fankhauser). The opening movement will receive its first performance at the City of London Festival on the 30th June in the beautiful venue of Merchant Taylor Hall. The work follows the progression of the river Rhine from its source to the sea, visiting peoples, places, languages and folklores along the way. It is due for completion in 2009 and will be toured in Europe thereafter.
4. As the year heads towards a close and the darker evenings set in, Tenebrae will return to Geneva for their annual ‘Choeurs de Lumière’ concerts. Illuminated solely by the gradual lighting of thousands of candles these concerts have become an annual pilgrimage for hundreds of concert-goers in the Swiss-Romande area. This year Tenebrae is delighted that renowned French composer Pierre Thilloy will write a piece specifically for these extraordinary concerts. The World Premiere and subsequent performance will be on the 14th and 15th November 2008 respectively in Geneva Cathedral.