Blog: Choral & Current

Thank You, Hirvo & Revalia!

November 22, 2009 | 9:58 AM

The Bridge of Song Chor Leoni shared with Revalia this past Saturday was an amazing experience. The choirs met that afternoon to rehearse together, sing through some music together, and to sing for each other. It was an amazing experience to hear Revalia sing. Their inspiring conductor, Hirvo Surva, was also a joy to work with as he rehearsed us on the combined repertoire the two choirs would present that evening.

We opened the concert with both choirs singing Ave Maris Stella, an old Chor Leoni favourite arranged by Diane Loomer. For this performance of it we were conducted by baritone, Les Nerling. The following video on YouTube shows us rehearsing the piece, as well as Revalia singing a piece for the appreciative lions.

p.s. By the end of the evening's concert many of us were convinced that, though they are from Estonia, they are also from "Astoundia!"

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKGWQsMy1xM

Revalia Male Chamber Choir

Bruce Hoffman, second tenor

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Olympic Torch Road Trip

November 16, 2009 | 10:25 AM

I went on a great choral road-trip with a few Chor Leoni singers on Sunday November 1! We drove to Vancouver Island to sing with Timbre! Choir for the Olympic torch ceremonies in Port Alberni and Tofino. Because of commitments on the 31st and the 2nd, Nic Bermudez, Ryan Cho, Sky Kao, and I had to get on and off the island that day. What an adventure that turned out to be!

The warm-up for the first performance was at 9 a..m, so we caught the 6:30 ferry. I developed a great appreciation for Daylight Savings Time, which gave us an extra hour to sleep after Halloween! After only a few false turns on our way through Port Alberni, we found the stadium, and joined the choir. Timbre! sang two songs very familiar to us: O Canada arranged by Diane Loomer, and We Rise Again arranged by Stephen Smith. We also learned a new piece composed for the torch ceremonies entitled Cette Flame/ There's A Light. The ceremony is such a celebration of community: we saw athletes, school groups, community leaders, and dancers all take their turn! I hope you get a chance to take part in your home town.

After lunch and a quick nap for this tired driver, it was time to hit the road again, as we headed to Tofino. I'd forgotten how far it really was across the island! We had a bit of free time before the next performance. Nic and I had sung with Timbre! before, so it was nice to visit with them again. They're such warm people, and Patricia Miller gets such a beautiful sound out of them. The patches of light rain didn't dampen the enthusiastic crowd's spirits at all.

I was hoping to get my carpool home in good time, so we thanked our new friends for a great day and drove quickly (and safely!) back to Nanaimo, hoping to catch a 9:30 ferry. Unfortunately, the 9:30 was a figment of my imagination, so all that rushing was for nothing. (Well, that did leave time for a quick drink and nachos at the Modern Cafe, in our best imitation of George's) We caught the 10:45 Tsawassen ferry, and all of us slept well that night when we arrived home 20 hours after we left!

Russell Cripps, baritone

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PROMYS 2009 Feedback: Guys, Blog Here Please

November 12, 2009 | 10:46 AM

We're glad you're with us for PROMYS 2009. Let us know how you're doing with the music, your thoughts on the whole experience, and what we can do to make PROMYS even more interesting than it is. Just submit a comment to this post!

PROMYS 2009

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Thoughts on Kontakion

November 2, 2009 | 9:26 PM

In 1997 Chor Leoni commissioned Vancouver composer, Rupert Lang, to write a piece that would be featured in our annual Remembrance Day concerts. That commission resulted in Kontakion. The direction was to have some kind of audience sing-along aspect to the work, so Rupert incorporated a refrain that is repeated several times throughout the piece. That refrain is initially stated by a tenor soloist, and I’ve been honoured to be that particular singer.

I also sing with the Christ Church Cathedral choir, which Rupert directs. Shortly after the male choir version premiered he re-voiced Kontakion for mixed choirs and it was published by Boosey & Hawkes. The piece has gone on to choral fame around the world. (It’s on the Cathedral Choir’s CD, Celebrate!)

In addition to Chor Leoni’s Remembrance Day performances, Kontakion has been performed at state events such as the memorial service for Princess Diana, the Vancouver service after 9/11, annually for All Souls Day, and at intimate funerals.

Between Chor Leoni and the Cathedral Choir I’ve sung that opening statement countless times now. I love its deceptive simplicity (it sits in a fairly treacherous tenor range) and the way the melody lifts to the high G flat on “life” - which by then does feel like it is everlasting!

I feel privileged to sing it, but what I didn’t count on was that whole “ageing thing” and the way the piece has become freighted with meaning as the years layer on experience. Whether it’s from the passing of an admired public figure, the parent of a fellow singer, my best friend, or my father, Kontakion has become layered with memories that are difficult to contain while maintaining any sense of the necessary singing technique to successfully negotiate it well. (One year I lost it completely and ended up singing with tears running down my cheeks.)

Singers learn tricks to get through such emotional moments - I think of doing the dishes - but nothing ever really prepares me for the climactic moment where the pipe organ swells, the choral texture thickens, the audience is in full voice singing along, and the solo line echos The Last Post.

I’m proud that Kontakion happened because of Chor Leoni, and thankful to Rupert for writing such a wonderful piece of music. So this year when the opportunity arrives, sing out, even if it’s with a lump in your throat. It’s wonderfully cathartic – and everyone around you will understand.

Bruce Hoffman, second tenor

Posted by bruce hoffman, 2nd tenor | Comments (3) | File in: inside Chor Leoni, performances | Permanent Link