The University of Utah Singers are being featured this month on Musica International's "Favorite Piece" feature. Musica International is a worldwide online database that acts as a sort of library for choral repertoire. Every month, they choose a piece to feature and include links to recordings and video performances of the work, if available.
This month's piece is "Peace Like a River," arranged by Ronald Staheli, which was one of our very favorite songs from the 2008-2009 season. Check out this link to learn about the piece and to hear a recording and see a video of our performance from last year's Marktoberdorf competition.
Do you have a favorite piece that the Singers have done, or that you have heard elsewhere or performed yourself? Let us know! Leave a comment.
Showing posts with label Marktoberdorf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marktoberdorf. Show all posts
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Top Ten Best!
In a recent article by Ed Reichel in the Deseret News, the University Singers were listed as presenting two of the top ten best cultural events for the year 2009!
From the article:
"The outgoing year was filled with some wonderful concerts and events. Below is a list of the 10 best, in chronological order."
"University of Utah Singers: Their performance under director Brady Allred of Tan Dun's mystical and magical Water Passion was simply incredible."
"University of Utah Singers: With Brady Allred, the ensemble took first prize at the prestigious International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany."
Hopefully, you were able to attend the Water Passion and follow us on our tour through our blog and our YouTube videos. If not, look what you've been missing! Who knows what 2010 will hold---make sure to keep up!
From the article:
"The outgoing year was filled with some wonderful concerts and events. Below is a list of the 10 best, in chronological order."
"University of Utah Singers: Their performance under director Brady Allred of Tan Dun's mystical and magical Water Passion was simply incredible."
"University of Utah Singers: With Brady Allred, the ensemble took first prize at the prestigious International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany."
Hopefully, you were able to attend the Water Passion and follow us on our tour through our blog and our YouTube videos. If not, look what you've been missing! Who knows what 2010 will hold---make sure to keep up!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Tour Videos
Waiting that last month before the next University Singers concert? Why not fill the time with some videos from our European concert tour?
All of the videos from the competition laps of the Marktoberdorf competition are now available on our youtube channel. Videos from the rest of the festival, including the final concert and the prizewinners concert, are forthcoming.
In the meantime, we're also working on adding videos from our concerts throughout the tour. The first of these is Trond Kverno's "Ave Maris Stella" from our concert in the Knights' Hall of Brezice Castle, Slovenia. More videos like this will be coming soon! Keep watching!
All of the videos from the competition laps of the Marktoberdorf competition are now available on our youtube channel. Videos from the rest of the festival, including the final concert and the prizewinners concert, are forthcoming.
In the meantime, we're also working on adding videos from our concerts throughout the tour. The first of these is Trond Kverno's "Ave Maris Stella" from our concert in the Knights' Hall of Brezice Castle, Slovenia. More videos like this will be coming soon! Keep watching!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Singers over the summer
The school year is over and tour is finished, but that doesn't mean you can't still hear the Singers! Can't get enough of us? Here are a few ways to keep up with us over the summer.
New CD
Did you know we released a new CD? The Cloths of Heaven was released at our Bon Voyage concert the night before we left on tour.
Featuring repertoire from the Singers' 2007-2008 season, this is our ninth release. The CD includes Anton Bruckner's classic motet "Os justi meditabitur sapientiam," Eric Whitacre's beautiful "Five Hebrew Love Songs," and the world premiere of William Hawley's "The Cloths of Heaven," which was commissioned by the choir. Choral music fans will also find spirituals, gospel music, and sacred and secular music from all over the world.
You can buy it here. Don't worry: the order form will be updated soon! Sound samples will also be available soon here.
Competition Videos
Wish you could've heard us at competition? Now you can! Videos from our performances at Martkoberdorf are being uploaded onto our Youtube channel. There are currently six videos available with more to come!
iTunes
Don't forget that all of our live performances are available for free download on iTunes. You can also purchase our CDs from iTunes. Recordings from many of our tour performances and the competition are forthcoming---keep watching!
And of course, don't forget to keep up with us on facebook!
New CD
Did you know we released a new CD? The Cloths of Heaven was released at our Bon Voyage concert the night before we left on tour.
Featuring repertoire from the Singers' 2007-2008 season, this is our ninth release. The CD includes Anton Bruckner's classic motet "Os justi meditabitur sapientiam," Eric Whitacre's beautiful "Five Hebrew Love Songs," and the world premiere of William Hawley's "The Cloths of Heaven," which was commissioned by the choir. Choral music fans will also find spirituals, gospel music, and sacred and secular music from all over the world.
You can buy it here. Don't worry: the order form will be updated soon! Sound samples will also be available soon here.
Competition Videos
Wish you could've heard us at competition? Now you can! Videos from our performances at Martkoberdorf are being uploaded onto our Youtube channel. There are currently six videos available with more to come!
iTunes
Don't forget that all of our live performances are available for free download on iTunes. You can also purchase our CDs from iTunes. Recordings from many of our tour performances and the competition are forthcoming---keep watching!
And of course, don't forget to keep up with us on facebook!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tour: Results!
You may have already heard. But I'm going to say it again.
WE WON!!!
Yes! That's right! The University of Utah Singers took first prize at the 11th International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf! We couldn't possibly be more excited about it!
Here's a rundown of everything we won:
1st Prize in the Mixed Choir Category
3rd Prize in the Youth Choir Category
Special Prize for the best interpretation of a work premiered at the competition (Nancy Wertsch's "Hail Holy Light")
The anticipation yesterday was about killing us. We sat in the hall and held hands and clapped and cried and had so much nervous energy that I think we almost exploded. The whole hall was electric with it, with hundreds of singers awaiting the results of a whole lot of hard work.
When they called our name, we all leaped to our feet, jumped up and down, screamed, cried, hugged, clapped. It was an incredible feeling, and something we will never forget!
I know I speak for the whole choir when I say thank you to Dr. Allred, who made the whole thing possible. We would not be the choir we are without him. Thank you for teaching us the technical skills and drawing out the emotion. You make it possible for us to sing with our hearts. With you, we don't just sing, we make music. Thank you!
And personally, I want to thank the entire choir for being so wonderful during the year and especially this tour. It was fantastic!
And we won! WE WON!!
WE WON!!!
Yes! That's right! The University of Utah Singers took first prize at the 11th International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf! We couldn't possibly be more excited about it!
Here's a rundown of everything we won:
1st Prize in the Mixed Choir Category
3rd Prize in the Youth Choir Category
Special Prize for the best interpretation of a work premiered at the competition (Nancy Wertsch's "Hail Holy Light")
The anticipation yesterday was about killing us. We sat in the hall and held hands and clapped and cried and had so much nervous energy that I think we almost exploded. The whole hall was electric with it, with hundreds of singers awaiting the results of a whole lot of hard work.
When they called our name, we all leaped to our feet, jumped up and down, screamed, cried, hugged, clapped. It was an incredible feeling, and something we will never forget!
I know I speak for the whole choir when I say thank you to Dr. Allred, who made the whole thing possible. We would not be the choir we are without him. Thank you for teaching us the technical skills and drawing out the emotion. You make it possible for us to sing with our hearts. With you, we don't just sing, we make music. Thank you!
And personally, I want to thank the entire choir for being so wonderful during the year and especially this tour. It was fantastic!
And we won! WE WON!!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tour: Marktoberdorf
Today, Sunday, is the second day of competition at the 11th International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany. We finished competing at around 1:00 this afternoon---and we finished with a bang!
We arrived on Friday and enjoyed a concert and some opening ceremonies. We got to meet all the other choirs. In total, there are 13 choirs competing: five in the youth choir category and eight in the mixed adult choir category. The Singers are entered in both categories, so some of us had to compete four times! There are choirs from all over. We’re the only group from the United States, but there are choirs from Argentina, Ireland, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and possibly some place I’m forgetting.
It’s been very fun to hear all of these groups perform! They represent some of the best in the world and it’s an honor to be numbered among them.
Saturday was the first round. This round had to be between 20 and 25 minutes, and had to follow certain rules. For example, there was a compulsory piece that every choir had to perform, and every piece had to be sung acappella. It was interesting to hear all the different interpretations of the same music. The Singers’ mixed choir was the third to perform on Saturday morning. We all felt really good about how we performed. We sang a great mix of pieces, including Romantic era music, spirituals, and “Hail Holy Light,” our commissioned piece, and the audience seemed to really love it all. We sang with a lot of spirit, energy, and emotion, and were able to connect with each other and the listeners. Hopefully we connected with the jury, too!
Our youth choir performed first in the afternoon section, and they did a great job too. We have all learned so much wonderful music this year, and it is a remarkable thing to be able to get on that competition stage and just send it right out to everyone in the hall!
Today was round two, which is the free program. This program can only be 10 minutes long, and there are no rules about accompaniment and no compulsory pieces. The youth choir performed in the morning as the last in their category, and did a fantastic job! The mixed choir also got to go last and ended the entire competition. What an amazing opportunity!
We won’t get the results until Tuesday, but we all feel really good about what we did. And the truth is that no matter what the results are, we know we did our best, and we gave some incredible performances. We have come together in such a wonderful way, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we have accomplished. I think we all feel the same.
Of course, we DO want to win . . . we’ll see what happens!
We arrived on Friday and enjoyed a concert and some opening ceremonies. We got to meet all the other choirs. In total, there are 13 choirs competing: five in the youth choir category and eight in the mixed adult choir category. The Singers are entered in both categories, so some of us had to compete four times! There are choirs from all over. We’re the only group from the United States, but there are choirs from Argentina, Ireland, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and possibly some place I’m forgetting.
It’s been very fun to hear all of these groups perform! They represent some of the best in the world and it’s an honor to be numbered among them.
Saturday was the first round. This round had to be between 20 and 25 minutes, and had to follow certain rules. For example, there was a compulsory piece that every choir had to perform, and every piece had to be sung acappella. It was interesting to hear all the different interpretations of the same music. The Singers’ mixed choir was the third to perform on Saturday morning. We all felt really good about how we performed. We sang a great mix of pieces, including Romantic era music, spirituals, and “Hail Holy Light,” our commissioned piece, and the audience seemed to really love it all. We sang with a lot of spirit, energy, and emotion, and were able to connect with each other and the listeners. Hopefully we connected with the jury, too!
Our youth choir performed first in the afternoon section, and they did a great job too. We have all learned so much wonderful music this year, and it is a remarkable thing to be able to get on that competition stage and just send it right out to everyone in the hall!
Today was round two, which is the free program. This program can only be 10 minutes long, and there are no rules about accompaniment and no compulsory pieces. The youth choir performed in the morning as the last in their category, and did a fantastic job! The mixed choir also got to go last and ended the entire competition. What an amazing opportunity!
We won’t get the results until Tuesday, but we all feel really good about what we did. And the truth is that no matter what the results are, we know we did our best, and we gave some incredible performances. We have come together in such a wonderful way, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we have accomplished. I think we all feel the same.
Of course, we DO want to win . . . we’ll see what happens!
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