eICB 2021-3

ICB FOCUS SINGING FOR THE EARTH

INTERNATIONAL CHORAL BULLETIN

ISSN - 0896-0968 Volume XL, Number 3 3th Quarter, 2021

IFCM NEWS: LOGO, THEME, AND PHILOSOPHY BRING WSCM 2023/24 PLANNING INTO FOCUS

CONTENTS

INTERNATIONAL CHORAL BULLETIN

3th Quarter 2021 — Volume XL, Number 3 1

COVER figure humaine kammerchor © NB-Fotografie DESIGN & CONTENT COPYRIGHT © International Federation for Choral Music

EDITORIAL Emily Kuo Vong FOCUS

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CLIMATE ACTION: MUSIC AS A DRIVER FOR CHANGE Carolyn Auclair

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE: FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR ASSOCIATIONS, CHOIRS AND SINGERS

PRINTED BY PixartPrinting.it, Italy

Flannery Ryan 9 16

SUBMITTING MATERIAL When submitting documents to be considered for publication, please provide articles by Email or through http://icb.ifcm.net/en_US/ proposeanarticle/. The following electronic file formats are accepted: Text, RTF or Microsoft Word (version 97 or higher).

Images must be in GIF, EPS, TIFF or JPEG format and be at least 300dpi. Articles may be submitted in one or more of these languages: English, French, German, Spanish.

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PRINTED COPIES For Members (with basic membership): US$ 40.00 (36 Euros) per year.

Included in other memberships.

For Associates and non-Members: US$ 60.00 (53 Euros) per year.

For a single copy, contact the office.

PRODUCING SUSTAINABLE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Franziska Kloos

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OUR VOICE FOR OUR PLANET: SINGING FOR THE EARTH OVER THE OCEAN Virginia Bono and Martin Winkler

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IN AND OUTSIDE THE BOX: A CHOIR OF 300 MILLION BEES Isabelle Métrope IFCM NEWS

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Emily Kuo Vong

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MEETING SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES IN THE STATE OF QATAR Susie Billings LOGO, THEME, AND PHILOSOPHY BRING WSCM 2023/24 PLANNING INTO FOCUS WSCM 23/24 Team

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IFCM CHORAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION 2022 IFCM Press Release

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DIGITAL POWER OF IFCM João C Silva

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MEMBERSHIP FEES Membership fees are calculated following the United Nations Human Development Index, and are payable in Euro or Dollars with credit card (VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, PAYPAL), or bank transfer, to IFCM. For more information, please consult the IFCM membership page at https://www.ifcm.net/.

SOBER DIGITAL PRACTICES Isabelle Métrope

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REPRINTS Articles may be reproduced for non commercial purposes once permission has been granted by the managing editor and the author.

BEST “GREEN” PRACTICES: THE MUSIC WORLD CARES!

MUSICAL HERITAGE ON STAGE THE CHINA NATIONAL TRADITIONAL ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

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E POI LE PAROLE: NATURE

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ICB 40TH ANNIVERSARY PHOTO CONTEST CHORAL WORLD NEWS

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THE MUSIC AGAINST CHILD LABOUR COMPETITION Jeunesses Musicales International

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SINGING "FLYING OVER THE RAINBOW" WITH ETHNIC MINORITY KIDS Fang Wang CHORAL REPERTOIRE

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ENVIRONMENTAL REPERTOIRE AROUND THE WORLD COMPOSER'S CORNER

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CLYTUS GOTTWALD’S VOCAL TRANSCRIPTIONS Sebastian Herrmann REVIEWS

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHORS ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF IFCM

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CHORAL SOUND WITHIN REACH! Prof. Harald Jers

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SPONSORING INDEX

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CHORAL CALENDAR

EDITORIAL EMILY KUO VONG President

ICB has a new editor, Isabelle Métrope, and a newly appointed Editorial Board, who joined us in 2021. The new editor and the Editorial Board both brought fresh energy to this professional and interesting choral magazine. They discussed how to create more articles on choral music to capture a human dimension. Now, the content of ICB is more diverse and richer, not only informing the readers about the projects and development of IFCM, but also inspiring the feelings and understanding of different readerships.

I expect that the enthusiasm of the new editorial team will encourage more people to contribute to ICB. Through providing various inspirational articles, everyone will have an opportunity to share their special stories on choral careers or to impart their valuable knowledge.

With the development of science and technology, and human beings facing increasing challenges in a time of rapid environmental change, a need has arisen to more widely communicate new environmental knowledge to the public. Standard academic communication often fails to resonate with its audiences in an emotional way. However, choral music can be utilised as an

effective platform for environmental communication that appeals to the emotions, intellect, and interests of musical consumers.

In the research of a choral composition called “Icelandic Sketches: Stories of Climate, Tourism, and Change”, by US composer Jason Fox, researchers found that both singers and audience members were more knowledgeable about climate change and tourism after exposure to this choral piece. Therefore, choral music does not only take audiences on a journey of arts, but also contains the potential to learn about this planet and strengthen their knowledge to deal with the environmental challenges.

Recently, IFCM was very happy and proud to welcome three new members in the national organisation category, the China National Traditional Orchestra & Chorus, the Chanson de Montagne, and Tianjin Binhai New District Association of Musicians and Dancers. In this volume of ICB, the first two each submitted an article to advertise for new members.

Wang Fang, the Secretary-General of the Green Pine Care Foundation and the Director of the Chanson de Montagne, told a beautiful and moving story about children from

minority areas in China. Those children live in the frontier towns of China, lacking professional training in singing. However, with the help of the project of the Chanson de Montagne, they can go to a modern city, performing and communicating with other choirs with their beautiful songs. During the performance, their cultures are exchanged, their confidence is cultivated and their horizons are expanded.

Another article was provided by the China National Traditional Orchestra & Chorus. In their article, every reader could have an overview of their organisation and accomplishments. I believe it will implicate potential opportunities for cooperation among our members.

The above two articles are good examples for our IFCM members.

We need your support and contributions to develop ICB’s content, making it more valuable and significant. I hope that we can make every volume of ICB fantastic for our readers.

INTERNATIONAL CHORAL BULLETIN

REGULAR COLLABORATORS

PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL BOARD

ENGLISH TEAM

Roula Abou Baker, Ana Patricia Carbajal

Volume XL, Number 3)

MEMBERSHIP AND SPONSORING

Córdova, Ulrika Emanuelsson, Victoria

FRENCH TEAM Barbara Pissane

IFCM ICB, PO Box 42318, Austin TX

Liedbergius,

Lucien

Mendy,

Isabelle

Laura

Massey

(for

Edited by Rebeka Angstmann, UK

International Federation for Choral Music

GERMAN TEAM Lore Auerbach

78704, USA

Métrope, Estera Mihaila, Rossana Paliaga,

SPANISH TEAM Vania Romero

Fax: +1-512-551 0105

Tomoko Yokoyama

LAYOUT Nadine Robin

Email: office@ifcm.net

MANAGING EDITOR

ICB ONLINE EDITION AND

Website: http://icb.ifcm.net

Isabelle Métrope − icb.editor@ifcm.net

TRANSLATIONS

EDITOR EMERITA Jutta Tagger

http://icb.ifcm.net

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FOCUS

FOCUS SINGING FOR THE EARTH:

HOW MUSIC RESPONDS TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

CLIMATE ACTION: MUSIC AS A DRIVER FOR CHANGE

PRODUCING SUSTAINABLE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE: FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR ASSOCIATIONS, CHOIRS AND SINGERS

OUR VOICE FOR OUR PLANET SINGING FOR THE EARTH OVER THE OCEAN

Carolyn Auclair

Flannery Ryan

BEST “GREEN” PRACTICES: THE MUSIC WORLD CARES! SOBER DIGITAL PRACTICES Isabelle Métrope

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© International Choral Bulletin

Franziska Kloos

Virginia Bono and Martin Winkler

IN AND OUTSIDE THE BOX: A CHOIR OF 300 MILLION BEES Isabelle Métrope

CLIMATE ACTION: MUSIC AS A DRIVER FOR CHANGE

Concepts of environmental sustainability for the music sector in Europe CAROLYN AUCLAIR Project Officer at the European Music Council

Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

IT IS NOT ONLY SINCE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC THAT THE NEED FOR SUSTAINABILITY AT DIFFERENT LEVELS HAS BECOME OBVIOUS. HOWEVER, THE PANDEMIC HAS REVEALED THAT, ONCE MORE, INEQUALITIES BETWEEN POPULATIONS HAVE BEEN GETTING WIDER AND THAT THE DISRUPTION OF NATURE HAS HAD A HAND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL DISEASES. TO ACT IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WAY IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE PRESERVATION OF OUR (BIO)DIVERSITY, AND, OF COURSE, CULTURE AND MUSIC MUST PLAY THEIR PART. THEREFORE, THIS ARTICLE WILL SHED LIGHT ON CURRENT CLIMATE ACTION AND DISCOURSE IN THE MUSIC SECTOR IN EUROPE. The music sector in Europe encompasses a very broad spectrum of activities, professions, forms and performance venues, including formal and informal music education, the production of music, live events and the dissemination of various music genres. These are but a few examples of how diverse and rich the music sector is, not to mention the diversity that exists within the choral and collective singing fields. Reactions to climate change and working towards environmental sustainability are equally diverse, both in terms of actions and geographically. The UK in particular, with the organisations Julie’s Bicycle1 and Creative Carbon Scotland2, has been at the forefront of the movement for many years by guiding and pushing cultural organisations towards climate action.

MOBILITY IN THE MUSIC SECTOR

A recurring key topic for the sector is touring and the environmental cost of mobility. Touring is an important step in the career of a performer and their recognition as such. It is very enriching and fosters diversity and creativity, as well as being a source of income for artists.

However, the environmental cost of touring is high, particularly air travel. Initiatives to overcome this challenge vary from not touring at all to not touring by plane to “slow” travelling via a less polluting means of transportation (such as by bike).

Measuring the carbon footprint of touring is indispensable in order to set tangible measures and targets to achieve. Activities by EMC members such as Take the Green Train3 by the European Jazz Network looked at the challenges of environmentally sustainable jazz international tours, while the

initiative Going Home4 by Live Music Now Scotland aimed to use alternative ways of touring while reaching less accessible audiences. Studies on mobility and sustainability have also been conducted by Julie’s Bicycle and On the Move5 as well as the Green Touring Network6. It is essential not only to develop a sustainable alternative for the cultural sector but also to preserve its diversity and prevent some parts of Europe and the world from being left out (islands, remote populations, etc.). Finally, one often tends to forget that audience travel also contributes in a huge way to carbon emissions and that educational work and better infrastructures are also needed for our audiences.

4 https://www.creativecarbonscotland. com/resource/case-study-going-homewith-live-music-now/

1 https://juliesbicycle.com/

5 https://juliesbicycle.com/resource-otm-

2 https://www.creativecarbonscotland.

green-mobility-2011

com/

3 https://www.europejazz.net/activity/

6 https://www.greentouring.net/

take-green-train

downloads/GreenTouringGuide_EN.pdf

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MUSIC EVENTS

A second crucial goal for the music sector is to reduce the impact of its events, whether they are concerts, festivals, conferences, fairs or workshops. Events produce a considerable amount of waste: energy, food, water, plastic and so on. Festivals, conferences and fairs can be the size of a small city for several days and it is therefore key to make sure their impact on the environment is drastically reduced. Initiatives range from serving only meat- and dairy-free meals made with local produce to using alternative ways of producing energy (wind, solar, piezoelectricity, etc.). Different steps taken together with sponsors, creators, artists, partners, suppliers and all elements of the production cycle are important to be able to achieve a circular, zero-waste event. Various toolkits and useful resources have been developed by A Greener Festival7 and the German Umweltbundesamt8.

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECTS?

Other dimensions of the music sector should also be looked at, such as the fair and ecological production of musical instruments. Safeguarding the diversity of musical instruments by preserving nature is another way of acting in an environmentally sustainable way. Music artists and their labels/ management/performing rights organisations should also respect the environment in the production and dissemination of their artistry. According to a study by Kyle Devine9, it seems that streaming and online events/ rehearsal tools produce a big share of greenhouse emissions (through data centres). This topic is connected to the issue of fair pay; in the times of the pandemic, this is very important, since digital means are almost the only ones we can use to distribute and receive remuneration for music.

Music education can play a key role in publicising best practices, raising awareness and creating the environmentally responsible music artists, singers, managers, conductors, composers and amateurs of tomorrow.

Last but not least, music artists can also make a big difference by raising awareness of issues through their musical projects and by reaching out to people and touching their hearts. The Music Declares Emergency10 group, formed in 2019, is one example, as is the environmental choir Ecopella11 in Australia.

THE EUROPEAN POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT

The European Commission has launched the European Green Deal12, its plan to enable the EU member states to attain environmental sustainability. The Green Deal will be rolled out in all of the EU’s programmes, regulations and actions. The European Parliament (EP) has therefore adopted a resolution13 on how to green their cultural programmes, among them the future Creative Europe, Erasmus+ and Solidarity Corps programmes. At the same time, the resolution warns against compromising the programmes’ original content and values: mobility, learning and creativity. The already extremely limited budgets of these programmes should also not be eroded. The EP points out that Creative Europe projects can be an opportunity to exchange good environmental practices and calls for an environmental charter to be developed with cultural and creative sector stakeholders.

12 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/ priorities-2019-2024/european-greendeal_en 13 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/ doceo/document/TA-9-2020-0211_EN.pdf

7 https://www.agreenerfestival.com/knowledge-base/ 8 https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/guidelines-for-the-sustainableorganisation-of 9 https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/decomposed 10 https://www.musicdeclares.net/ 11 http://www.ecopella.org/

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On a global scale, the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a global framework with 17 Sustainable Development Goals14 (SDGs), was adopted by all UN Member States in 2015. The SDGs include goals relating to environmental sustainability, such as climate action, affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, as well as other goals such as no poverty, zero hunger, gender equality, etc. each to be attained by 2030. Although culture and the arts have not been integrated as an explicit target of sustainable development, we believe that the cultural and creative sectors can perform a key role in attaining the SDGs as well as becoming more sustainable themselves.

WHAT ABOUT THE EUROPEAN MUSIC COUNCIL?

In the last few years, the European Music Council has joined other organisations and projects in taking action on the climate emergency, striving to become a leader in sustainability within the sector. From administrative work and events planning to publications, the EMC aims to achieve a more sustainable way of working that will inspire others to change their practices and behaviours. Here are a few examples on this topic: • European Forum on Music (EFM): ◊ The 2018 EFM in Oslo addressed global warming in a conference session with an accompanying conference reader. ◊ At the 2019 EMC Annual Meeting, EMC members decided that the EMC should take action to help achieve a climate-neutral world by the middle of the century, as enshrined in the Paris Agreement. ◊ At the 2020 EFM, environmental sustainability was placed as a central theme, “Climate Action: Music as a Driver for Change”.

Activities carried out: – Panel discussion “Act Now: Music & Climate Change”, organised in cooperation with BTHVN2020, partner of the Beethoven Pastoral Project and supported by NAMM. – Online workshop “Music and Sustainability”, organised in cooperation with GO Group and the Green Music Initiative.

– Conference reader, including articles on the relationship between music and climate change from different points of view.

– Members’ initiatives and projects featured on the EMC website.

Edited by Kelly Harrison, UK First published in German in “Kulturpolitische Mitteilungen No 171, VI/2021, by Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e V p 22f.

14 https://sdgs.un.org/goals

• Cooperation projects co-funded by Erasmus+: ◊ STAMP (2016-2018): Coordinated by the EMC and developed together with EMC members and other organisations, one of the guidelines issued for the project was on how to organise environmentally friendly events. ◊ SHIFT (2019-2021): The aim of the project, coordinated by the EMC, is to provide training for cultural leaders with regard to the UN SDGs. On the theme of environmental sustainability, some challenges affecting cultural organisations have been targeted and some workable solutions on how to reduce the impact of the sector are being identified.

For further information, please visit our website: https://www.emc-imc.org/projects/environmental-sustainability

CAROLYN AUCLAIR (France/USA) has been working for the European Music Council (EMC) since 2017 and is currently Project Officer of the Erasmus+ co-funded project SHIFT, which highlights three UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This ongoing international cooperation project with eight other cultural networks focuses on the following themes: cultural leadership, environmental sustainability, gender and power relations and inclusion. Since finishing her studies, Carolyn has dedicated a lot of her work to achieving a more environmentally sustainable way of working in the cultural sector.

Carolyn studied German, English and arts management in France, Germany and Australia. Email: auclair@emc-imc.org

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE Food for thought for Associations, Choirs and Singers Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

FLANNERY RYAN Culture manager, Germany/USA

2016, 2020, 2019, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2014, 2010, 2013 AND 2005. THOSE ARE THE TOP 10 WARMEST YEARS EVER RECORDED ON EARTH, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST REPORT BY THE US NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION. CONSIDER THE INCREASING NUMBER OF FLOODS, STORMS, FIRES, THE LOSS OF INSECTS AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS ON EARTH AND IT’S NO WONDER THAT IN 2019 THE WORLD WAS TAKEN BY STORM BY THE "FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE" DEMONSTRATIONS AND THE MANY OTHER ACTIVITIES PROMOTING A CHANGE IN THE WAY WE LIVE, CONSUME AND TREAT THE PLANET WE LIVE ON. In light of all of these events, we as choir singers, organisations and (inter)national choir festival managers also need to take a step back and think of ways we can improve our rehearsals, tours and events. In 2019 the European Choral Association (ECA), on whose ideas this article is based, started this process, but it isn’t over yet.

No-one is perfect or knows all the answers. So this article can’t offer you an official position, but would like to offer some food for thought and start a discussion in the choral community: What are the questions the associations need to

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face up to? What are the possible consequences of new measures?

Which sources of information can be helpful for this discussion?

KEEPING THE BALANCE: SOCIAL NEEDS AND SUSTAINABLE GOALS

But before we go into the practical questions for choirs, we need to have a quick look at the events of 2020: Just like the natural disasters mentioned above, it’s possible that Covid-19 is a result of environmental issues and thus one more reason why we need to change our behaviours. But

Covid-19 also showed us how much we also need human interaction and creative activities, such as singing together, to stay mentally healthy and healthy as a society. When looking at the following measures it is therefore important to keep the balance between social needs and sustainable goals in mind. Are we willing to give up travelling to distant places completely or could we justify one journey now and again to foster multicultural understanding and friendships?

When thinking of the next choir tour, is it possible to plan the trip via train or bus?

Should the travel emissions be the main focus of our discussions or could we also create positive change by focusing on other aspects of sustainability? Could online meetings become a complete replacement for physical meetings or do we need that time to connect with people in rehearsal and conference breaks?

IDEAS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CHOIRS

When an issue is so global, we as individuals sometimes get the feeling that there isn’t much we can do to help the environment. But as Greta Thunberg has shown, it only needs one person to speak up, and we as singers definitely know how to use our voices! So why not use the community of our choirs and the creative environment of our concerts to speak up and raise awareness? There is already a big repertoire of songs out there that can be used in a concert (see the ICB list on page 55). Why not turn one of your next performances into a charity or benefit concert and donate the revenues to an organisation that helps to protect our earth? Or, if you would like to be even more involved, your choir could even consider joining a "Fridays for Future" demonstration and prepare a few songs that you could sing while you’re there?

But sustainability can also start in the rehearsal room. Can we minimise the energy consumption in our rehearsal spaces? Can we use reusable bottles or coffee cups in rehearsals and breaks? When bringing food to rehearsals, can we prepare something at home instead of grabbing a pre-made, plasticwrapped snack at the supermarket beforehand? When thinking of the next choir tour, is it possible to plan the trip via train or bus? Are we willing to completely abstain from choir tours to countries that can only be reached by plane? Are all 7

DOSSIER FOCUS

of these goals compatible with the general goals of our choirs and of ourselves?

IDEAS FOR ASSOCIATIONS AND (INTER)NATIONAL FESTIVALS

Choirs and individuals can demand change and make a few changes by themselves, but associations and festival managers have a growing responsibility to think about these issues and make changes to their programmes. Festivals, competitions and other big choir events are places where a lot of people come together and create a large amount of waste, as well as consume a lot of energy, food, beverages and other products. Here are some areas where changes could be made: Catering: Can we abstain from using plastic dishes, cutlery, straws etc.? Can we abstain from using singlewrapped food and sweets? Could we ask the catering services to offer more vegetarian/flexitarian options?

Or even turn things around and offer the vegetarian option as the norm and meat only per request on the registration form? Could we pay more attention to using regional products only? Is there a way to pass on food that wasn’t needed? Can we set up water fountains on site and ask people to refill their reusable bottles there?

Venues and exhibitions: When choosing our venues and rooms, can we pay more attention to ecofriendly factors (low energy consuming air conditioning systems, lighting and sound systems, etc.)? Carefully research your options: Is an app with high energy consumption really better compared to a paper version of the programme booklet or song book? Can we suggest to exhibitors at our expositions to reduce plastic or gimmicks made out of plastic and ask them

to support our cause? Could we reduce the amount of office supplies we need in our daily work? Can we reuse lanyards, banners, roll-ups, bags, folders etc. for events that happen on a regular basis and thus print them without a year or date?

Transportation and getting active: Can we offer free public transportation to our events or encourage participants to arrive by eco-friendly means of transportation? Could we encourage participants to pay to offset CO2 emissions? When we as managers travel to the venues in advance, could we plan in a little more time for the trips, to travel via train or car-sharing? Could the festival itself support environmental causes, either financially or with artistic choices of concerts or festival topics?

CLOSING WORDS

Scientists say we have only a few more years before we cross the threshold of dangerous and irreversible global warming. But the good news is, we still have the chance! And we can all do our part to help soften the blow. I have hope in us as a society and hope in the choral community, which has always been made up of team players. Let’s raise our voices and act!

Edited by Bethany Farr, UK The original hand-out, on which this article is based, is a co-compilation by Sonja Greiner, Alfred Jürgens (both from the ECA-EC office) and Flannery Ryan and is available on http://bit.ly/ECA-green-HB

Dissuasion © Eve Lomé

FLANNERY RYAN is a GermanAmerican culture manager based in Germany. Her honorary positions include board member of the European Choral Association – Europa Cantat, representative for European issues at the German Youth Choir Association (Deutsche Chorjugend) and member of the working group “European Youth Policy Group” at the German Federal Youth Council, where she recently helped to write an opinion paper on the European Parliament’s guidelines on “Green Erasmus+”. She is a full-time project manager at INTERKULTUR and team coordinator for the World Choir Council. In her free time, she sings soprano in several national and international choirs, such as REVOICE International Vocal Ensemble or the singing and dancing ensemble CHOREOS.

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BEST “GREEN” PRACTICES: THE MUSIC WORLD CARES! Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

FROM JULIE’S BICYCLE TO LILLE’S GREEN OPERA HOUSE, FROM SINGING HAYDN IN THE MIDDLE OF PLASTIC WASTE TO AN ENERGY-SAVING MEDITERRANEAN PARK ON A CULTURAL CENTER ROOF, FROM PLASTIC-FREE CD PACKAGING TO A MAJOR CONCERT HALL’S SUSTAINABLE PRIORITIES… HERE IS INSPIRATION FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. JULIE’S BICYCLE: CHANGE CULTURE – AND THE WORLD

Julie’s Bicycle (JB) is a pioneering London-based nonprofit, mobilising the arts and culture to take action on the climate and ecological crisis. Founded by the music industry in 2007, JB has partnered with over 2000 organisations in the UK, the EU and internationally, including Arts Council England, Universal Music, Curzon Cinema Group, Festival Republic, National Theatre, V&A and Somerset House.

Combining cultural and environmental expertise, JB focuses on high-impact programmes and policychange to meet the climate and ecological crisis headon. It leads strategic responses, develops resources and networks, and brings unique methods to scale to accelerate movement and transform the conversation.

Advocacy is a vital part of JB’s role. Julie’s Bicycle informs policy development and influences decision makers by advocating for creative, science-based solutions to climate and nature change and presenting robust evidence-based research and data.

To inspire public action, JB provides expert knowledge and guidance through co-created research, tools and events. JB’s Resource Hub is the most comprehensive library of good environmental practice specifically for the arts and culture anywhere in the world, co-created with creative companies and artists. It’s philosophy, simply put: Change culture, and culture will change the world.

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By Julie’s Bicycle https://juliesbicycle.com

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HAYDN´S CREATION: SINKING INTO PLASTIC WASTE

Thimo Neumann, cantor of the protestant lutheran church in Mölln, Northern Germany, staged this major oratorio as a so-called „climate concert“.

For me, this performance of Joseph Haydn’s “Creation” at the St. Nicolai Church was a concert I’m sure the audience and I will remember for a long time. The orchestra was seated in the middle of packaging waste, literally surrounded by plastic rubbish. The music was interspersed with spoken texts about the problems of climate change, and during the interval the congregation’s sustainability group served refreshments in plastic-free containers. I thought to myself: I cannot with a clear conscience perform this wonderful work, which so much praises creation, just as is. With this project I wanted to draw attention deliberately to the way we humans treat this creation!

For we are destroying it.

The run-up to this concert created many very sharp divisions. I needed to spend a lot of time talking to my choir about my ideas until most singers were convinced (not all!). I received indignant e-mails from people who had read the press release: “The orchestra is playing surrounded by rubbish”. This is exactly the reaction I wanted to provoke: Take people out of their comfort zones, force them to confront the topic of climate change and ask what can each individual do? The concert was very well attended. Above all, I lured people into the church who would otherwise not have come!

All in – I’d do exactly the same again!

“This is exactly what I wanted to provoke with this: take people out of their comfort zones, force them to confront the topic of climate change.”

By Thimo Neumann, Cantor https://www.kirche-moelln.de Ev luth. Kirchengemeinde Mölln © Thimo Neumann

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THE STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION CULTURAL CENTER: WHERE ART MEETS NATURE BETWEEN CITY AND SEA

The SNFCC is a new cultural area situated in Kallithea, Athens, financed by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and donated to the Greek state in 2017. The area includes the new National Library of Greece and the new Greek National Opera, as well as a beautiful 210,000 m² park open to everyone. This park constitutes the roof of part of the building and has been planted with a rich local flora – olive trees, evergreen shrubs, carob trees, laurels, cypress trees and aromatic plants. Besides creating a leisure area for Athenians of all ages, the vegetation protects the building from the heat, reducing the need for air conditioning.

As water is a scarce resource in this region, the whole system is based on the use of sea water and a rainwater harvesting system, completed by a water cleaning system for all sanitary facilities.

The SNFCC abides by a Waste Management Plan with 15 different recycling streams. The plant irrigation system is underground, to avoid evaporation. The canal situated next to the building entrance, one of the most beautiful elements of the area, serves as a reserve of sea water as well as background for open air concerts, light installations and much more.

The part of the building not roofed by the park is optimized to reduce the need for artificial lightning.

That section of the roof is a canopy covered with 5,700 solar panels. Depending on the season,

SNFCC’s entire energy needs may be supplied by the canopy, minimizing CO2 emissions.

Visitors to SNFCC are encouraged to use bicycles and public transports: an easy system of bike rental service is available; bike activities are offered to the public; and the park is directly connected to the city center thanks to several bus lines.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center has been awarded several international certifications, including LEED Platinum certification, the first large-scale cultural project to achieve that designation. https://www.snfcc.org/en

© IJM

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LILLE: GREEN OPERA

Since 2015, the Opéra de Lille (northern France) has put environmental sustainability high on its list of priorities. All teams and partners of the opera are invited to pursue a common aim: changing the opera’s economic, social and environmental footprints. This work has been distinguished by an ISO certification: the label ISO 20121 guides and attests to the sustainable policy of organisations in the French cultural and events sector. The Opéra de Lille is the first opera house in France to receive this certification. Three pillars underlie the opera’s policy: “Opera for everyone” (pursuing optimum accessibility to the art, from the social, physical and intellectual points of view, etc.), “Employer’s responsibility” (professional equity and diversity, workplace improvement, etc.), and last but not least: “Reduction of the environmental impact” (waste management, green energy, etc.).

But what do the efforts of a “green” opera look like? Here are some inspiring ideas: • Donation of stage designs and costumes to regional companies • Donation of unused office products to student associations • No food waste through donation to associations • Minimal packaging and organic food for artists’ catering • Providing reusable drinking bottles to employees to reduce the use of disposable bottles • Beehives on the roof of the opera • Contracts with green energy providers

Donation of costumes © Jb Cagny

…MAYBE SOME OF THESE IDEAS COULD BE SUGGESTED TO YOUR LOCAL CONCERT HALL?

https://www.opera-lille.fr/

Beehives on the roof of the opera © Jb Cagny

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BIS SWEDEN: THE CD ECOPAK

At BIS Records in Sweden, we have long been frustrated by the excess energy wasted on producing physical sound carriers.

Plastic CD cases are detrimental to the environment, for the oil used in making the plastic; create a lot of environmentally unsound waste; weigh a lot, which uses up excess fuel during transport; and are highly breakable – just drop a jewel box on the floor and see what happens.

So we decided to do something about it. Having looked at what the market offered, we found that nothing really filled the bill for us, so we created a new product instead, using only fully-certified ecological ingredients. The BIS Ecopak was created, a throwback to the old double LP covers, where a CD in an inner sleeve is put into one opening and the booklet into the

other. It is made of 100% reused, certified ecological cardboard, soy colours, eco-glue and water-based varnish. The Ecopak weighs 40% less, takes up less space on the shelf and – but this is obviously a subjective view – is much more beautiful than the corresponding jewel case would have been. It can also withstand outer forces much better than a plastic case.

It costs marginally more than the jewel case, but we believe that the environment is worth it.

It is now our fervent hope that the industry will change its habits and adopt this new packaging (as some labels already have done).

By Robert von Bahr, CEO of BIS Records AB https://bis.se

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THESSALONIKI: A DIGITAL WORLD CHOIR FESTIVAL DEDICATED TO ENVIRONMENT

In November 2020, the World Choir Festival on Musical and the “KORAIS” choir organised their first digital World Choir Festival and dedicated it to Peace. More than 72 choirs from 39 countries from all five continents took part.

After this success, the organisation organised a new edition this year, dedicated to Environment, which took place on 8th and 9 th May. Seventy-three choirs from all over the world sent in two application videos, one with a song on this topic and a second video showing their city or area of origin. Visual artists (painters, photographers, etc.) were also invited to submit their environmentally-inspired work electronically.

Watch the Festival 2021: • Day 1: http://bit.ly/Envir-1 • Day 2: http://bit.ly/Envir-2

Visit here the Peace 2020 exhibition: https://youtu.be/dcUmiFb1coo www.xorodiakorais.com

SAGE GATESHEAD: THE “GREEN VISION”

Sage Gateshead is an internationally renowned music centre and conference and event venue located in the northeast of England.

Sage Gateshead has a dedicated in-house team of employees (including representatives from all departments) called the Green Team, which promotes best practices and brings together new sustainability ideas while implementing environmental initiatives. In past years the Green Team has organised a ‘Green Week’ in the building to promote the green agenda amongst staff and visitors.

Through its Environmental Policy and Green Team, Sage Gateshead 14

has embedded sustainable values across the organisation and considers this as integral to running a successful organisation.

On a daily basis, Sage Gateshead encourages staff and visitors to be part of their green agenda.

Examples include: • Recycling all wastepaper • Making available clearly marked recycling and food waste bins • Monitoring water use to enable water-saving initiatives • Providing free metro travel to all ticket holders travelling to concerts • Using Vegeware disposable cups and paper straws in the café • Placing recyclable paper cups at water fountains • Promoting a “no-lift” day for staff and the public once a month • Offering coffee grounds from our café to the public to spread on their gardens • Giving café discounts to staff who use their own cup • Providing reusable water bottles to festival artists The Conference and Events team communicate the organisation’s commitment to a green agenda to all clients and have produced dedicated guidelines to ensure that everyone works in as sustainably responsible a manner as possible to minimise the environmental impact of each event.

EARTH CHOIR: VOICES FOR A LIVING PLANET

In 2015, right before the world leaders met at COP21 in Paris, we launched the religiously and politically independent project Earth Choir 2016. We believe that music is our oldest language and that singing is one of the strongest forces of humankind. The ability to keep pace together is unique to humans, and making music in a group creates connection, emotions and empathy between people. From the beginning, this is what made Homo sapiens invincible.

But we humans have been too strong for our own good. The effects of climate change due to human impact are seen around the globe. Therefore, Earth Choir 2016 invited choirs from all over the world to take part in a concert concept for the environment and the living planet. The project was as huge as it was simple. The author

Tiina Meri wrote texts to be recited during the concert. Songs between the texts were chosen by the choirs from their own repertoire. Through the texts and music, we wanted to draw attention to the threats and sustainability challenges facing humanity. We wanted to give hope and show solutions and opportunities. The purpose of the choir concerts was to gather thousands of voices to sing the praises of nature and its beauty.

Just as humans did in the very beginning – organizing themselves through rhythm and music – we wanted to connect ourselves to people all over the world to sing of the life we have been given and the future of the blue planet.

Choirs from four continents joined our project in 2016. After that, Earth Choir continued to live a life of its own. Our hope is that choirs from all over the world will find inspiration in our free texts and in the concept of making Earth Choir concerts.

By Sofia Söderberg, Initiator and Artistic Director www.earthchoir.org Edited by Anita Shaperd, USA

Sage Gateshead has maintained an Industry Green 2-star standard and is working towards 3-star in 2021. It is a founding member of the Gateshead District Energy Scheme, which powers the building with sustainable energy. It is one of the most unique environmental projects in the county. https://sagegateshead.com

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SOBER DIGITAL PRACTICES ISABELLE MÉTROPE ICB Managing Editor, France/Germany

Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

SOBER DIGITAL PRACTICES: A NEW NOTION THAT INVITES US TO ACT RESPONSIBLY WHEN CONSUMING DIGITAL PRODUCTS. THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY IN THE LAST DECADES (AS AN EXAMPLE, MORE THAN 500 HOURS OF CONTENT ARE UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE EVERY MINUTE (SOURCE: YOUTUBE.COM)). SO FAR, OUR CONSUMPTION SHOWS NO SIGN OF DECREASING. ICB GATHERED A COUPLE OF STATISTICS TO HELP US CONSIDER THE PLACE MUSIC TAKES IN THIS WHOLE SITUATION. Let’s start with a definition: Information and communication technologies (ICT): Diverse set of technological tools and resources used to transmit, store, create, share or exchange information.

These technological tools and resources include computers, the Internet (websites, blogs and emails), live broadcasting technologies (radio, television and webcasting), recorded broadcasting technologies (podcasting, audio and video players and storage devices) and telephony (fixed or mobile, satellite, visio/video-conferencing, etc.) (Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

With the increasing and the broadening of the information and communication technologies, including the acceleration of the digitisation of music, the amount of palpable material used in the music industry has seemingly dropped.

Our first thought is that this development might be respectful

Intérêt général © Eve Lomé

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of our environment: less plastic production ergo less trash, and our music storage (being only some space on any kind of device) is basically eternal.

Of course, it costs energy to store and access, but compared to the energy saved by not shipping millions of CDs across the planet, and by not having to recycle obsolete media, it’s probably much less severe than really big producers of greenhouse gas emissions such as factories, planes and cars… isn’t it? Well.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES NOW EMIT 4% OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS (GHG), THAT IS TO SAY MORE THAN CIVIL AVIATION. THIS SHARE COULD DOUBLE FROM NOW TO 2025 TO REACH 8% OF ALL GHG EMISSIONS, I.E. THE CURRENT SHARE OF CAR EMISSIONS. (2019, SOURCE: THESHIFTPROJECT.ORG)

Oops. And to put this number on a timeline: back in 2013, ICT’s share was only 2.5%. A vertiginous expansion, which doesn’t yet include the just as vertiginous shift in the use of online communication caused in 2020 by the pandemic. This shift resulted in a skyrocketing number of remote workers in need of online conference solutions, in a general demand for even more cloud-shared space and – very, very small indeed in comparison – in an increased number of produced and shared choir videos, online rehearsal solutions and online festivals. This being said, one big difference between the choir world and the “rest of the world” is that as music really lives from being shared together in one (non-virtual) room, and it is most likely that the majority of the choir data exchanged online because of the COVID crisis will return offline as soon as possible. Though: is digitised music greener?

The Universities of Glasgow, Scotland, and Oslo, Norway, conducted a common research project comparing the greenhouse gas emissions and the plastic productions of various music media over the last decades. This comparison is based on US statistics, but the trend depicted here could

greenhouse gas than Spain in one whole year1.

MANY A MICKLE MAKES A MUCKLE

likely be broadened. The years used are the peak years of the corresponding media according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

To cut a long story short: the amount of plastic used in the US music industry dropped from 58 million kilograms in 1977 to 8 million kilograms in 2016. Meanwhile, the greenhouse gas emissions burst to reach 350 million kilograms for the year 2016 alone.

In the amount of greenhouse gas produced, the research includes streaming as well as any kind of download.

Choirs recording CDs often don’t have much choice: the vast majority of labels display the work of their artists online on the usual streaming platforms, and abstaining from digitisation would mean renouncing opportunities.

It would be interesting though to reflect on how often we as consumers stream music which we actually already own on a local data storage medium, being a CD or a hard disk. Habits sneak in fast…

whoever would like to shift to a socalled “post-carbon economy”.

Among the available research results, one number is mindblowing. When ICT, as stated above, is responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions, these very emissions are dominated by one particular form of digital use: VIDEO FLOWS REPRESENTED 80% OF GLOBAL DATA FLOWS IN 2018 (…). THESE OTHER NON-VIDEO DATA FLOWS COVER EXTREMELY VARIED USES: WEB SITES, EMAILS, INSTANT MESSAGING, THE STORAGE

Flannery Ryan’s article on page 6 offers food for thought and action for choirs and event organisers.

Here are some ideas to shift on an individual level to a more responsible and sober digital practice: • The aforementioned Shift Project has developed a CO2 calculator browser add-on called Carbonalyser2, which depicts the amount of greenhouse gas emitted in a set period of time as well as, among others, the five visited websites that transferred the biggest amount of data.

• Most of the online videos are available in various qualities up to HD. Adapt the quality to the device you are using.

• Deactivate Autoplay on video platforms and decide yourself what you want to watch.

• Look at the high stack of books staring at you… how would it look if you reduced your online video consumption?

OF PHOTOS AND VARIOUS DATA, COMPANY NETWORKS, ETC. (SOURCE: THESHIFTPROJECT.ORG)

1 Source: University of Oxford project https://ourworldindata.org

Online video viewing, which makes up the major part, generates more

2 Look for it on www.ecosia.org, “the search engine that plants trees”!

MUSIC-DAVID AGAINST VIDEOGOLIATH

The Shift Project is a French think tank “dedicated to informing and influencing the debate on energy transition in Europe”. As a matter of fact, this website is a useful source of interesting content for 17

FOCUS Talking about streaming: according to the IFPI Global Music Report 2021, “total streaming (including both paid subscription and advertising-supported) grew 19.9% and reached $13.4 billion, or 62.1% of total global recorded music revenues”. In the same period, the revenues of physical formats (CD, LP, etc.) lost 4.7%: reaching, with $4.2 billion – 6 times less than 20 years ago – approximately 19.5% of the global recorded music industry revenues.

• Download your favourite music instead of streaming it on a regular basis.

• Looking for music on YouTube, but no need for the picture? Use add-ons like “YouTube Audio” to stream only the music.

• Spring-cleaning on your devices is not a fun activity, but you will feel lighter afterwards – and so will your energy consumption (and your device).

• Activate the dark mode of your apps or software. Your eyes will be relieved, as will the battery of your laptop or smartphone.

According to Carbonalyser, I produced 118g of CO2 when writing this article.

This is indeed the emission produced by my extensive research of verified statistics. It would have been better for the environment if I had just made them up… but in the end, it’s all a matter of choice.

LINKS

Lights If you can’t see it, you can’t read it. We

• “Lean ICT: Towards digital sobriety”: Our new report on the environmental have several to choose from, including this impact of ICT: https://theshiftproject.org/en/article/lean-ict-our-new-report/ • UNESCO Institute for Statistics: http://uis.unesco.org Xtraflex Duet, which clips onto your folder and • Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org is a project of the Global runs up to 28 hours. Great for singers, conducChange Data Lab in collaboration with the University of Oxford. tors and accompanists.

• IFPI Global Music Report 2021: https://www.ifpi.org Edited by Karen Bradberry, Australia

ISABELLE MÉTROPE is a singer, conductor and the managing editor of the International Choral Bulletin. She studied applied languages and music management, as well as conducting, singing and pedagogy, which is the cause as well as the result of a compulsive curiosity naturally leading to a strong interest in systematic musicology. Apart from singing solo and in several professional choirs, her favourite activities include page setting, translating, baking cakes, taking pictures and travelling around the Mediterranean. Oh, and she loves statistics – surprisingly enough. Email: icb.editor@ifcm.net

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Prepare to sing.

Folders, 3D singers’ masks and more for the post-pandemic world.

G

reat singing starts with proper preparation. Our folders are the choice of more than half a million singers, instrumentalists and directors worldwide. And our new singers’ masks are all-day comfortable and ASTM Level 3 certified (≥98%) – and best of all, have virtually no effect on sound quality.

While you’re on our site, check out our many other choir accessories as well, from clip-on Xtraflex LED lights to music stands and handy carrying bags.

Top-quality folders in multiple Then let the performance begin.

sizes and configurations for singers, instrumentalists and conductors. For traditional paper scores or iPads.

3D singer’s mask is comfortable and ASTM certified, and has minimal effect on sound. Also very affordable at only about $1 each (even less on bulk orders).

MUSICFOLDER.com www.musicfolder.com • sales@musicfolder.com

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PRODUCING SUSTAINABLE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FRANZISKA KLOOS Musicologist, Austria

Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Facing climate change due to man and its growing impact on ourselves and other species’ lives, we have to transform our use of resources in all areas. Musical instruments play a specific role in this context. As traditions of making musical instruments

have grown over centuries, it is impossible to change this in an instant. Their ways of working depend on so many aspects – just as eco systems are finetuned through a variety of conditions and interdependent species. In other words, we must respect nature, art and artisanry! However, how does making musical instruments affect the earth and its climate?

What options and alternatives are there? Let us look at what changes can be made to move towards sustainability.

1 https://onetreeplanted.org/pages/

Deforestation leads to a decline in biodiversity and climate change.

EVERY MINUTE, THE AREA OF 48 FOOTBALL PITCHES OF FOREST IS LOST. FORTY SIX PER CENT OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DESTROYED.1

tree-facts

Article en français

Extreme weathers, storms, draughts and floods are already becoming a threat to life on earth.

Protection and regrowth help to slow down the ever-accelerating change, which helps the planet to recover at least partially.

Unfortunately, precious wood from old forests traditionally used in making musical instruments is becoming scarce. What’s more, whole forests are cut down to obtain rare tropical wood.

Efforts to stop extinction have been made. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) was set up to regulate the market, prohibiting the felling and trading of precious and endangered wood.

The EU timber regulation prohibits the trade of illegal logging. Yet, tropical forests are being cleared, precious wood like rosewood is being traded every day, due to virtually no controls, complex supply chains and alarmingly low fines.2 Fortunately, some certificates help consumers find sustainable choices.

NAMM3 (National Association of Music Merchants) is working to share and expand sustainable practices worldwide.4

2 https://www.sueddeutsche.de/ wissen/zerstoerung-des-regenwaldsholzschmuggel-1.2865747 3 National Association of Music Merchants: https://www.namm.org/about 4 https://www.namm.org/issuesand-advocacy/regulatory-compliance/ sustainability

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FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)5 has established high ecological and social standards for the wood trade, including the making of musical instruments. The Sound and Fair campaign guarantees complete transparency of supply chains and supplies FSC certified African blackwood, or ebony, wood which is typically used for making woodwind instruments and is now nearly extinct.6 Taylor Guitars promote reforestation in their Ebony Project7, Martin Guitar is committed to using alternative wood and recycling.8 Equipment-wise, Edgware9 by BBICO10 provides products for woodwind and brass instruments. They produce non-synthetic products free of toxins and petroleums in biodegradable and recyclable packaging. Vandoren, global player in woodwind reeds, reduces CO2 emission in production while reusing cane waste.11 Looking to the future, we are facing multiple challenges.

Reforestation cannot compete with the current rate of deforestation. However, how can we protect endangered wood while maintaining artistic standards and sound quality? For a musical instrument, material properties like the density of wood, its inner 3D structure and resulting stability and flexibility are key to all aspects of sound production and transmission.

Those properties depend on the soil a tree has grown on, as well as the altitude and overall climate of the area. For example, the Sitka spruce grows slowly and under perfect conditions in the cool climates of Alaska and Canada. The density of the wood is ideal for making guitars. Its dwindling supply has led guitar manufacturers to engage in tree conservation. Wood from new and fast grown trees from other areas usually cannot compete, as it is not as robust and not as resonant.

Therefore, local newly grown wood does not seem to be a solution. However, hopes are high for thermal mechanical modification. Since 2017, a research project at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Germany) has developed a game changing technology: Heating wood like copper beech constantly and without oxygen dries them, making the material denser up to the point it is needed. In collaboration with Reinhardt

5 https://fsc.org/en 6 https://www.soundandfair.com See also http://www.swisswoodsolutions.ch/de/sonowood https://www.eben-holz.org 7 https://www.taylorguitars.com/ebonyproject/ 8 https://www.martinguitar.com/sustainability.html, see also https://www.leonardo-guitar-research.com 9 https://bbico.com/introducing-edgware-by-bbico/ 10 British Band Instrument Company: https://bbico.com 11 https://vandoren.fr/en/faq-tips/ Pêche © Eve Lomé

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Best Acoustics GmbH, they presented guitars made from thermally modified native tonewood at the Musikmesse Frankfurt trade fair.12 In the network project SubMat4Music, Professor Alexander Pfriem and his team from Eberswalde work together with tonewood manufacturers, dealers and instrument makers: “Our mission is to reproduce and improve acoustic properties of tonewood and to create long-lasting products with a high level of customer satisfaction.” Biological treatment has also been investigated. In future, reducing wood density with the help of fungi may help refine dynamic range and the variety of tonal colours in violins for soloists.13 Composites are another method of making sustainable musical instruments. Ekoa, a mélange based on flax linen and bio resin, has some notable characteristics. Flax is grown easily within 100 days. Its strong fibres are light-weight and easily shaped, yet Ekoa looks and sounds like wood. Warwick Music Group creates robust brass instruments designed for beginners made from recyclable ABS plastic.14 Légère’s synthetic bassoon reeds are appreciated for their reliability and durability.15 Searching for sustainable alternatives in making musical instruments can result in new acoustic worlds like the Vegetable Orchestra.16 The ensemble performs on instruments made of fresh vegetables and they then make a soup from the vegetable waste after concerts. Imagination has no limits, who knows what our sustainable musical future will sound like…

Edited by Christina Cordaroy, UK

12 https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/frankfurter-musikmesse-2017-zwischenkrisenstimmung-und.807.de.html?dram:article_id=383395 13 https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02524.x 14 https://warwickmusicgroup.com 15 https://www.legere.com/products/bassoon-reeds/ 16 https://www.vegetableorchestra.org

FRANZISKA KLOOS studied Music Education (teaching degree for secondary schools) and Musicology with a focus on dramaturgy for concerts and musical theatre, with bassoon as the main instrument at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany. During her studies, she worked as a freelance teacher and music journalist for Schott Music. In 2017 she published the book “Jennifer Walshe: Spiel mit Identitäten” (only available in German) about the Irish composer Jennifer Walshe. She has been working as a musical theatre teacher at the Graz Opera, Austria, since 2017/18, and will be taking over a similar role at the Erfurt Theatre from 2021/22. Email: franziska.kloos@posteo.de

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OUR VOICE FOR OUR PLANET Singing for the Earth over the ocean VIRGINIA BONO Conductor, Argentina MARTIN WINKLER Conductor, Germany

Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

FROM SOLITARY WORK INTO THE COMMUNITY

While we may be surrounded by singers, it is well known that the role of the musical director in amateur choirs is a rather solitary one. From selecting repertoire pieces and planning for the group’s musical growth to the research and decision-making involved in organising rehearsals and performing, these are just some of the examples of tasks that every musical director carries out. Faced with the impossibility of face-to-face rehearsals due to the pandemic in 2020, many of these duties were affected and the usual list of priorities changed. Uncertainty, misinformation, not knowing how or where to continue hampered attempts to plan and prepare in the usual way.

Against this backdrop, forums and meeting spaces sprang up everywhere for musical directors looking for and sharing information about technology, strategies for virtual rehearsals, ideas for on-going support and group sustainability. Starting out on social media networks, thanks to great organisational efforts, groups were quickly created for round-table – or rather square-window – discussions and meetings. From the figure of the solitary conductor, we turned to the community. In Latin America, we call it “tertulia”, in Germany “Stammtisch” and there are many other names for it around the world. In these spaces, that feeling of community grew meaning. Support, solidarity, reflection and a great resilient spirit, love and responsibility as leaders of our choirs formed the basis of our meetings and discussions. Creativity was also key, and several collaborative ideas emerged from our conversations.

THE HIDDEN POTENTIAL OF THE CHORAL REPERTOIRE

A text sung is a text strengthened by the most universal of languages: music. That is why choral works that deal with themes of social interest are a powerful vehicle for communication and consciousness. Violence, diversity, human rights, the value of indigenous communities around

https://our-voice-for-our-planet.com

Article en français

the world, the environment and the harmony of nature are just some of these important themes that take on another dimension when they form part of a concert programme.

One standout example of this is the piece Kasar mie la gaji by composer Alberto Grau, which was performed by his choir Schola Cantorum de Venezuela at the 2nd World Symposium on Choral Music in Sweden in 1990. Through this composition, Grau took his grave concerns about the environment and transferred them to the choral set. The piece is now performed by many choirs across in Latin America and around the world in mixed-voice and single-voice arrangements.

WE ARE THE VOICES FOR OUR PLANET

We are the first generation that knows exactly what we are doing.

We are also the last generation that can set ourselves on the right path to save our planet. Half a century ago when the “Club of Rome” presented The Limits of Growth, little could we imagine the gloomy prognosis they were painting.

More recently, the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated in a dramatic fashion how crucial it is to have space and that we need to be aware of the habitats of both humans and animals in order to lower the risk of a future zoonosis.

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We must create new consciousness to stop nature from being plundered and our natural resources from being wasted.

Through the “Our Voice for our Planet” project, we aim to bring choirs together who wanted to be actively involved in saving our planet. This idea has been developed in both Germany and Argentina at the same time to inspire choirs throughout our world about this important topic. In doing so, teams of musical directors and their choirs have signed up who are interested in incorporating pieces dealing with this topic into their repertoire to perform at future concerts, choir meets and festivals. We have also asked composers from diverse cultural backgrounds to create new pieces around the theme Protecting the Earth. This way we hope to be able to present interesting pieces for new programmes involving as many choirs as possible.

For children’s and youth choirs there are likewise fourteen brand new climate songs composed by Reinhard Horn. These songs will be performed next spring in various locations by the Earth Choir Kids project in collaboration with Greenpeace and the Deutschen Chorjugend, a choral organisation with more than 3000 choirs across Germany. Brazilian Carla Maffioletti, who currently works in the Netherlands, has recently brought out her opera “Paradijsvogel” (Bird of Paradise) which deal with the destruction of the rainforests in Brazil. The a cappella choruses and reduced instrumental ensemble will soon be ready to perform. Italian composer Battista Pradal has also composed a short inaugural anthem, “Our Voice for our Planet”. This is available to download, arranged for all choirs – together with our logo – from our website of the same name. Under "Musik/Komponisten" on our website, we have a list of compositions, and we also have a News tab where you can find out the latest about the project and other noteworthy activities. We are pleased to count on the support of several festivals, including the Harmonie Festival which will run from 18– 21 May 2023 in Lindenholzhausen, Germany.

After just a few short weeks, we already have over 80 choirs, ensembles and soloists from more than 20 European countries included as supporters on our “Wir sind dabei” (We’re in) list. If you would like to be included, please email us at info@our-voice-for-ourplanet.com.

Let us be the voice for our planet, spread our ideas and help to achieve our vision of a better world through the universal language of music.

Translated from Spanish and German

by Claire Storey, UK

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VIRGINIA BONO is a conductor and teaches choral conducting. She is Musical Director of the Estudio Coral Meridies, the Children’s Choir and the Girls' Choir based at the Choral Institute in Santa Fe province. She teaches conducting at “Tactus – Grupo de estudio de Dirección Coral” (Tactus – Study group for choral conducting).

She has been a guest conductor, a jury member for choral competitions and she teaches on courses, workshops and masterclasses in her native Argentina as well as other countries in Latin America and Europe. She works together with composers and publishers to promote and spread choral music from Argentina and Latin America. She is a member of Adicora (Argentinian Association of Conductors), Voces de Latinoamérica (Voices of Latin America) and Choralspace. Email: virginiabono@hotmail.com

For more than 40 years MARTIN WINKLER has been a conductor, highschool teacher, singing teacher, Director of the Dreieich Music School (Germany), workshop leader, jury member, guest conductor and festival leader.

He is a successful musical director of several ambitious amateur choirs (for example, the 80 Men of HARMONIE Lindenholzhausen) and chamber choirs as well as a guest conductor of professional choirs (the Latvian and Cuban State Choirs, among others). He also sings Bass in solo vocal ensembles. As well as demanding a cappella programmes, he also conducts a stylistically-wide repertoire including Monteverdi‘s “Vespers of the Blessed Virgin”, numerous Handel oratorios, Bach’s “Mass in B minor” and Mendelssohn’s “Hymn of Praise” as well as numerous premieres. He is passionate about discovering and re-discovering pieces, for example Puccini, Romberg, Herzogenberg and Pradall. Rounding up his artistic biography, he has also been involved with TV, radio and CD production as well as receiving several national and international advertising awards. Email: winkler.dirigent@gmail.com

ECO-THEMED CHORAL COMPOSITION CONTEST CONCURSOVOCESDELATINOAMERICA@GMAIL.COM

“VOCES DE LATINOAMÉRICA” IS AN ORGANISATION COMPOSED OF CHORAL DIRECTORS FROM 20 LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES THAT CAME OUT OF A DISCUSSION GROUP IN 2020.

In 2021, they will sponsor a composition contest for choral pieces that address environmental issues, both the protection of nature and life in harmony with it, in conjunction with the “América Latina Canta Unida” festival. The winning pieces will be a part of the repertoire of the festival and will be performed by hundreds of choirs across the continent. The compositions, for mixed SATB or SAB choirs and of medium difficulty, should be between two and four minutes long. The call for

Avidité © Eve Lomé

submissions is open to native or resident Latin American composers and has two specific goals: to stimulate choral compositions on ecological topics, and to incentivise choirs to include these works in their concert repertoires, thereby participating in a robust movement to raise awareness about the issues and the urgent need to provide solutions and social commitment.

Latin American countries have few public policies related to ecology, and other issues can feel more urgent to governments.

The possibility of economic support from the people for major ecological companies is also low due to the high rate of poverty.

However, our planet needs all of us now, and choirs can raise our voices, high and loud, and with our songs reach the hearts of singers, audiences, and nurture ecological values in new generations.

We can all be the voice of our planet. The time is now.

Translated from Spanish by Taylor Ffitch, USA

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IN AND OUTSIDE THE BOX:

A CHOIR OF 300 MILLION BEES ISABELLE MÉTROPE ICB Managing Editor

Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

THERE IS MUCH BUZZING ABOUT IN THE CHORAL WORLD. IN ONE PLACE, IDEAS ABOUND FOR A QUICK RETURN TO IN-PERSON REHEARSALS WITHIN PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES, WHILE IN OTHERS, VIRTUAL COMPETITIONS ARE ORGANIZED SO AS NOT TO CUT SHORT INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS. IN OTHER PLACES, PLANS B, C AND F ARE ESTABLISHED SO THAT ESPECIALLY — ESPECIALLY! — A FESTIVAL THAT HAS BEEN PLANNED WITH PASSION FOR FOUR YEARS WILL NOT HAVE TO BE CANCELLED. AND FOR SOME TIME NOW, IN FACT MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT OF CHORAL WORK IS CONSIDERED, REFINED AND ACTED UPON. NOT UNLIKE CERTAIN LITTLE BUZZING ROLE MODELS… Like the Apis mellifera (honey bee), choral singing is present on every continent except for Antarctica (at least to my knowledge. If the researchers at the Dumont D’Urville Station want to form a choir, we will dedicate an article

in the next ICB to their endeavour.

Just so you know…)

An estimate based on several statistics from choral federations leads us to believe that there are at least 300 million choristers on planet Earth. That represents about

4 percent of the global population, and it is no doubt an underestimate.

What a hive! But what is the link with honey bees, you ask? Read on….

HONEY BEES — WILD AND DOMESTIC — PERFORM ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF ALL POLLINATION WORLDWIDE. GRAINS ARE PRIMARILY POLLINATED BY THE WIND, BUT FRUITS, NUTS AND VEGETABLES ARE POLLINATED BY BEES. SEVENTY OUT OF THE TOP 100 HUMAN FOOD CROPS — WHICH SUPPLY ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S NUTRITION — ARE POLLINATED BY BEES. [SOURCE: GREENPEACE.ORG]

Honey bees are essential. And yet, in the past few decades various environmental protection organizations have observed and warned us of the sharp decline in the number of bees in the world.

This decrease is presumably due to the most dangerous animal for the planet: Man. Let us use this state of emergency to observe these small creatures.

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Non réductible à un rapport de prédication © Eve Lomé

They are excellent architects: a hive is the ultimate in spacesaving construction. Bees calculate their itinerary from flower to flower in the most economical manner possible in order to avoid useless trips. They work non-stop and ensure not only their own survival but ours as well. They are ever so small but each one is an important piece of the puzzle. They are very efficient: with their indispensible role in pollination, Greenpeace tells us that a third of the food we eat is available thanks to the work of bees.

When we think about our planet, at the damage to the environment that Man has provoked in the last centuries, and we choose to sort our garbage, to take our bike instead of the car to rehearsal, or to say that from now on, our communal choir meals will be made up of local products only, and eaten on real dishes that each one will bring, we may indeed feel we are just one solitary bee in a very large hive. But don’t forget that we are 300 million chorister-bees in the world and that with our music, we touch many more people…

ONE DROP IN THE OCEAN? YES, BUT A DROP OF CLEAN WATER!

It does not mean we will never set foot on an airplane ever again. Nor does it mean that we believe that all the choral bees in the world will have the means to install solar panels on their roofs, to abandon theirs cars for bikes and to buy only clothing made by ethical brands. As with everything, it is the small steps that count. No goal is achieved in one fell swoop, not a marathon, not the mastery of a foreign language and not the return to a clean planet. Let us find pleasure in taking these small steps and in the buzzing about of our musical community. And let us help our hardworking little role models by planting lavender, hawthorn, sage or angelica.

Translated from French by Patricia Abbott

The perfect combination between bees and choral singing?

The Singing Hoosiers from Indiana University: http://bit.ly/Indiana-bee 27

IFCM NEWS

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION FOR CHORAL MUSIC

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

DIGITAL POWER OF IFCM

MEETING SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES IN THE STATE OF QATAR Susie Billings

MUSICAL HERITAGE ON STAGE THE CHINA NATIONAL TRADITIONAL ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

LOGO, THEME, AND PHILOSOPHY BRING WSCM 2023/24 PLANNING INTO FOCUS

E POI LE PAROLE: NATURE

Emily Kuo Vong

WSCM 23/24 Team

IFCM CHORAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION 2022 RULES AND REGULATIONS IFCM Press Release 28

© NB-Fotografie

João C Silva

ICB 40TH ANNIVERSARY PHOTO CONTEST

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT EMILY KUO VONG President

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Dear IFCM Members, In March 2021, IFCM held its ExCom and Board meetings on Zoom. At the meetings, all IFCM workgroups updated us on the projects that they were planning or executing, and we were pleased to find that all the projects are going very well.

The WSCM 2023/24 is one of the most important events of IFCM, and the committees are working closely together. During the Board meeting, an update was given that the dates for WSCM 2023/24 have been confirmed as 30th December 2023 to 5th January 2024.This global symposium will be sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Qatar. To improve the working process, the Steering Committee was established and an online component of the symposium was created. Meanwhile, the theme of the WSCM 2023/24 has been announced as “Changing Horizons,” conveying the underpinnings of diverse cultures and choral music.

According to a report on the World Choral Day (WCD) project, IFCM will make a promotional video to show the value and importance of this event. Regarding the 2021 session of WCD, besides regular concerts over the world, there is a proposal to open up this project to individual singers so that they will be able to join by singing the anthem of WCD, “Cantando.”

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The World Choral Expo (WCE) 2022 is another one of IFCM’s marvellous events and will have special meaning in that it will be organized for the celebration of the IFCM’s 40th anniversary. The activities related to this project were reported at the Board meeting, including a clear vision of WCE and the preparation for the event in 2022.

The report on the Conductors Without Borders (CWB) project and its plans for the future were presented at the meeting. It is very exciting that the entire committee of this project divided the responsibilities among the committee members to ensure smoother development in different parts of the world, such as Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Based on current needs, a concrete proposal for CWB 2021 in Latin America has already been drawn up.

As a continuation of the SCOCYC project, the committee decided to design a special online event in 2021 with the involvement of the same singers and conductors who took part in the launch and initial performance in 2019 in China.

The first online event of the 2021 session took place on 18th May. As for the International Choral Education project, IFCM is currently cooperating with the Chanson de Montagne to train choral music teachers and to develop choral

education in South China, especially for minorities from Yunnan, Guizhou, and other provinces.

IFCM will also sign a cooperation agreement with Shenzhen Concert Hall authorizing it as an IFCM Choral Base in South China. It will provide a fully equipped place for IFCM’s lectures and two concerts per year. This educational project particularly targets developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, including China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, and other Central Asian countries. In the future (after the pandemic), IFCM will make an effort to send foreign teachers to those developing areas to help with choral education. IFCM will also explore collaborating with more conductors and make use of local resources to support this choral educational project.

I hope, through the above projects, IFCM will encourage more choral organizations and people to join our federation. With our joint efforts, the seed of love will take root and sprout, and the flowers of choral music will bloom like burning fire, lighting up the whole world.

Best wishes.

Edited by Karin Rockstad, USA

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IFCM NEWS

MEETING SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES IN THE STATE OF QATAR SUSIE BILLINGS Communications Director of WSCM 2023/24

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AS THE GLOBE COMES TO GRIPS WITH THE FACT THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS HAPPENING AT A MORE RAPID PACE THAN PREDICTED, WE ARE ALL LOOKING AT WAYS WE CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. Qatar is in a unique position. It is a desert environment, one of the largest producers of liquified natural gas in the world, and home to an extremely small population.

This has resulted in Qatar hitting the headlines in recent years as the country with the highest CO2 emissions per capita.1 Yet in total output, Qatar only accounts for 0.3% of global emissions.2 So, what are some of the things Qatar is doing to minimise its carbon footprint?

GREEN BUILDINGS

As the country rapidly develops, there has been a focus on green buildings, with major projects achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification3 or the more recently developed and regionally focused Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) certification.4

3 First developed by US Green Building Council in 1993 4 Starting in 2007 a Middle East North Africa standard was

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1 https://ourworldindata.org/per-capita-co2

created – projects that have been certified can be seen here

2 https://ourworldindata.org/co2/country/qatar

https://www.gord.qa/gsas-projects

Qatar National Convention Centre © Qatar Tourism Association

QNCC – THE MAIN VENUE FOR THE WSCM 2023/24

The Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), which will host the majority of the activities for the WSCM 2023/24, was the first building in Qatar to achieve LEED gold certification back in 2012.

Beyond the 40,000 square meters of exhibition space, there are 10 performance venues, a 4,000-seat conference hall and a 2,500 seat theatre.

Elements of the design and infrastructure that helped QNCC achieve this LEED gold certification include the installation of 3,500 square meters of solar panels on the roof. And to dramatically increase energy efficiency, occupancy sensors, LED lights, and zone-based air-control systems were implemented throughout the complex. These features work together to ensure substantially more sustainable energy use.

Many other significant building projects, including most of the stadiums for the FIFA World Cup in 2022, feature sustainable design and operation and have achieved GSAS certification.

DISTRICT COOLING

Another target area that has been identified to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact is in the air conditioning of large commercial and residential towers.

Qatar, being a desert country, has lovely, mild winters, but very hot and often humid summers.

With increased densification and the growth of high-rise buildings in Qatar, it was clear that cost-effective and more environmentally friendly cooling options were needed.

Plans for district cooling started in the early 2000s and the world’s largest district cooling plant was commissioned in 2010, supplying the island district known as the Pearl with all its air conditioning needs. More district cooling plants Qatar district cooling © Susie Billings

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IFCM NEWS

have been installed in major developments in the main commercial West Bay area of Doha, the new city of Lusail, and the Msheireb development area in the old city.

This major investment in district cooling plants ensures the use of high efficiency coolers and dedicated pipelines to feed buildings within a neighbourhood, drastically reducing the amount of energy required to make the buildings comfortable. One district project alone is estimated to “save 12.6 million kWhs per year compared to similar conventional coolers.”5

Municipality and Environment monitors the mangrove forest at Al Zakhira and has been repairing damage caused by visitors’ previously unlimited access. There is now an elevated walkway for exploring the mangroves without damaging the plant life’s delicate root systems.

DESALINATION PLANTS

While Qatar has a number of underground aquifers that were traditionally used to sustain life in the desert, the explosive population growth and development of first oil and then natural gas industries required a greater volume of water and a more sustainable and reliable source.

MANGROVE PROTECTION

Most photos of Qatar feature picturesque rocky outcrops in the north or the plethora of sand dunes in the south of the country, but Qatar also has a small and fragile ecosystem of mangroves on its east coast, 60km north of the capital city, Doha.

Globally, scientists have been gaining and promoting a greater understanding of the benefits of mangroves for carbon capture and as a habitat for birds, fish and other animals. Current estimates are that mangrove forests sequester carbon at five to eight times the rate of boreal or tropical forests. In addition to carbon sequestration, Qatar’s mangrove is an important stop for a variety of migratory bird species, including flocks of flamingos.

Steps have been taken in recent years by the government to protect Qatar’s coastline, with 40% of it being designated as protected area.6 The Ministry of

Qatar first started desalinating sea water in 1955 and continues to expand production and storage capacity rapidly. With a population growing from 500,000 people in early 2000 to over 2.7 million today, reliable desalinated water is essential for survival. However, there is a significant energy cost to produce clean, potable water. Qatar is currently investing heavily to improve the energy-intensive, thermal desalination systems currently in use and expanding capacity with new plants that use the more energy-efficient, reverseosmosis desalination process.7 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Qatar’s primary source of wealth is fossil fuels, predominantly cleaner-burning natural gas; however, the national leadership also recognises that Qatar has a wealth of sunshine, is natively water-poor, and is currently reliant on gas reserves that will not last forever.

5 https://www.utilities-me.com/article-2605-msheireb-opts-fordistrict-cooling 6 https://forestsnews.cifor.org/13101/qatars-mangroves-why-

7 H Rahman, Syed Javaid Z. Desalination in Qatar: Present

they-matter-to-climate-change?fnl=

Status and Future Prospects. Civil Eng Res J. 2018; 6(5): 555700.

DOI: 10.19080/CERJ.2018.06.555700.

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Qatar Mangrove © Susie Billings

© Susie Billings

As we all seek ways to change the world for the better, Qatar looks forward to continuing to be a force for change, most recently joining with the USA, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Canada to form a Net-Zero Producers Forum to work more cooperatively to develop pragmatic, net-zero emission strategies.

Doha Metro Card © Susie Billings

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IFCM NEWS

Partnerships and investments in research projects at the Qatar Science and Technology Park8 (QSTP) are fundamental to Qatar’s future. Since 2010, projects investigating new solutions for solar energy, water conservation, food security, and other technological innovations have been undertaken under the roof of the QSTP. The focus of this collection of institutions is to find solutions to problems specific to Qatar and the region, such as complications in the implementation of solar energy. There is an abundance of sunlight throughout the year in Qatar, but there are also regular sandstorms that coat, cover, and can scratch traditional solar panels, significantly reducing their performance. Research for innovative, cost-effective solutions continues on this and other locally pertinent issues of sustainability.

As we all seek ways to change the world for the better, Qatar looks forward to continuing to be a force for change, most recently joining with the USA, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Canada to form a Net-Zero Producers Forum to work more cooperatively to develop pragmatic, net-zero emission strategies.9

8 https://qstp.org.qa 9 https://www.energy.gov/articles/joint-statement-establishing-net-zero-producersforum-between-energy-ministries-canada

VISITORS TO QATAR FOR WSCM 2023/24

Qatar continues to actively introduce new infrastructure with a focus on sustainability. When visiting Qatar for WSCM 2023/24, you can fly Qatar Airways which operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets and is part of the IATA carbon offset program10 Once in Doha, you can travel on brand new public transport systems including an underground metro system, above ground tramways, and soon to be introduced electric buses.11 “When Qatar bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, it did so with a vision to use the tournament as a catalyst for sustainable, longterm change in Qatar and across the Arab world”, said the Qatar22 Chairman, HE Hassan Al Thawadi.12 With the World Symposium on Choral Music coming just one year after Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup, symposium attendees will benefit from the substantial and ongoing efforts in Qatar to create and live more sustainable lives.

Edited by J. Aaron Baudhuin, Germany

10 https://www.qatarairways.com/enus/about-qatar-airways/environmentalawareness.html 11 https://www.sustainable-bus.com/ news/yutong-mowasalat-fifa-world-cup2022-qatar/ 12 https://www.fifa.com/what-we-do/ Msheireb tram © Susie Billings

sustainability/strategy/

SUSIE BILLINGS is a multi-national who has lived and sung on four continents. She has been a resident of Doha, Qatar since 2007. She has sung in musicals, as a church soloist and in audition choirs and a capella groups since high school. When not singing, she has worked for a variety of organisations around the world and is an advocate for gender and human rights.

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LOGO, THEME, AND PHILOSOPHY BRING WSCM 2023/24 PLANNING INTO FOCUS WSCM 2023/24 TEAM

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2021 has been a very busy time for the WSCM 2023/24 organizers. COVID’s disruption of scheduled events across the world has resulted in unavoidable delays in plan rollouts. The New Zealand-to-Qatar handover of the WSCM, which was scheduled for July 2020 in New Zealand, was unfortunately canceled along with the attending Auckland event. The IFCM Board elections, including WSCM 2023/24 Organizing Committee appointments, were also postponed until December 2020. Nevertheless, the team has been operating in high gear since the start of 2021 to make up for lost time, and 2023/24 planning is back on schedule.

In this issue of the ICB, we would like to take the opportunity to properly present the inspiration behind planning and design for the 2023/24 WSCM: the logo, the theme, and the philosophical pillars.

In a country characterized by arid desert, areas of greenery create a powerful draw that cannot be fully appreciated without firsthand experience… and that experience fully engages the senses. The temperature drop, the smell of earth and growing plants, the moisture in the air, all signal one’s arrival in irrigated land. But a further clue indicating a crossing from desert to fertile ground is in the songs of birds. The desert is a place of subtle sounds. In contrast, the birdsongs of an oasis are a welcome explosion of music.

A wide variety of songbirds contributes to the natural soundscape of Qatar.

Among this group, the myna bird is ubiquitous. Originally from South Asia, the myna bird is now a part of regions across the globe. And while myna birds are deemed invasive in some parts of the world, in Qatar, the myna bird enjoys a long local history and lives comfortably side by side with other bird species. Like so many who live in Qatar, it is simply another resident with strong global ties.

The myna bird is a virtuoso vocalist. It has an immense range of sounds and songs with which to communicate. There are many cases of hand-

raised mynas who have learned to perfectly imitate human speech. And as if to echo the choral community (or perhaps it is the choral community echoing them), myna birds demonstrate the particularly notable habit of gathering in large flocks at dusk for collective singing. In Qatar, one can witness this gala performance by walking among the trees and pathways of Katara Cultural Village or Al Bidda Park at sunset. Qatar’s mynas are already rehearsing for 2023/24!

The image selected as the logo for the WSCM 2023/24 is the creation of Egyptian graphic artist, Mahmoud Tammam. A master of Arabic calligraphy, Tammam has used the letters of the WSCM Arabic acronym to create his whimsical depiction of a myna bird with outspread wings. The signature yellow beak and black body are accented by a dash of burgundy wings. The wings’ color reflects that of Qatar’s flag while the design gives a nod to a bird that is simultaneously a global citizen and local singing sensation.

THEME: CHANGING HORIZONS

The theme “Changing Horizons” speaks on a number of levels to the mission of the WSCM 2023/24 and to the global choral community.

It encourages a new and broader understanding of choral music that embraces styles, regions, and ensemble-singing traditions 35

IFCM NEWS

previously excluded from the conventional definition of choral music. There is creative wealth inherent in these parallel artistic experiences. It holds the potential to enrich the evolution of collective singing. To change the horizon is to extend the boundaries of our art form. The horizon limits our own vision. But horizons need not be stagnant; beyond every horizon, there will always be more to discover.

“Changing Horizons” also speaks to a world recently changed.

COVID has impacted choral singing in ways that could never have been anticipated. It has brought great hardship but also incredible innovation and growth. Singers, conductors, and composers everywhere have worked to find

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new ways to blend and transmit the human voice and, in so doing, have redefined the experience of choral singing. The result is realized in the rehearsals and performances made possible by technology. It has led to changing understandings of what it means to be an audience member or an ensemble singer. It has prompted composers to create works of art shaped by restrictions that build on these new realities.

And it represents a deepened appreciation in all of us that we will never again take for granted what it means to sing together. COVID will end, but our choral world will emerge more resilient and interconnected as a result of these shared experiences.

Finally, “Changing Horizons” speaks to the literal horizon of desert and ocean that so defines the experience of life in Qatar.

Wind, sculpting the sand and the sea, creates a physical world whose boundaries are forever shifting and adapting. The edges of the horizon are ephemeral, fleeting

and beautiful, like the experience of music itself.

BEYOND THE THEME AND LOGO, AN UNDERLYING PHILOSOPHY

The Organizing Committee has identified three philosophical pillars that inform all elements of design and planning for the WSCM 2023/24 and which constitute the foundations of the event. These are Diversity, Inclusivity, and Equity.

Diversity means a commitment to bringing together the very best in collective singing from the widest possible range of styles, regions, traditions, and cultures. The World Symposium on Choral Music is intended to be global, not just in the audience but also on the stage and at the podium. Collective singing takes on many forms, and the Organizing Committee for the WSCM 2023/24 looks to curate a program that displays our art form at its highest level and in all its unique and beautiful manifestations.

Inclusivity means a commitment to the conscious pursuit of topquality choirs, composers, and

speakers who may not have been featured before. Choral singing is too often understood as a Western art form which, despite its exportation around the world, is practiced within prescribed artistic boundaries.

The result of this limited definition of choral music has been the underrepresentation of groups that fall outside traditional perimeters.

While “diversity” strives to achieve a broad range of representation in the WSCM 2023/24 program, “inclusivity” speaks to a conscious inclusion of those groups that may have been previously overlooked.

We learn to appreciate music through exposure, and the result can be a bias in all of us towards the familiar. The WSCM offers the perfect occasion to challenge these biases and expand our personal and collective repertoires. By seeking to be inclusive, the WSCM 2023/24 aims to create exciting new musical opportunities for practitioners and audiences alike.

There is always more to discover beyond the horizon.

Equity entails the accessibility of the WSCM 2023/24 to highquality performers, presenters, and participants regardless of their circumstances. The goal of the organizers is to allow caliber alone to dictate the selection of performers and speakers. They also seek to provide support for logistical, financial, and diplomatic requirements and to meet additional needs that might otherwise challenge potential participants. Equity is clearly not limited to the immediate needs of participation in a single event, but is also complicated by longterm factors and challenges faced by individuals over the course of a lifetime. However, the WSCM 2023/24 is committed to improving accessibility wherever it is able to do so. The WSCM is only a true “World Symposium” if the world is able to take part.

In keeping these pillars at the forefront of the planning and design process, the WSCM 2023/24 aims to provide two outcomes for the

choral world. First, the WSCM 2023/24 promises an irresistible program of performances and presentations that removes barriers and represents the very best the world has to offer. Second, by tying these philosophical pillars to the tangibles of planning, such as program and budget, the WSCM 2023/24 aims to translate the ideas of Diversity, Inclusivity, and Equity into real-world action.

The WSCM 2023/24 will bring together the very best the choral world has to offer in terms of choirs, singers, speakers, presenters, conductors, composers, and more. In this new era of changing horizons, there is an ongoing opportunity for all of us to share, learn, and appreciate. We look forward to welcoming the choral world to Qatar in 2023/24.

Edited by Joel Hageman, USA

Qatar National Convention Centre © Susie Billings

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IFCM NEWS

IFCM CHORAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION 2022 Rules and Regulations IFCM PRESS RELEASE INTRODUCTION

The International Federation for Choral Music has organized four international choral composition competitions since this project was created in 2010. The aim of these competitions is to promote the creation and distribution of new, innovative, and accessible choral repertoire. Also, to promote and encourage composers to creation and distribution.

IFCM announces its Fifth International Competition for Choral Composition to promote new works in choral music and to encourage innovation in choral writing which fits the needs of a 21st-century choir. We are looking for compositions that combine originality, imagination, and creativity within the context of contemporary global themes.

PARTICIPATION

The competition is open to all composers of any nationality and any age. The participation fee varies according to the nationality of the composer and a country’s designation in the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI country groups are based on measures of achievement in the basic dimensions of human development across countries.

These dimensions include knowledge (education index), long and healthy life (life expectancy index), and a decent standard of living (GNI index). For more information about the index, visit IFCM website, Membership fees.

Country Group

Fee

HDI 1

US$ 25.00

HDI 2

US$ 18.00

HDI 3

US$ 12.00

CATEGORIES

1. Mixed Choir • Voicing: SATB with minimal divisi or SSA(A) or TTB(B) • Duration: 4-6 minutes • Difficulty: The composition should be accessible to an average - good amateur choir and must have a medium level of difficulty.

• Instruments: The composition may feature instruments, with the understanding that the primary focus of the work should be the voices. The total 38

number of the added instruments should be no more than three. The instrumental part should enrich the texture of the music and not merely double the voices.

• Text: The text of the composition can be either original or from sacred or secular sources in any world language. It may also be based on onomatopoeic syllables or on newly-created words and sounds that do not necessarily convey a meaning. If the text is not original or is not in the public domain, written authorization from the author or copyright holder must be sent with the application. The authorization should indicate rights for use and reproduction.

• Movement: The inclusion of optional choreography and eurythmic elements is acceptable.

2. A Song for World Choral Day World Choral Day (WCD) is an international choral event to celebrate the values of solidarity, peace, and understanding through choral singing! Thousands of choirs have joined in the celebration of World Choral Day on or around the second Sunday in December in the past twenty years. Millions of singers across the globe have been involved in World Choral Day concerts, festivals, sing-alongs, choral seminars, Days of Friendship, and other events.

The Song for World Choral Day category calls for a composition that will be sung on World Choral Day by choirs around the world. By its nature, this composition should concentrate on values that connect all humans all over our planet.

• Voicing: Two parts with high and low voices.

• Duration: 2-3 minutes • Difficulty: The composition must be singable by all choirs and should be easy to teach/learn.

• Instruments: An optional piano part is acceptable.

• Text: The text of the piece can be in any world language. The text should carry a message related to the philosophy of World Choral Day. If the text is not original or is not in the public domain, written authorization from the author or copyright holder must be sent with the application. The authorization should indicate rights for use and reproduction.

SUBMISSION

Composers may join the competition with one piece per category.

Submissions should be sent by email to manager@ifcm. net. Each submission should include: • Application form1 • The composition in PDF format, scored in a professional notation program (Sibelius, Finale, etc.) with numbered pages. Scanned manuscripts will be accepted if they are legible with clear writing and no amendments.

• Midi / Mp3 file of the composition The file name for the score and accompanying audio file should include: category (Mixed or WCD), the title, pseudonym/motto chosen by the composer, and the estimated duration of the composition (e.g., Mixed_ Ilovetosing_LouiseMaeDye_4.70). Compositions not submitted in this format will not be accepted.

DEADLINE: 15 JANUARY 2022. SUBMISSION TO BE SENT TO MANAGER@IFCM.NET.

The compositions submitted must be original and unpublished. They cannot have been awarded prizes nor be waiting for a verdict in any other competition.

They should not have been presented to the public.

Arrangements or adaptations of existing works will be excluded.

Participants should ensure that their pseudonym/motto is clearly written on the files according to the specified above. Any indication that reveals the composer’s identity in advance will lead to immediate disqualification.

The works presented should not be divided into parts as a song collection or suites; rather, they must be one comprehensive work.

PRIZES

Mixed Voices • Winner Prize: 1.000 USD • Premiere at one of the IFCM related events • Feature article about the composer and work in the International Choral Bulletin (ICB) • Feature posts on the IFCM website and social media • One year complimentary IFCM individual membership

• Composition printed in ICB • Feature posts on the IFCM website and social media • One year complimentary IFCM individual membership JURY

The jury of the IFCM Choral Composition Competition consists of five composers/conductors of world-class, international reputation from multiple continents.

The decision of the jury is final. The jury may, at its discretion, withhold any or all prizes if submitted works fail to meet the set criteria.

Jury members can also give special mentions to any submitted piece.

COPYRIGHT

Compositions submitted to the competition shall be deemed the Intellectual Property of the submitting composer and any rights relating to this shall remain with the composer. The winner of the competition shall grant IFCM the right to premiere the winning piece within 12 months of the announcement of the winners. No public performance shall be allowed prior to the premiere performance by IFCM without the consent of IFCM. Should IFCM be prevented from giving the premiere within this time frame, the composer shall be free to have the composition premiered elsewhere. IFCM shall not have to pay any additional fee to the composer for any audio and/or audio-visual recordings of the performance.

If the winning composer is not subject to a contract binding him/her to a specific publishing house, IFCM may publish parts of the score in the International Choral Bulletin without remuneration to the composer.

Publication of the full score shall only be possible with the explicit consent of the composer. In this case, IFCM shall also support the composer in finding a publishing house for full publication. All winning works should be marked, whenever possible, as “one of the winning entries of the IFCM Fifth International Competition for Choral Composition” on the music score cover or in the concert program.

Participation in the competition implies full knowledge and acceptance of these regulations.

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World Choral Day Song • Winner Prize: 500 USD • The official anthem of World Choral Day project in 2022 and 2023 (possibly performed by more than 200 choirs from all over the world) • Feature article about the composer and piece in the International Choral Bulletin (ICB)

1 https://www.ifcm.net/projects/choral-composition-competition

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IFCM NEWS

DIGITAL POWER OF IFCM JOÃO C SILVA IFCM Communication Manager, Portugal

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Artículo en español

Article en français

MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER “GO DIGITAL”. SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS ARE THE MOST POWERFUL ONLINE PLATFORMS TO CONNECT PEOPLE ALL OVER. WITH ALL EVENTS POSTPONED, WE MOVED IFCM MORE ONLINE WITH A NEW SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND WITH A LOT OF NEW IDEAS TO IMPLEMENT. YOU CAN EXPECT SOME SURPRISES IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS. I am João C Silva and as the new Communication Manager, it is extremely important for me to receive feedback from the IFCM community to understand what is the most relevant content and what kind of topics we should talk about to get more followers and be relevant on digital platforms.

THIS WORLD HAS CHANGED...

IT IS NOT NEW, BUT HOW TO ENGAGE WITH THIS NEW WAY OF LIFE?

First, we listened, then we came out with some new ideas. Eager to start putting on events again, our team is preparing different actions to keep our members engaged with IFCM. IFCM wants to reach more people and spread its message to younger people, and social media platforms are the best way to do this. IFCM is present in the most popular social media networks: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

On Facebook, we have business pages for IFCM, ICB – International Choral Bulletin, the World Choral Day and the World Choral Expo. Our content is divided into these four categories. Beyond these pages, we also have a Facebook group with more than 2,800 members, where we share the latest news about choral music, upcoming events, beautiful performances and so on. Our Facebook page has more than 276,000 followers and as an example, in April, we reached more than 16,285 people around the world with more than 1,500 interactions. Our main audience last month came from Lebanon, USA, Finland, Egypt and Denmark, 21% aged between 25 and 34 years.

But since Facebook is not as popular as it used to be, IFCM is increasing its community on other major social media platforms, such as Instagram with 667 followers and Twitter with 557 followers. The age of our audience

on Instagram and Twitter is similar to that on Facebook: 34.8% are between 25 and 34 years old.

In addition to social media networks, IFCM has four different websites: • https://www.ifcm.net • http://icb.ifcm.net • http://worldchoralexpo.com • http://worldchoralday.org With the same strategy as social media, IFCM divided the Internet presence into these different websites to help our readers to easily access the information they are looking for.

IFCM is preparing surprises and improvements for its members and readers; there are many new projects coming soon. Follow us and I will let you know about everything we are preparing… stay tuned!

Edited by Olivia Scullion, UK

JOÃO C SILVA is a native of Lisbon but considers himself a world citizen since he has visited the five continents, engaging with different people and cultures. With a degree in Business Communication, he also studied in Madrid, and after his degree worked in Split, Croatia, at the Tourist Board of Croatia as Social Media Manager. In 2015, João co-founded digital connection, a digital marketing and communication agency, receiving creativity awards for its work. Outside Portugal, the agency has offices in Dubai and the Philippines. In addition to working as managing partner of digital connection, he is Communication Manager at IFCM, International Federation of Choral Music and professor of digital marketing at EPAD. As a communications professional he received Creative Director award twice in 2019 by the Lusophone Creativity Awards, where he is currently a judge.

Email: communication@ifcm.net 40

MUSICAL HERITAGE ON STAGE The China National Traditional Orchestra & Chorus Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

THE IFCM HAS A NEW NATIONAL MEMBER. THE CHINA NATIONAL TRADITIONAL ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS IS AN ORIGINAL,LARGESCALE ORGANISATION DEDICATED TO THE PERFORMANCE OF CHINA’S RICH AND ANCIENT MUSICAL HERITAGE. The China National Traditional Orchestra (CNTO) is a state-level performing arts group funded by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is the largest and most comprehensive musical institution of its kind in the world, comprising of a full orchestra, a chorus and offices for concerts and composition, etc.

Founded in 1960 under the guidance of the late Premier Zhou Enlai, CNTO’s inaugural President Li Huanzhi is an esteemed composer and the Chairman of the Chinese Musicians Association. Current leadership consists of party secretary Liu Jie and President Zhao Cong, deputy party chief and supervision chief Liu Yupu, VP Tang Feng.

CNTO’s mission is to promote China’s musical heritage which has lasted for thousands of years. With an extensive repertoire including instrumental concerts and new staged works adhering to the folk tradition, CNTO has contributed to the country’s cultural diversity and creativity for many years.

The chorus won a top prize at the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students.

Through the decades, all of China’s leaders – Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping – and many foreign dignitaries have enjoyed CNTO’s performances, many of which have been highly praised.

China National Traditional Orchestra & Chorus

Mr. Liu Jie, CNTO's Secretary of Party Committee

Ms Zhao Cong, CNTO's President

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IFCM NEWS

CNTO has visited numerous countries over the years, including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Peru, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Moreover, the orchestra performs in the Chinese territories of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan periodically, in order to connect to the Chinese people living there.

In recent years, CNTO has produced full-length programmes which have become classic repertoire for the company, such as the Impression series: Impressions of Chinese Music, Rediscover Chinese Music, and Xuanzang’s Pilgrimage, as well as national concert Grand Music from China, Resounding and Prolonged Chinese Melody, Beautiful Rivers and Mountains, Chinese Melody of Feminine Beauty, national symphony chorus Rhapsody Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei,

China National Traditional Chorus

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CNTO’s president, pipa player Zhao Cong played Blooming with Russian balalaika player in the celebration performance of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Russia, Russian State Grand Theatre, 2019

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IFCM NEWS

national documentary musical Homeland, themed audiovisual concert Eternal Happiness of Chinese Festival, national symphony chorus Sing a Song to the Party from Heart.

has won acclaim from audiences both in China and abroad, for the richness of its music arrangements, versatility on stage, and the many styles it is able to project.

This text is provided by the China National Traditional Orchestra.

Edited by Rebeka Angstmann, UK

COME AND LISTEN TO THIS WORLD RENOWNED GOLDEN PRIZE-WINNING CHORUS

The China National Traditional Orchestra (CNTO) Chorus is a nationally recognised ensemble with a distinctive ethnic style of singing. It won the golden prize at the 6th and 13th World Festivals of Youth and Students.

For many years, the chorus has taken pride in interpreting songs and choral music inspired by the Chinese folk heritage deeply rooted in the ethnicities of various regions, over the course of thousands of years across multiple dynasties. It

本文介绍了中国中央民族乐团和合唱团的发 展现状和成就。中国中央民族乐团是世界上同 类音乐机构中规模最大、音乐最全面的组织， 旨在弘扬已经持续了数千年的中国传统音乐 文化和遗产，其精彩的演出为中国的文化多样 性和文化创造力做出了卓越的贡献。

CNTO’s themed audiovisual concert Eternal Happiness of Chinese Festival, Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, Beijing, China, 2020

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E POI LE PAROLE: NATURE Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

ICB ASKS MEMBERS OF THE CHORAL WORLD ABOUT HOW A PARTICULAR WORD RESONATES WITH THEM. THIS TIME, THE WORD IS ‘NATURE’. LET’S SHARE SOME INSPIRING POINTS OF VIEW. When I think about the word Nature it reminds me of the time I spend in the forest picking mushrooms.

The day is sunny, sun slips through the branches of the trees. It also reminds me about working in my garden and going to the beach.

Izabela Liliana Bien, Music teacher and organist, choir singer, Warsaw, Poland/Melbourne, Australia

Standing outside the 12th century church in our French village after a concert by my Yale Schola Cantorum in happier times, surrounded by the beauties of Nature. We called for silence and listened to the birds – an unforgettable moment! Simon Carrington, conductor, Bradfordon-Avon, England, & Puy Calvel, France

Nature, as it should, permeates every facet of my creative life and is the foundation on which I have constructed most of my work as a composer. I try to immerse myself in it, drinking deeply, as a source of inspiration for my music. Sapiens, inspired by Nature’s perhaps most impressive creation – humankind – is both the title and the framework of my most extensive piece.

Especially in this pandemic, Nature beckons with a greater insistence and commands me to disconnect with one world and reconnect with the one that has nourished our species. Sean Hickey, Composer, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Business Development, Naxos of America, Brooklyn, NY, USA

We are part of that wonderful and exciting whole called ‘Nature’. I feel in permanent communion with her at every moment of my life, in admiration and gratitude for each inexplicable and wonderful details that this generous Mother shows me at every step. I surrender to her power when she screams and rages and gives us lessons of humility. She is the greatest teacher we have been granted in our path through this life. María Guinand, IFCM Vice President for Latin America, Artistic Director of the Fundación Schola Cantorum de Venezuela

Van Gogh said: “If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere” and as part of Nature we should try to be more protective. Since my childhood I feel very connected to the black sea forest of eastern Turkey.

Ayça Miraç, Jazz singer and voice teacher. Gelsenkirchen, Germany/Istanbul, Turkey

The first thing that comes to mind when I encounter the word Nature is the environment – trees, animals, and different bodies of water and land.

Innate and organic – these are two other words I closely associate with Nature which can also be used to describe us and our human activities.

Irvinne Redor, Secretary General of the Philippine Choral Directors Association and Owner of The Choir Loft.

Manila, Philippines

Comorbidité © Eve Lomé

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IFCM NEWS

The word Nature sounds like green to me, like wild herds, waterfalls, and deserts. It sounds like globe, mother, home, memories. It sounds like myself and all others, past and future, ephemeral life, resurrections, and deaths. Yves Ytier, violinist, dancer and choreographer, Köln, Germany/Santiago de Chile, Chile

Untamed and indomitable Nature... the Nature I like best: the Mistral and Tramontana from my Occitane childhood, the Congo River and its tumultuous roaring from my African youth, the equatorial forest and its blazing tornadoes! Wind, water, vegetation, fire: all these elements which form the basis of our essential universe and the movements of our soul, find their breath in music… and it is what calls us on every journey! Yvonne Leyimangoye, choir member of "Le Chant sur la Lowé", Libreville, Gabon

So beautiful and so pure, so soft and so colourful, it is by your power Mother Nature that our censorship emanates, it is by your emblem that I draw my words, my notes, my voice. You are the dawn that breathes into my soul...I love you. Fabienne Dosseh, chorister, Dakar, Senegal Edited by Gillian Forlivesi Heywood, Italy/UK

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© NB-Fotografie

ICB 40th Anniversary photo contest

(c) IJM

We’ve all been stuck at home … but the ICB has been busy circling the globe! Where do you read yours? In the mountains of Hungary, on the banks of the St Lawrence, by the cliffs of Ireland or in the Cordillera? Under a tree or in front of a cosy fire, a cat on your lap?

Send us your most beautiful, unusual, exotic photo of yourself reading the ICB, in a setting typical of your region, surrounded by your favourite scenery, or with the oldest copy in your collection.

The most original photo will be given a prominent place in our October 2021 anniversary edition!

Send your photo to icb.editor@ifcm.net by 25 August 2021 47

CHORAL WORLD NEWS

CHORAL WORLD NEWS

THE MUSIC AGAINST CHILD LABOUR COMPETITION Jeunesses Musicales International

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SINGING "FLYING OVER THE RAINBOW" WITH ETHNIC MINORITY KIDS Fang Wang

Ta Cheng Primary School “Fly over the Rainbow” (Naxi Autonomous County in Lijiang, Yunnan Province)

THE MUSIC AGAINST CHILD LABOUR COMPETITION

FOSTERING AWARENESS AND ACTION THROUGH MUSIC JEUNESSES MUSICALES INTERNATIONAL

Artikel auf Deutsch

The Music Against Child Labour competition1 was launched on February 3rd 2021 as a joint initiative of Jeunesses Musicales International2 and the International Labour Organization3, with the aim of harnessing the power of music to help combat child labour which affects 152 million children, nearly 1 in 10 children worldwide.

UNIQUE ENTRIES

The competition called upon musicians of all genres to submit songs and take a stand against child labour by raising awareness of the consequences of child labour all over the world, and inspiring governments, stakeholders and communities to take action.

The first edition of the contest takes place with the support of the CLEAR Cotton project (co-funded by the European Commission and implemented by the ILO in collaboration with the FAO) in the framework of the UN International Year for the elimination of child labour 2021.

Over 200 musicians from 50 different countries submitted their songs in one of three categories: a global category for all artists; a grassroots category for music projects involving children affected by (or at risk of) child labour; and a CLEAR Cotton project4 category for national competitions run in Burkina Faso, Mali, Pakistan and Peru, where the CLEAR Cotton project works with partners to combat child labour and forced labour in the cotton, textile and garment value chains.

Artículo en español

Article en français

• 211 Musicians • 52 Countries CATEGORIES

• 62 in Clear Cotton • 136 in Global • 18 in Grassroots GEOGRAPHY

• 39 from South America • 28 from Europe • 13 from North/Central America • 72 from Africa • 63 from Asia • 1 from Oceania JMI has specifically partnered local organisations in Burkina Faso (Ateliers Silmandé5), Mali (Ecole de Kirina6), Pakistan (The Little Art Association7) and Peru (SIMCCAP, the Union of Musicians, Composers and Singers of Peru) as part of the competition’s CLEAR Cotton category. The partnership with grassroots organisations and ILO focal points helped in reaching out to several musicians at local and national levels.

They also provided opportunities to raise awareness of the impact of child labour in the cotton industry in these countries. The final winners, one for each global category and one for each CLEAR Cotton country, are now selected by a panel of technical and music experts.

The celebrity jury included multi-award winning musicians A.R. Rahman, Laura Pausini, Ralph Johnson (Earth, Wind & Fire), Juan Diego Florez and Lokua Kanza.

1 https://www.musicagainstchildlabour.com/competition 2 https://jmi.net 3 https://www.ilo.org

5 https://www.facebook.com/AtelierSilmande

4 https://www.ilo.org/ipec/projects/global/clearcotton/lang--en/

6 https://www.facebook.com/EcoleDeMusiqueDeKirina

index.htm

7 https://www.facebook.com/simccap1945

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CHORAL WORLD NEWS

Entries were judged on musical quality, the relevance of the message, song originality, and the inclusion of a positive call to action. The official announcement of the winners took place in June, on the occasion of the 2021 World Day against Child Labour event during the ILO’s International Labour Conference. The competition awarded a cash prize to all winners and provided them with the opportunity to professionally record a digital live performance to be broadcast during the international event organised by ILO. The Music Against Child Labour competition is part of the MACL Initiative, launched in 2013 by the ILO, JM International, and the International Federation of Musicians (FIM), together with renowned musicians and key partners from the world of music. The initiative

has two key aims: raising awareness of child labour through music and empowering children, including those formerly in child labour, through music.

Edited by Caroline Maxwell, UK

Competition Winners Revealed!

• Global Category: Bernice Pitroipa (Burkina Faso) • Grassroots Category: Music Crossroads Academy Zimbabwe (MCAZ) • Clear Cotton Category: Benewend (Burkina Faso), Virginie Dembélé (Mali), Ahmed Faraz (Pakistan) and José Zevallos del Carpio (Peru).

With member organisations in 61 countries, JEUNESSES MUSICALES INTERNATIONAL is a global network that provides young people and children with opportunities to develop through music across all boundaries.

Open to all genres, for 75 years JMI has been “Making a difference through music,” harnessing the power of music to bridge social, geographical and cultural divides, creating an international platform for intercultural dialogue. Email: mail@jmi.net

Explore the future of collective singing

european days for vocal and choral leaders 27-31 july 2022 utrecht (nl)

www.leadingvoices.nl

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SINGING "FLYING OVER THE RAINBOW" WITH ETHNIC MINORITY KIDS FANG WANG Secretary General of the Green Pine Care Foundation and Choir Director, People’s Republic of China

Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

IT WAS NOVEMBER 12TH, 2019 WHEN I RECEIVED THE MESSAGES FROM YUNNAN, GUIZHOU, XINJIANG AND TAIWAN SAYING, ‘THE KIDS ARE HOME SAFELY.’ WHEN THE LAST MESSAGE CAME FROM THE TIBETAN KIDS IN QINGHAI, I COULD FINALLY BE AT EASE. Between November 4th and 11th, more than 300 ethnic minority kids from various regions of the frontier had come to Shenzhen to sing in a multi-ethnic children’s chorus concert. They were here to put on a wonderful show on stage, but they also went to several schools to present their own culture and music while enjoying the prosperity of Shenzhen, a metropolis which is extremely different from their hometowns.

The children were members of 12 Chinese minorities: the Tibetan, Gaoshan (Bunong, Paiwan), Kazak, Naxi, Lahu, Tajik, Yugu, Yao, Miao, Dai, Bai, and Ewenki minorities. The Green Pine Care Foundation’s musical

project for ethnic minority children, Chanson de Montagne, was launched 14 years ago. It was thanks to its tremendous efforts that these kids, the inheritors of their minority musical traditions, were invited to take part in this concert in Shenzhen.

Back in 2007, a group of people who had just listened to a concert by the Vienna Boys’ Choir walked out of Shenzhen Concert Hall in a state of great excitement, and founded Chanson de Montagne in order to further China’s traditional multi-ethnic orchestral and vocal culture. They went on to hold many multi-ethnic chorus concerts in Shenzhen and other regions. As the

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CHORAL WORLD NEWS

director of the chorus for nearly 10 years, I’ve seen countless dusks and dawns, encountering infinite beauty while travelling around the frontier towns of China. So many children with their innocent eyes; so many earnest voices; so many diverse colours. They are the motivation that urges us onwards.

12 years later, on November 9th, 2019, at the end of a concert by the multi-ethnic choir entitled The Archaic and the Earth, as the last note of the night was disappearing, I wept uncontrollably and hugged my colleagues, who were also moved. I have personally served as the Secretary General of the Foundation since 2013, and over that time my compassionate team (generally women) have experienced countless physical and psychological ups and downs, but the splendour of China’s multiethnic culture and the innocence and simplicity of the children are so strong. Everyone in my team is inspired by them, feeling deep

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love and great tolerance in our hearts, and the tenacity cultivated from this experience has helped us grow.

In 2015, the Chanson de Montagne’s Kazakh Children’s Choir performed in the ‘Jade Mountain Music Festival’, singing together with children from the Gaoshan (Bunong) minority in Taiwan.

Between 2016 and 2017, more than 20 children from ethnic minorities sang The Harmony of Mountains and Sea, Flying over the Rainbow in Aksai, which is located on the northwestern frontier, and the south of Kunming. We all have an abiding dream that all of the children living in undeveloped frontier zones in China will be able to fly far away, broadening their horizons and growing in self-confidence thanks to their talent and love for singing, their dedication to the chorus, and the effort they dedicate to it.

“Mummy, I want to fly across the rainbow and sing forever.”

Flying over the Rainbow

In 2019, Shenzhen Concert Hall collaborated with the Chanson de Montagne and the Cultural Hall of Futian to sponsor a multi-ethnic children’s choir, hoping to promote the art of choral singing. Manxue Hu, then conductor of the Shenzhen Senior High School Lily Girls Choir, was appointed the conductor and artistic director of this choir. Kids from four minorities performed their first show along with the Shenzhen Senior High School Lily Girls Choir. It was an extraordinary and eye-opening experience for these minority children from undeveloped areas to come together and sing with their new friends and absorb international culture. They also showcased their own minority cultures in their performance and realized that they were appreciated, gaining confidence from the applause.

These children, who love singing and are good at it, are writing the history of China’s multi-ethnic musical culture. Their singing is a

testament to China’s diversity. As for me, the director of this project, I am impressed by it and have learned from it. Every meeting with the kids is full of joy and beauty, while every farewell brings sadness. At these moments, my thoughts turn to the song Reluctant to Say Goodbye by member of the Naxi minority Naluo Li: I can sing songs as much as the flowers on the hills, but none of them is about closure.

I can express as much as the tea leaf on the hills, but I won’t say goodbye.

Indeed, in my mind, in the Chanson de Montagne, there is only sunshine and songs, no darkness or separation. Serving the kids, helping them to open the doors of life, is a way for me to perceive the river of my life flowing onwards.

Translated from Chinese by Rui Tao Edited by Katie Sykes, UK

本文讲述深圳市松禾成长 关爱基金会如何发展“飞越彩虹“多民 族童声合唱团项目，帮助生活在中国欠发达 地区的各民族孩子们登上深圳音乐厅的舞台，在 放声歌唱中展现自己民族传统文化，在与其他合唱 团的交流互动中开阔胸襟与视野，更在观众们的 热情与喜爱中认识自己的价值，收获自信 的感人故事。

FANG WANG is Secretary General of the Green Pine Care Foundation and Director of the Chanson de Montagne Cultural Exchange Centre, as well as Head of the Chanson de Montagne Multi-Ethnic Children’s Choir.

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REPERTOIRE

REPERTOIRE

ENVIRONMENTAL REPERTOIRE AROUND THE WORLD

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© NB-Fotografie

SING!

Looking for repertoire for a special concert focussing on environmental challenges?

ICB gathered ideas from all over the world. You can find many more by entering appropriate keywords into the MUSICA database: www.musicanet.org.

AFRICA TOGO

Michael Kodzo Ahliya: Spécial environnement. SATB. Self-published: ahliyakodjo@gmail.com.

SOUTH AFRICA

Franco Prinsloo/D.J Opperman. Vuurbees. TTBarB + trad. African instruments. Self-published: francoprinsloo.prinsloo@gmail.com Franco Prinsloo. Red list. SATB + percussion. Self-published: francoprinsloo.prinsloo@gmail.com Franco Prinsloo. Cantata Nr.1 „Modimo“. SMezATB + percussion. Self-published: francoprinsloo.prinsloo@gmail.com

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REPERTOIRE

ASIA JAPAN

Ko Matsushita/Shuntaro Tanikawa: Sora ni Kotori ga Inakunatta Hi (When the skies lost small birds). SATB + Piano. (from Songbook: Each of Us). Edition KAWAI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC3qwWjyZCU Takatomi Nobunaga/ Toshiko Takada: Yuuyake (Sunset). SATB+Piano. A song praying for peace. Don‘t let the red of the sunset turn into fire and blood by war. (from Songbook: Yuuyake). Edition KAWAI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gpgaAb57Ws Franca Sciuto/ Yayoi Sato/Shin-ichiro Ikebe: This is the world of Harmony between Mankind and Nature that I wish to hand down to our children. Female chorus. Edition KAWAI. Ryoichi Wago/ Tokuhide Niimi: Heiwa-no Ki-no Kage-wo (A Shade of a Peace Tree) (< I’m Just Humming a Tune).

Female chorus + piano. Ongaku-No-Tomo Sha Corp.

PHILIPPINES

Ruben Federizon: Gabaq-An. SATB div. + finger bells + bamboo buzzers. A Major Music Publishing.

Ruben Federizon: Tinig ng Lupa. SATB div. + percussions. A Major Music Publishing.

SINGAPORE

Toh Xin Long: The Cloud. SATB divisi. Gentry Publications.

Gerald Tan (Arr.): Di Tanjong Katong (At The Turtle Cape). SA. Muzisea.

Zechariah Goh: Heart of Pines. SATB. Self-published: zechgoh@yahoo.com INNER MONGOLIA

Se Enkhbayar/Nasun: Zeregleent Gobi (Mirage on the Gobi Desert). SSAATTBB. earthsongs.

OCEANIA NEW ZEALAND

Leonie Holmes: The Estuary. SSA + piano. SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music.

Craig Utting: Monument. SATB or SSAA + piano or organ. SOUNZ. Anthony Ritchie: Silver Songs.

SATB a cappella. SOUNZ. David Hamilton: Sunrise at Mangawhai. SATB a cappella.

SOUNZ. Gillian Whitehead: Taiohi Taiao.

SSAATBB + taonga puoro (Māori instruments). SOUNZ.

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REPERTOIRE

EUROPE ESTONIA

Tõnis Mägi: Las jääda ükski mets (Let There Be One Forest). Choral version by Tõnis Kõrvits in 2001.

Published by Estonian Song And Dance Celebration Foundation.

Rein Rannap/Wimberg: Lahke loodus (Kind Nature). 2021, not published yet.

Veljo Tormis/Hando Runnel: Virumaa ja Pandivere (Virumaa and Pandivere). SP Muusikaprojekt.

FINLAND

Reijo Kekkonen/trad.: Gebet des Waldes. Male choir. SULASOL. Olli Kortekanga: 7 songs for planet Earth. Solo MezBar + SATB + cildren’s choir + orch. Fennica Gehrman.

Kuusisto/Raevaara: Puhun sinulle metsästä (I talk to you about forest). SATB + S solo. SULASOL. Sanna Kuusisto: Yön hetki. Moment of the night. Mixed choir. SULASOL Jaakko Mäntyjärvi/text from the Exeter book (10th century): The Seafarer. Mixed choir. SULASOL David Hamilton/Mary Anne Clark: The Arctic Tern’s Prayer. Female choir + Soundscape. SULASOL Heikki Sarmanto/Aina Swan Cutler: Song of Extinct Birds. Female choir + jazz trio. SULASOL Riikka Talvitie: Pinnan alla (Underneath the water). Mixed choir, AT solo, trumpet and horn.

SULASOL. FRANCE

Dominique Baduel: Ma copine Gaïa. Children’s choir S. French.

Editions A Cœur Joie.

Daniel Bonnet: De natura rerum canticum. SSA. Latin/French or Latin/English. Editions A Cœur Joie.

Benoît Menut/Macha Lemaître: À Marée Basse… Children‘s choir + piano. Editions musicales Artchipel.

Benoît Menut/Xavier Grall: Allez dire à la ville. Mixed choir. Not yet published. www.benoitmenut.com

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GREECE

Theodore Antoniou: Thalassa tou Proiou (Θάλασσα του πρωϊού) (morning sea). SATB a cappella. AUTH Archive Collections.

Manos Hatzidakis: Thalassa Plateia (Θάλασσα πλατεία), wide sea. SSA. ISMN 979-0-69151-751-2 Editions Papagregpriou Nakas. www.panasmusic.gr. http://bit.ly/ThalassaPlateia Manos Hatzidakis: O efialtis tis Persefonis (Ο Εφιάλτης της Περσεφόνης: The Nightmare of Persephone) SATB and Piano. Score: http://bit.ly/NightPers Tasos Pappas: 4 shepherds’ songs. SATB or SSA. From “Choral works of Greek composers“ by Maria Meligopoulou. Editions Papagregpriou Nakas. www.panasmusic.gr. http://bit.ly/ShepherdsGR Traditional folksong: Thalassaki mou (Θαλασσάκι μου). (My little sea).

Available for SATB a cappella or SSA and piano. Editions Papagregpriou Nakas. https://bit.ly/2TZ2nZI Lena Platonos: To iliako leoforio (Το ηλιακό λεωφορείο: The Solar Bus).

From Εδώ Λιλιπούπολη τα τραγούδια. SSA and piano. Editions IANOS. HUNGARY

Balázs Árpád: Bodzavirág (Elderflower). Children’s choir SA + piano.

Editio Musica Budapest Ltd. http://bit.ly/elderBodz Zoltán Kodály: Hegyi éjszakák (Mountain Nights). SSSAA. Universal Music Publishing / Editio Musica Budapest Ltd. Miklós Kocsár: Ó, havas erdő némasága (Oh, silence of snowy forest) from Három nőikar. Editio Musica Budapest Ltd. http://bit.ly/KocsarO ITALIA Bepi De Marzi: L‘ acqua zé morta. Edizioni Curci. http://bit.ly/LacquaM LATVIA Uģis Prauliņš/trad.: Hip Hop Folk Trance Variations. SSSSAAAA + String quartett. Self-published: praulins@hotmail.com.

Uģis Prauliņš/ William Blake:Laughing Song (Hahahe). SSAA, TTBB & SATB versions. Musica Baltica Uģis Prauliņš/classical Japanese haiku: Japan impressions. .

Uģis Prauliņš. Viderunt omnes. SATB. Musica Baltica Uģis Prauliņš. Iam ver egelidos. SSAATTBB. Self-published: praulins@hotmail.com.

Uģis Prauliņš/ De Krudener/Clarence Ford. Imagination. SA + tp,tp,h,tb,tuba.

Self-published: praulins@hotmail.com.

Uģis Prauliņš/ Hans Christian Andersen. The Nightinghale.

SSSSSAAAAACtTTTTTBBBBB & recorders (S-nino, S, A, T). Musica Baltica LITHUANIA Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis: On the Other Bank of Nemunas.

SATB. Lithuanian. Jonas Petronis Ed. Jonas Tamulionis: On the Shore. SATB. Lithuanian. Self-published.

Nomeda Valančiūtė: The Rain on Thin Glass Legs. SATB. Lithuanian.

Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre.

RUSSIA

Alexander Borodin: Fly away on the wings of wind (< Prince Igor). SATB. Musik-Edition Lucie Galland Serguei Rachmaminov: Zadryemali volny (The waves fell asleep). SATB. Harmonia HU4017-250.

Sergei Taneyev/ Yakov Polonsky: Evening (N° 2 from 12 Choruses, Op.27). SATB. www.musicaneo.com Sergei Taneyev/ Yakov Polonsky: Behold, What Darkness (N° 4 from 12 Choruses, Op.27). SATB. Public domain.

SPAIN Eva Ugalde/Josune López: Uraren Besotik. SAA. CM Ediciones Musicales S.L. CANARIAS

Dante Andreo / José Bergamín: Agua sólo es el mar. SATB a capella.

Dante Andreo / Federico García Lorca: Cantos del agua. SATB a capella.

Dante Andreo / Pedro García Cabrera: Como un árbol. SATB a capella.

Dante Andreo / Pedro Lezcano: La mar quiere ser cielo. SMA + piano.

Dante Andreo / trad.: Mi pequeño planeta. SMA + piano.

Dante Andreo / Feliciano Sánchez Chan: Soy la ceiba sagrada. SATB a capella.

Dante Andreo / Felipe Díaz Mazuela: Viene el agua cantando. SMA + piano. Self-published: www.danteandreo.com CATALONIA Josep Oller i Sabaté: Pirinenques IV. SAB, TTB, SSA. FICTA Edicions.

SWEDEN

Anders Edenroth: Water. SATBB. Walton Music UNITED KINGDOM Alec Roth: Earthrise. a capella 40-parts SATB choir. Editions Peters.

John Rutter: For the beauty of the earth. SATB o. SA o TTBB + piano/organ/orchestra. Oxford University Press.

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REPERTOIRE

NORTH AMERICA USA

The Justice Choir Songbook is a powerful new collection of songs for the issues of our time, and includes 43 new and re-purposed songs selected from a national Call for Scores. https://www.justicechoir.org/ Frank Ticheli: Earth Song. SATB. Hinshaw Music.

Jonathan Reid: Measure Me, Sky. SATB divisi. Beckenhorst Press.

CANADA

Stephen Chatman: Due North. SATB. Galaxy Music Co. Nancy Telfer: First Snow. Unison & piano. Kjos Music Co. Nancy Telfer: There is a Tall Fir Tree. Unison & piano. Leslie Music Supply.

Nancy Telfer: Canada, the land of Lakes and Rivers. SA & piano.

Leslie Music Supply.

Nancy Telfer: Butterfly. SSA. Earthsongs.

Nancy Telfer: Chasing the Northern Lights. SSA. Leslie Music Supply.

Nancy Telfer: The Blue Eye of God. SSAA. Earthsongs Nancy Telfer: Requiem aeternam. SSAA, piano, percussion. Porfiri & Horvath Publishers Nancy Telfer: The Swallow. SSAA & piano. Kjos Music Co. Katerina Gimon: Elements. SATB o. SSAA. Cypress Choral Music.

Katerina Gimon: The Language of the Stars SATB + piano o. SATB + orchestra. Selfpublished.

Katerina Gimon: To the Peak of the Mountain. SATB. Cypress Choral Music.

Katerina Gimon: The Mountain to the Moon Self-published.

Katerina Gimon: Spellbound. SSAA divisi. Cypress Choral Music.

Katerina Gimon: The Birds‘ Lullaby. SSAA. MusicSpoke.

Marie-Claire Saindon: Terre Neuve. SATB o. SSAA. Cypress Choral Music.

Marie-Claire Saindon: Day‘s Voices. SATB on composer’s website.

Marie-Claire Saindon: Day‘s Voices. SSAA. Alliance Music Publications.

Matthew Emery: Night on a starry hill. SATB. Boosey & Hawkes.

Matthew Emery: I am the still rain falling. SATB. Santa Barbara Music Publishing.

Matthew Emery: You Have Made Me, Earth. SA. Galaxy Music Co. Matthew Emery: O why do I turn to the wild sky. SATB. Boosey & Hawkes.

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SOUTH AMERICA ARGENTINA

Eduardo Alonso Crespo / Martín Alemán: Pachamama (Mother earth) Op.11. Treble choir.

Eduardo Alonso Crespo / trad.: Ara Pana (Vuela Mariposa – Fly butterfly). Equal voices.

Self-published. eduardoalonsocrespo@hotmail.com Claudio Alsuyet: En el Paraná... Coro SATB. Ediciones GCC. Héctor Bisso (Arr.): Kadu Walum (Green Spring). Coro SATB. Goldberg Musikeditionen.

Diego Boero: Naturaleza. Children’s choir SS + piano. Publicación del Instituto Coral Santa Fe. Eduardo Ferraudi: De barro y trigo. SATB div. Ediciones GCC. Ricardo Fischer: Nauoxo. Coro SATB div. Helbling Verlag.

Mario Figueroa (Arr.): Seis canciones totémicas Mapuches. Coro SSA. Goldberg Musikeditionen.

Osvaldo Golijov: Oceana. Boy Soprano, Chorus and Orchestra. Boosey & Hawkes.

Carlos Guastavino: Arroyito serrano. SATB. Ricordi Americana Buenos Aires Carlos Guastavino: Indianas. SATB + piano. Ricordi Americana Buenos Aires Oscar Llobet: Tawa Ima. SATB. Verlag: Goldberg Musikeditionen Camilo Matta: Cantores por naturaleza. Children’s choir + SATB + instr. Self-published. mattacamiloe@gmail.com Oscar Matus/ Armando Tejada Gómez/Rolando Budíni: Zamba del Riego. Ediciones Internacionales Fermata.

Edgard Moya Godoy: Bosque Arrebol. Coro SATB + body percussion. Goldberg Musikeditionen.

Laura Otero: Abril. Coro SSMez + piano. Self-published. laurita.otero@gmail.com Laura Otero: Plantemos un árbol. Children’s choir + piano. Self-published. laurita.otero@gmail.com Mariana Rewerski: De bichos y flores. Children’s choir SmezA. Ediciones GCC. Antonio Russo: Canto al sol. Coro SSMAA. Ediciones GCC. Damian Sánchez: El árbol ya fue plantado. SATBB. CulturArte Ediciones.

Damian Sánchez: Tonada de otoño. SATB. Editorial Lagos (Warner Chappell Music).

Damian Sánchez: El Atuel niño de sueños. SATTBB. CulturArte Ediciones.

Manuel Tejón/Hugo de la Vega: Remolinos. SATBB. Ediciones GCC. Marcelo Valva: Invocación. Coro SSMezA. Self-published. valvamarcelo@gmail.com.

CUBA

Wilma Alba Cal / Federico García Lorca: 5 canciones. SATB. Self-published. wilmaalbacal@gmail.com.

Wilma Alba Cal / Federico García Lorca: Suite. Children’s choir, String quartet + piano. Selfpublished. wilmaalbacal@gmail.com.

Wilma Alba Cal / Rafaela Chacón Nardi: Jacarandá. Self-published. wilmaalbacal@gmail.com.

Freddy Lafont Mena: Canción para sanar. Children’s choir, SATB + piano. Selfpublished. freddylafont@gmail.com.

Freddy Lafont Mena: 23:58:20 A solo 100 segundos del apocalipsis. SATB + Sol. + piano. Self-published. freddylafont@gmail.com.

López-Gavilán, Guido: Caleidotropic II. SSAATTBB. Edition Ferrimontana.

MEXICO

Rafael Carneras / Metzli Moyer / Julio Morales (Arr.): A la tierra. SATB + Children’s Choir.

Self-published.

VENEZUELA

César Alejandro Carrillo/ Fernando Paz Castillo: Encuentro. SATB. Musicarrillo.

Alberto Grau: Aqua. SATB + Soli + Orch. Carus-Verlag.

Alberto Grau: Kasar mie la gaji (The Earth is tired). SSAATB. Earthsongs.

Alberto Grau: Mariposita de primavera. TBB. Earthsongs.

Alberto Grau: Kasar mié la gaji. SATB o. SSAA. Earthsongs.

Antonio Lauro: Crepuscular. STB. Fundación Schola Cantorum de Caracas.

Click here for the electronic version of this article in English with Youtube videos 61

COMPOSER'S CORNER

COMPOSER'S CORNER

CLYTUS GOTTWALD’S VOCAL TRANSCRIPTIONS

Sebastian Herrmann

62

Clytus Gottwald © Hugo Jehle SWR

CLYTUS GOTTWALD’S VOCAL TRANSCRIPTIONS SEBASTIAN HERRMANN Conductor & Singer, Stuttgart, Germany

Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

CLYTUS GOTTWALD’S TRANSCRIPTIONS FOR A CAPPELLA CHOIR HAVE, OVER THE YEARS, ACQUIRED HIGH ESTEEM ON THE SCENE OF EUROPEAN VOCAL MUSIC, AND THEY ARE BEING ENTHUSIASTICALLY PERFORMED BY CHOIRS. GOTTWALD TRANSCRIBES INSTRUMENTAL, ORCHESTRAL AND CHAMBER MUSIC WORKS, PRIMARILY FROM THE LATE ROMANTIC AND THE IMPRESSIONIST PERIODS, FOR A CAPPELLA CHOIR, THUS CREATING A NEW APPROACH TO THIS MUSIC. Well-known transcriptions of a cappella choir are e. g.

Gustav Mahler’s Urlicht from his second symphony, the orchestral song Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen or the 5th movement Louange à l’Éternité de Jésus from Olivier Messiaen’s quartet Quatuor pour la fin du temps.

In the 19th century the concept of “transcription” was dominated above all by Franz Liszt who provided, for piano, a wide variety of arrangements of Lied, orchestral and operatic literature. The singers’ and the orchestral parts are transferred to the piano and the sound characteristics of the various orchestral instruments and above all the texts are lost. Gottwald’s transcriptions now tread a new path by transferring instrumental music to choirs in several parts, also losing the sound of the orchestral instruments, but in return adding words to the music. Several of the transcriptions were first recorded on CD by German ensembles like the Stuttgart Chamber Choir (Frieder Bernius), ChamberChoir Saarbrücken (Georg Grün) and the Vocal Ensemble of South-West German Radio (Marcus Creed) [SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart], and in light of the high demands on vocal technique these works make, these recordings set impressive yardsticks.

HISTORY OF VOCAL TRANSCRIPTIONS

“Utopia takes for granted that there will be a future”.1 This saying by Clytus Gottwald from a contribution to the annual programme booklet for the season 2004/2005 of the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, describes the intention behind the transcriptions: we must create a future for choral music. The basis on which to found a more-or-less new genre of choral music is supplied

by Gottwald’s historical view of choral music from the end of the 18th century. In the 19th century, within

the movement of historicism, a cappella choral music reached its zenith with, among others, Johannes Brahms.

Otherwise, choirs were deployed, as e.g. frequently done in England, primarily for the performances of oratorios.2 In this respect, Richard Strauss’s Gesänge op. 34 Der Abend and Hymne (1897) were a real innovation, as here was a composer attempting to transfer orchestral instrumentation onto the choir. However, according to Gottwald, these works did not find any echo within the output of composers in the decades that followed, and it was only with Ligeti’s Lux aeterna (1966) that this method of composing was applied again. The Renaissance era also fits into this context, because Gottwald discovered the lost skill of treating voice parts as if they were orchestral parts as early as in the time of the standardsetting vocal polyphony of the French composer Antoine Brunel, in the 12-part a-cappella mass, Et ecce terrae motus, which he describes as “symphonic”.3 He also ranks Thomas Tallis’s 40-part motet Spem in alium (ca 1570) among this type of sonority.4 Gottwald now tries to continue Richard Strauss’s suggestion of releasing the choir from the dependency of the orchestra5 and to develop further the musical and technical standard of professional but also of ambitious amateur choirs, as well as putting them in touch with literature from the late Romantic era and from Impressionism.6 The initial spark for the transcriptions was set alight in 1976 when Gottwald, editor at the then

2 Gottwald, Clytus, “Transkriptionen als neue Chormusik”, in: Günter Graulich. Chorleiter und Musikverleger. Festschrift zum 90. Geburtstag, edited by Marja von Bargen, Johannes Graulich, Barbara Mohn, Hans Ryschawy and Uwe Wolf, Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart 2016, p. 25 3 Gottwald, Clytus, Hörgeschichte der Chormusik im 20.

Jahrhundert, Caurs-Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, S. 35

1 Liska, Ewald and Aurbacher, Hanna (editors), Hommage à

4 ibid.

Clytus Gottwald. Erinnerungen, Briefe, Kompositionen zum 80.

5 Gottwald, Clytus, “Transkriptionen als neue Chormusik”, p. 25

Geburtstag, Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, p. 61

6 Gottwald, Clytus, Hörgeschichte. p. 35

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COMPOSER’S CORNER

South German Radio, produced a broadcast about Pierre Boulez.7 Boulez brought a few works with him for one of the workshops, among them Maurice Ravel’s cycle Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé, from which he heard the first piece, Soupir, upon which it occurred to him to rework this piece into a choral composition. Gottwald describes the start of his activity as “more or less [ … ] a matter of serendipity“.8 Summing things up: it is the following aspects that drive Clytus Gottwald’s work forwards: extending the choral repertoire by adding late Romantic German literature, which in a cappella choral music is represented only sporadically, and the pedagogical mission of teaching singers to re-learn the ability of hearing complex chords and to intone them correctly. According to Gottwald, the “symphonic differentiation of the sound must not stop at the boundary to the instrumental, but should be pushed further in the choir, towards its own beauty”.9 Over and above this mission the works also intend to encourage composers “to write for choir again – under the motto created by Hans Holliger Utopie Chorklang [The Utopia of the Choral Sound] which – if translated into musical notation – would assure the future of choral music”.10 THE TECHNIQUE OF TRANSCRIBING

Similar to the transcriptions for piano by Liszt which have already been mentioned, Gottwald did not slavishly transcribe note by note for choir, but his transcriptions should really by perceived as paraphrases or fantasias.11 The instrumental original is transferred into a new sound world, and Gottwald also has to adapt it to this new sound world, as a choir possesses a considerably smaller range than do orchestras or pianos. The choir usually splits into sixteen parts, but in Gottwald’s work we find a manifold range of castings from four to nineteen parts.

Over and above this, there are also castings for double choir, male voice choir with alto, and women’s choir. For his transcriptions Gottwald prefers primarily slow works, the music of which already displays certain cantabile qualities. A calm speed is, however, not a precondition, and in his output we also find very lively arrangements, like the one of Beethoven’s Lied op. 75 No 2 Neue Liebe, neues Leben, or that of the fifth movement of Mahler’s third symphony, Es sungen drei Engel.

Pierre Boulez’s question to Gottwald, “What are you instrumentating just now?”12, in reference to his vocal transcriptions, might at first glance by understood in a contradictory way, and he chose this wording because there is no relevant term for the choir. When transcribing an instrumental original into the vocal world, certain questions pose themselves that mirror instrumentation or orchestration. As the most natural of all “instruments”, the voice possesses a large capacity for variety and an individuality, as well as a huge abundance of various tone colours. However, the voice also supplies one of the main difficulties when transcribing instrumental music for choir, namely the question of how to deal with its limited range of pitch. The situation is similar to that when transcribing a piano piece for orchestra, when e g we must ask ourselves whether a line is represented better by a violin or by a cello, or whether maybe the instruments can be combined. We must take note of the fact that extreme ranges like Contra-C and f3 must be employed only rarely, as particularly the extreme height is very taxing even for professionally trained singers. In rehearsals this should be called upon only to a limited degree, as voices are subject to constant deterioration if strained too much. As far as the extreme low ranges go, there are only very few bass singers who can provide this convincingly and at an appropriate volume.

According to his expressed aim of “leading the instrument “choir” forwards not only technically, but also musically”13, Gottwald, when shaping his parts, always takes great care that each individual choral part has some independence and autonomy. This adds colour to the choral texture, and everybody sings his or her “part with a certain independence, contributing to the whole”.14 In order to keep the sound colourful and also mobile, he pays attention “not, in passages with a collective [fortissimo] outburst, to supply a sonority note-against-note, but to give the sound a specific colouring by movement in the middle parts”.15 Occasionally Gottwald also makes use of certain special effects, in order to make up for the comparative paucity of overtones of the human voice16, as in the vocal transcription of Ravel’s Soupir, in which he has the tenors whistle the final chord two octaves lower, so that it sounds as if sung in a high falsetto. This sort of special effect is, however, more the exception than the rule. A practice more regularly employed consists of structurally providing the series of overtones, in order to

7 Gottwald, Clytus, Interview in the CD booklet for Clytus Gottwald. Alma and Gustav Mahler, SWR Vokalensemble,

64

Marcus Creed, Carus-Verlag 83.370/00, Stuttgart 2012

12 Gottwald, Clytus, Hörgeschichte, p. 35

8 see Gottwald, Clytus, CD booklet for Clytus Cottwald. Alma

13 ibid.

and Gustav Mahler.

14 Gottwald, Clytus, “Transkriptionen als neue Chormusik”, p. 26

9 Gottwald, Clytus, Hörgeschichte, p. 35

15 ibid.

10 Gottwald, Clytus, Rückblick auf den Fortschritt. Eine

16 see Gottwald, Clytus, Introduction in the CD booklet

Autobiographie, Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, p. 68

for Clytus Gottwald. Choral arrangements, Chamber Choir

11 Gottwald, Clytus, “Transkriptionen als neue Chormusik”, p. 25

Saarbrücken, Georg Grün, Carus-Verlag 83.182, Stuttgart 2005

allow low basic notes to appear as combination notes.

Gottwald developed this technique further and writes, e g in his arrangement of Messiaen’s Louange à l’Éternité de Jésus, chords in their second inversions, consisting of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th overtone, in order to let the tonic appear as a combination note.

ADDING TEXTS

As far as the selection of texts goes, Gottwald takes care to select these as to suit the character of the music, and with them, he tries to offer a new approach to the music.

In his choices he does not restrict himself totally to single texts, but he is quite happy to combine these with other literary sources. For example, when arranging Mahler’s Urlicht, by adding to the textless, chorale-like start two lines from a poem by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff “Selig sind, die Trauer leiden. Und ihr Brot mit Tränen tränken” [Blessed are those who sorrow. And who soak their bread with tears] Gottwald shapes an entrance to the music and to the text from Des Knaben Wunderhorn [The Boy’s Horn of Wonder: a landmark collection of German poetry from the early 1800s, poems from which have been set by numerous composers, including Mahler – translator]. With this texting Gottwald opens up further levels which are connected to the music and to the text from the Wunderhorn. He also justifies this with the formal bracket thus created, consisting of “Selig sind … “ and “ … selig Leben” [“blessed are” and “ … blessed life”].17 A further example of a successful texting is the one for the Adagietto from Mahler’s fifth symphony, which was texted with the poem Im Abendrot [In the Red Sunset] by Joseph von Eichendorff. See perusal scores on page 66.

PERFORMANCE PRACTICE

When considering the huge technical and musical challenges of Gottwald’s transcriptions, we must ask ourselves what a group of musicians has to be able to

17 see Gottwald, Clytus, Further Remarks to Urlicht, choral

offer in order to perform these transcriptions. Asking the conductors Frieder Bernius, Michael Alber and Manfred Schreier led to the conclusion that the works can indeed be sung by a semi-professional choir.

However, apart from the extreme ranges, the ability of a voice to sing solo within a highly polyphonic texture is very important. In the usually very long pieces, there are often extended phrases in which the breath of a professional singer lasts longer than that of an amateur.

Given these preconditions, essential for a performance of quality, the vocal transcriptions are not immediately suitable for purely amateur choirs. Disregarding the precise constitution of the ensemble and the training of the individual singers, Professor Frieder Bernius, director of the Stuttgart Chamber Choir, describes the conditions a choir must fulfil in a very pithy manner: “The ensemble must know a thing or two about singing. It can’t be done without singing technique”.

THE PAST AND THE FUTURE

Clytus Gottwald is a universal musician who, alongside music, has always been interested in its backgrounds, as well as in musicological, theological and sociological topics. During his many years of activity he occupied himself with the entire range of vocal music, starting from the Renaissance right to numerous first performances of contemporary works with the Schola Cantorum Stuttgart, under his direction. With his transcriptions he has more or less created a new genre in choral literature and enabled the choral music scene to enter into an area of the 19th and 20th century, without which there would otherwise not have been any adequate literature with the sound language of the late Romantic period and of Impressionism, at such a challenging level. It remains to be hoped that even more choirs will dare tackle these works, in order to grant an even larger audience access to this varied sound world. Whatever: whether we are singers, choir directors or composers, we should take Clytus Gottwald’s awareness of the combination of tradition, with an insatiable curiosity and the courage to explore sound worlds hitherto unknown, as an example.

score, Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart 2009

Translated from German by Irene Auerbach, UK

SEBASTIAN HERRMANN lives in Stuttgart, working as choir conductor and singer. He is the artistic director of the choir of the University Stuttgart-Hohenheim, of the Oberaspach Chamber Choir, and musical assistant to the Stuttgart Boys’ Choir collegium iuvenum. Further engagements as a choir conductor led him i. a. to the Young Opera of Stuttgart State Opera. He initially studied church music at the University of Church Music Tübingen and is currently continuing his training within a master’s course in choral conducting at the State University of Music Trossingen, with Professor Michael Alber. Over and above that he is on a course at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart leading to qualification as a music teacher in secondary schools. As a tenor he sings in a number of choirs like the Stuttgart Chamber Choir and the German Federal Youth Choir. He also pulls his weight as a member of the Federal Special Committee Workshop of the Future within the German Music Council. www.sebastianherrmann.org

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COMPOSER’S CORNER

Im Abendrot Sehr langsam

Gustav Mahler 1860–1911

a tempo (molto Adagio)

aus: 5. Sinfonie, Adagietto Transkription: Clytus Gottwald 2008 Text: Joseph von Eichendorff 1788–1857

I

Soprano

II III IV

rit.

I II Alto

espress.

Wir sind durch Not, espress.

durch Not und Freu de, durch Not und Freu

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Pianoforte for rehearsal only

Aufführungsdauer / Duration: ca. 9 min. © 2009 by Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart – CV 9.134 Vervielfältigungen jeglicher Art sind gesetzlich verboten. / Any unauthorized reproduction is prohibited by law.

Alle Rechte vorbehalten / All rights reserved / Printed in Germany / www.carus-verlag.com

66

Klavierauszug: Manfred Gutscher

6

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Carus 9.134

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Printed with the kind permission of Carus-Verlag GmbH & Co. KG

67

REVIEWS

REVIEWS

CHORAL SOUND WITHIN REACH! Prof. Harald Jers

68

© IJM

CHORAL SOUND WITHIN REACH! PROF. HARALD JERS Conductor, Germany

Artikel auf Deutsch

Artículo en español

Article en français

THE TWO CD PRODUCTIONS PRESENTED HERE SHARE A STRONG FOCUS ON SPECIAL RECORDING TECHNIQUES WITH UNIQUE AUDIO FEATURES, ENABLING A HOME LISTENING EXPERIENCE THAT RIVALS A LIVE CONCERT ACOUSTIC. IN BOTH CASES, HIGH QUALITY HEADPHONES ARE RECOMMENDED IN ORDER TO FULLY APPRECIATE THE SOUND. THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE DIFFERS FROM A 5.1 SURROUND CONFIGURATION BASED ON BINAURAL ROOM SYNTHESIS WITH A MULTI-CHANNEL SOUND SYSTEM, WHICH REQUIRES AN APPROPRIATELY SOPHISTICATED SPEAKER SETUP. CD: “LOST VOICES OF HAGIA SOPHIA”

Hagia Sophia – “Holy Wisdom” – was built 532-537 AD by Emperor Justinian and is considered the most important building of all time. Musical performances were central to the liturgy until the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, from which point it was used as a mosque.

From 1935 to 2020 Hagia Sophia was a museum, and all music, whether instrumental or vocal, was forbidden. With the rededication as a mosque in 2020 that situation has not changed.

Fortunately, in 2010 scientists at Stanford University, USA, were able to record Hagia Sophia’s essential acoustic impression, which was then made available to science for research purposes, and to the listener of this CD. The acoustics of the room at different time periods were simulated and reproduced very realistically with the help of stereo acoustic reflections.

According to the theory of linear, time-invariant systems, under certain conditions all sound characteristics can be contained in the acoustic reflections. Once recorded, every direct signal from source to listener can then be processed to sound as it would in the desired acoustical space.

In May 2010, the bursting of a balloon in Hagia Sophia at a height of approximately 3 metres served as the acoustic template for the room. The sound was recorded with two omnidirectional microphones, which were attached to a researcher’s head, above the ears. Based on this sound profile, room acoustics were generated that could be incorporated into subsequent recordings. After initial recordings by Cappella Romana under the direction of Byzantine music specialist Professor Alexander Lingas, two concerts were held in 2013 and 2016 in Bing Hall at Stanford University.

The oval concert hall with a capacity of 842 has terraced rows of seats, and more than sufficient space for the 13-member vocal ensemble on the stage area. Each member of the ensemble was equipped with a microphone near his or her mouth. The singers’ direct sound was mixed via the connected recording studio with the Hagia Sophia acoustics, and reproduced on 24 loudspeakers.

personnel (ca. 500 people would have attended services, influencing the acoustics) Hagia Sophia has been less modified than the great early Christian basilicas of Rome and Jerusalem.

The CD’s repertoire includes various medieval, Byzantine chants for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Constantinople. As a specialist in this music, Professor Alexander Lingas has reconstructed numerous manuscripts for practical performance and directs this specialist ensemble. The excellently trained singers manage to give life as well as a sense of space to the interplay between long tones of the fundamental and fifth and the euphony of the melody.

The interaction of space and music with the slow tempi allows

The compilation of concerts and rehearsals on this CD represents a sound experience that has been hidden for 500 years, and offers an impression of how the room may have sounded in the sixth century. Notwithstanding changes in the space (removal of Christian insignia, interior fittings, decorations and bells, which were covered in plaster in 1453) and in 69

REVIEWS

the singers to adjust their harmonies to the resonance of Hagia Sophia.

The drone sounds fill the room like an organ, and the voices resounding above float on this “bed of sound.” Barring any external noise, a 12-second reverberation is audible.

Since 1991, the American vocal ensemble Cappella Romana has appeared in concerts as well as on numerous CD recordings. Its director is a professor at the University of London and a specialist in Byzantine music history.

While the majority of the liturgical actions on and around the ambo take place near the center of Hagia Sophia, some of the roles such as deacon and priest are sung in locations between the ambo and apse. These voices sound more diffuse due to the distance and unique acoustics of these spaces.

For a contemporary listener, the repertoire may seem a bit monotonous and harmonically static. As mentioned in the booklet, and explained in a documentary on the enclosed Blu-ray disc, the listener is invited to engage with the music in terms of images, meditation and atmosphere. Seen this way, the architecture, the technology and the arrangements contribute to create a unified listening experience. In melismatic passages, the choir brings focus to the intelligibility of the text, an appropriate nod to the fact that some chants were used to accompany the liturgy.

CD: “SURROUND THE WORLD A CAPPELLA”

The CD “Surround the world a cappella” by the vocal ensemble egregor vocal also focuses on surround sound recording. The concept represents the number 16 in different contexts: 16 vocal works, 16 different countries, 16 acoustical room configurations and 16 different vocal complements: solos, duos, trios, etc. up to the full complement of 16 voices.

In contrast to the recording technology of “Lost voices of Hagia Sophia,” in which room acoustics were reconstructed and overlayed, the technicians on this CD made surround sound recordings with a unique configuration for each work, e.g. individual voices from different positions, antiphonal duets, romantic sound from a distance, antiphonal double choir, and individual voices separated from the larger ensemble.

First verse of the Kekgragarion (Ps. 140) “Lord I have called to you, hear me. Give heed to the voice of my supplication when I call upon you” and its refrain “It is only to you, O Lord and Master, that we send up our evening hymn: have mercy on us.” From MS Athens 2062, f 54r, reprinted with permission.

70 capella romana © CCRMA Stanford University

Dummy head recording, (also known as artificial head recording) has been used in scientific and musical applications for many decades. This technique mimics the head or torso of the human form, with two microphones located at the center of two artificial ears. This special stereo recording technology thus reproduces not only delay and varying sound levels, but also the spectral equalisation that is necessary for spatially localised perception in the brain. For a realistic spatial effect, headphones or a special loudspeaker arrangement are necessary.

The 16 international, professional artists of the innovative ensemble egregor vocal have made an excellent name for themselves under their artistic director Thomas Roullon through their experimental approaches in concerts and recordings. This CD presents works spanning stylistic and national boundaries, from renaissance and folk song arrangements, to romantic and contemporary choral works, to jazz arrangements.

Saint-Jacques de Pouzauges church (France) and the interior and exterior of the nearby priory of Grammont were chosen as the recording locations. Rooms located there (kitchen, refectory, cellar, guest room, hallway and stairwell) offer extensive positioning options for the dummy head recording equipment, the locations of which are carefully shown in the booklet.

In a further detail, the ensemble opts for the pitch of an A=432 Hz, which Verdi had also advocated.

Since, as Nikola Tesla noted, the number 432 is divisible by 3, 6 and 9, this “tuning fork of the earth” and the corresponding pitch is thought to have special resonance with stone, wood, and natural materials. For some listeners with perfect pitch this tuning can take some getting used to, but overall this lowered pitch gives the recordings a certain relaxation.

egregor vocal © Pauline David

Two tracks are notable as special experiments. First, the jazz arrangement of “Les Moulins De Mon Cœur,” which is available in an 8D recording. 8D does not mean 8 dimensions, but refers to an audio signal that seems to come from 8 directions; a YouTube trend in recording technology that has grown ever stronger since 2018.

Through electronic processing the six separately recorded voices fill the sonic space, and expand the surround sound concept of the CD. The second notable track is the recording of the 12-part Liberté from the cycle “Figure humaine”

by Francis Poulenc. In the multitrack recording, the two sextets are sonically separated. As the tempo of the music increases, the perceived acoustic is enlarged.

Another special feature is that the multi-track recording also enables pitch processing. Here, Kirnberger

Thomas Roullon © Aino Karvo

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tuning, a variant of the well-tempered modes of the 18th century, is chosen, which gives this recording a special uniqueness.

Across all works, the professional voices complement each other without losing their individual tonal character. Clear and lithe sopranos, sonorous and flexible bass voices, radiant and well matched tenors, and warm and melodious alto voices make up the ensemble. Some female voices tend towards a harder edge, and male voices are particularly incisive. Vocal challenges are resolved artfully, yielding extremely high quality intonation and dynamic balance. Overall, slow, romantically oriented tempos are avoided, which gives the recording a pleasant liveliness and freshness.

CONCLUSION

All in all, these are two worthwhile recordings that offer a new kind of listening experience. It should be mentioned that the unique spatial acoustics cannot be reproduced on a normal stereo loudspeaker system, and headphones are recommended. Even without the spatial aspect, it is nonetheless possible to enjoy the high quality and innovative performances of these ensembles.

HARALD JERS is Professor of Choral Conducting at the Musikhochschule in Mannheim, Germany. The State Centre for Conducting, which is based there, is among the most comprehensive conducting courses in Europe, offering coursework in choral, symphonic, opera, and wind conducting, jazz and new music. He also works as a freelance conductor and leads conducting courses at international symposia, music festivals and conferences, teaches choral conducting, singing, and acoustics, and serves as a juror for international choir and composition competitions. With a background ranging from music to physics, his research focuses on acoustics and the voice. Harald Jers has taught in Sweden on behalf of the European Union, and received first prize from the Acoustical Society of America for important theoretical and practical research. He has earned numerous prizes at international choir competitions, made CD recordings, led radio productions, and written scholarly publications.

Translated from German by Joshua Habermann and Matthew Nielsen, USA

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MASTERCLASSES, AND MORE...

Compiled by Nadine Robin

Although we thrive to update this choral calendar with new dates for postponed festivals, we haven’t been able to check the status of all these festivals listed here below. Many of them also opted for an online event.

So please visit their website and show them your interest and your support. Thank you!

Roma Music Festival 2021, Italy, 4-8 Aug 2021.

Contact: MusikReisenFaszination Music Festivals, Email: info@mrf-musicfestivals.com - Website: www.mrf-musicfestivals.com

12th Krakow Advent and Christmas Choir Festival, Poland, 3-5 Dec 2021. Contact: Polonia Cantat & Melody, Email: krakow@christmasfestival.pl - Website: www.christmasfestival.pl

International Festival of choirs and orchestras in Paris, France, 18-22 Aug 2021. Contact: MusikReisenFaszination Music Festivals, Email: info@mrf-musicfestivals.com - Website: www.mrf-musicfestivals.com

Bratislava Cantat II, Slovak Republic, 7-10 Oct 2021. Contact: Bratislava Music Agency, Email: info@choral-music.sk - Website: www.choral-music.sk

11th European Academy for Choral Conductors, Fano, Italy, 29 Aug-5 Sep 2021. Contact: FENIARCO, Email: info@feniarco.it - Website: www.feniarco.it Trogir Music Week, Croatia, 5-10 Sep 2021. Contact: Lacock Courses, Andrew van der Beek, Email: avdb@lacock.org - Website: www.lacock.org 20th EUROTREFF 2021, Wolfenbüttel, Germany, 8-12 Sep 2021. Contact: Arbeitskreis Musik in der Jugend AMJ, Email: info@amj-musik.de - Website: http://www.eurotreff.amj-musik.de Lucca Consort Week, Toscany, Italy, 19-25 Sep 2021.

Contact: Lacock Courses, Andrew van der Beek, Email: avdb@lacock.org - Website: www.lacock.org

In Canto sul Garda International Choir Competition, Riva del Garda & Arco, Italy, 9-13 Oct 2021. Contact: Meeting Music, Email: info@meeting-music.com Website: www.meeting-music.com Lago di Garda Music Festival, Italy, 14-18 Oct 2021.

Contact: MusikReisenFaszination Music Festivals, Email: info@mrf-musicfestivals.com - Website: www.mrf-musicfestivals.com Choral Workshops for International Oratorio choirs, Lake Garda, Italy, 14-17 Oct 2021.

Contact: MusikReisenFaszination Music Festivals, Email: info@mrf-musicfestivals.com - Website: http://choral-workshops.com Lewes Lamentations, Lewes, United Kingdom, 17-22 Oct 2021. Contact: Lacock Courses, Andrew van der Beek, Email: lucy@lacock.org - Website: www.lacock.org

11th International Festival of Choirs and Orchestras, Prague, Czech Republic, 25-29 Aug 2021.

Contact: MusikReisenFaszination Music Festivals, Email: info@mrf-musicfestivals.com - Website: www.mrf-musicfestivals.com

4th Eric Ericson Award, Uppsala and Stockholm, Sweden, 21-24 Oct 2021. Contact: Sveriges Radio AB, Email: ericericsonaward@sverigesradio.se - Website: www.ericericsonaward.com

Cracovia Music Festival 2021, Cracow, Poland, 29 Sep-3 Oct 2021. Contact: MusikReisenFaszination Music Festivals, Email: info@mrf-musicfestivals.com - Website: www.mrf-musicfestivals.com

We Are Singing Ljubljana International Choral Festival 2021, Slovenia, 22-24 Oct 2021. Contact: - Website: https://www.wearesinging.org/festival-we-are-singingljubljana

36th Choral Composition Contest, Segorbe, Spain, 30 Sep 2021. Contact: Juventudes Musicales de Segorbe, Email: jjmmsegorbe@yahoo.com - Website: https://www.jjmmsegorbe.org

Adriatic Pearl International Choir Festival & Competition, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 28 Oct-1 Nov 2021.

Contact: Meeting Music, Email: info@meeting-music.com - Website: www.meeting-music.com

20th Venezia in Musica, International Choir Competition and Festival, Venice and Caorle, Italy, 1-5 October 2021. Contact: Meeting Music, Email: info@meeting-music.com - Website: www.meeting-music.com

11th World Choir Games, Antwerp, Ghent, Belgium, 30 Oct-7 Nov 2021. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/

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15th Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival, Vienna, Austria, 30 Oct-3 Nov 2021. Contact: CONCERTS-AUSTRIA, Email: office@sclfestival.org Website: www.sclfestival.org ON STAGE in Prague, Czech Republic, 4-7 Nov 2021. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Deutsche Chormeisterschaft 2021, Koblenz, Germany, 5-7 Nov 2021. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ JSFest International Choral ompetition, Turku, Finland, 11-15 Nov 2021. Contact: JSFest International Choral ompetition, Email: info@semconsulting.fi Website: https://www.jsfestcompetition.com 16th International Warsaw Choir Festival Varsovia Cantat, Poland, 12-14 Nov 2021. Contact: MELODY & Polonia Cantat, Email: info@varsoviacantat.pl - Website: www.varsoviacantat.pl 39th International Choral Festival of Karditsa, Greece, 18-28 Nov 2021. Contact: International Choral Festival of Karditsa, Email: nke@otenet.gr - Website: http://festivalofkarditsa.blogspot.gr/ Vienna Advent Sing, Austria, 25-30 Nov, 2-6, 9-13 & 16-20 Dec 2020. Contact: Music Contact International, Email: travel@music-contact.com - Website: www.music-contact.com Misatango Choir Festival Vienna, Austria, 26-30 Nov 2021. Contact: CONCERTS-AUSTRIA, Email: info@misatango.com - Website: www.misatango.com/ International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 2-5 Dec 2021. Contact: Bratislava Music Agency, Email: info@choral-music.sk Website: www.choral-music.sk 3rd Sing’n’Pray Kobe, Japan, 20-24 Jan 2022. Contact: Förderverein Interkultur, Email: mail@interkultur.com Website: https://www.interkultur.com/events/2022/kobe/ Singing in Castara, Trinidad and Tobago, 20-27 Feb 2022. Contact: Lacock Courses, Andrew van der Beek, Email: lucy@lacock.org - Website: www.lacock.org

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ON STAGE in Israel, Israel, 9-13 Mar 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Fingal International Festival of Voices, Dublin, Ireland, 10-13 Mar 2022. Contact: Fingal International Festival of Voices, Email: manager@fingalfestivalofvoices.com Website: https://www.fingalfestivalofvoices.com Discover Puerto Rico and its Choral Music, Ponce, Puerto Rico, 18-21 Mar 2022. Contact: Music Contact International, Email: travel@music-contact.com - Website: www.music-contact.com Corsham Voice Workshop, United Kingdom, 20-25 Mar 2022. Contact: Lacock Courses, Andrew van der Beek, Email: avdb@lacock.org - Website: www.lacock.org ON STAGE in Verona, Italy, 24-27 Mar 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Voices & Wine Alba, Italy, 7-11 Apr 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Vox Lucensis, Lucca, Italy, 9-13 Apr 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Slovakia Cantat, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 21-24 Apr 2022. Contact: Bratislava Music Agency, Email: info@choral-music.sk - Website: www.choral-music.sk Dartmouth Music Week, United Kingdom, 24-29 Apr 2022. Contact: Lacock Courses, Andrew van der Beek, Email: avdb@lacock.org - Website: www.lacock.org 15th International Choir Competition & Festival Bad Ischl, Austria, 27 Apr-1 May 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation e.V., Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ 15th International Choir Competition & Festival Bad Ischl, Austria, 27 Apr-1 May 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation e.V., Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Riga Sings, International Choir Competition and Imants Kokars Choral Award, Riga, Latvia, 1-5 May 2022. Contact: Förderverein Interkultur, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/

22nd Statys Šimkus Choir Competition, Klaip da, Lithuania, 12-15 May 2022. Contact: Klaipeda Choir Association „AUKURAS“, Email: aukuras@ku.lt or simkus.competition.lt@gmail.com Website: https://www.aukuras.org/simkus

17th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf, Germany, 3-7 June 2022.

Contact: Modfestivals, International Chamber Choir Competition, Email: office@modfestivals.org - Website: https://www.kammerchorwettbewerb.org

We Are Singing Cracow International Choral Festival, Poland, 13-15 May 2022. Contact: - Website: https:// www.wearesinging.org/festival-we-are-singing-cracow

International Choral Kathaumixw, Powell River, Canada, 5-9 July 2022. Contact: Powell River Academy of Music, Email: info@kathaumixw.org - Website: www.kathaumixw.org

International Choral Competition Ave Verum 2021, Baden, Austria, 13-15 May 2022. Contact: Wolfgang Ziegler, chairman, Email: aveverum.baden@gmail.com Website: www.aveverum.at SING FOR GOLD, The World Choral Cup, Calella/ Barcelona, Spain, 14-22 May 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation e.V., Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Ambleside Music Week, United Kingdom, 15-20 May 2022. Contact: Lacock Courses, Andrew van der Beek, Email: lucy@lacock.org - Website: www.lacock.org 12th International festival of choirs and orchestras, Venice, Jesolo, Italy, 18-22 May 2022.

Contact: MusikReisenFaszination Music Festivals, Email: post@musikreisenfaszination.de - Website: www.mrf-musicfestivals.com

ON STAGE in Albania, Tirana, Albania, 8-12 June 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Bratislava Choir Festival, Slovak Republic, 9-12 June 2022. Contact: Bratislava Music Agency, Email: info@choral-music.sk - Website: www.choral-music.sk 2021 Choral Festival in Ireland with John Dickson, Belfast and Dublin, Ireland, 11-16 June 2022. Contact: KIconcerts, Email: info@KIconcerts.com - Website: www.KIconcerts.com Beethoven Choral Festival, Vienna, Austria, 12-16 June 2022. Contact: Music Celebrations International, Email: info@musiccelebrations.com - Website: https://beethoven250.org/choral-festival/

ON STAGE in Florence, Italy, 19-22 May 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com Website: https://www.interkultur.com/

25th Alta Pusteria International Choir Festival, 1st GREEN EDITION, Alto Adige-Südtirol, Italy/Austria, 15-19 June 2020. Contact: Alta Pusteria Festival Office, Email: info@festivalpusteria.org - Website:

13th European Festival of Youth Choirs, Basel, Switzerland, 24-29 May 2022. Contact: Europäisches Jugendchor Festival Basel, Kathrin Renggli, Email: info@ejcf.ch - Website: www.ejcf.ch

https://festivalpusteria.org/

Meeting of Children’s and Youth Choirs, Thuir, France, 25-29 May 2022. Contact: , Email: Alix.Bourrat@Orange.Fr - Website: https://choralethuir. wixsite.com/chanterie-cantilene/festival-jvm-2022 CantaRode International Choral Festival & Competition, Kerkrade, The Netherlands, 26-29 May 2022. Contact: CantaRode, Email: info@cantarode.nl Website: https://www.cantarode.nl Dublin & Belfast Choral Festival 2022 with John Dickson, Ireland, June 2022. Contact: KIconcerts, Email: info@KIconcerts.com - Website: www.KIconcerts.com

Dublin Choral Festival, Ireland, 15-19 June 2022.

Contact: Music Celebrations International, LLC, Email: info@musiccelebrations.com - Website: http://dublinchoralfestival.org/ Krakow International Choral Festival, Poland, 1519 June 2022. Contact: Music Contact International, Email: travel@music-contact.com - Website: www.music-contact.com International Choral Festival in Tuscany, Montecatini Terme, Italy, 16-20 June 2022. Contact: Music Contact International, Email: travel@music-contact.com - Website: http://tuscany.music-contact.com/ Montréal Choral Festival 2022 with Rollo Dillworth, Canada, 18-22 June 2022. Contact: KIconcerts, Email: info@KIconcerts.com - Website: www.KIconcerts.com

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Italian Alpine Choral Festival, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy, 22-26 June 2022. Contact: Music Contact International, Email: travel@music-contact.com - Website: https://home.music-contact.com/

International Choral Festival of Missoula, Montana, USA, 13-16 July 2022. Contact: International Choral Festival, Email: info@choralfestival.org - Website: www.choralfestival.org

Rome Choral Festival, Rome, Italy, 22-26 June 2022. Contact: Music Celebrations International, LLC, Email: info@musiccelebrations.com - Website: http://romechoralfestival.org/

11th Musica Eterna Roma International Choir Festival and Competition, Italy, 16-20 July 2022. Contact: Meeting Music, Email: info@meeting-music.com Website: www.meeting-music.com

International Festival Verona Garda Estate, Verona, Brescia, Mantua, Vicenza, Italy, 23 June11 July 2022. Contact: Prof. Giuliano Rinaldi, Email: info@festivalveronagardaestate.eu - Website: www.festivalveronagardaestate.eu

International Youth Music Festival II and Bratislava Cantat I, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 25-28 July 2022. Contact: Bratislava Music Agency, Email: info@choral-music.sk - Website: www.choral-music.sk

Salzburg Choral Festival Jubilate Mozart!, Austria, 29 June-2 July 2022. Contact: Music Celebrations International, LLC, Email: info@musiccelebrations.com Website: https://salzburgchoralfestival.org/ 6th International Choir and Orchestra Festival, Budapest, Hungary, 29 June-3 July 2022.

Contact: MusikReisenFaszination Music Festivals, Email: post@musikreisenfaszination.de - Website: www.mrf-musicfestivals.com 2022 Choral Festival in Ireland with Rollo Dilworth, Prague, Czech Republic, 1-6 July 2022. Contact: KIconcerts, Email: info@KIconcerts.com - Website: www.KIconcerts.com 12th World Choir Games, Gangneung, Gangwon, Korea (Democratic People’s Rep. of), 4-14 July 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ International Youth Music Festival I & Slovakia Folk, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 6-9 July 2022. Contact: Bratislava Music Agency, Email: info@choral-music.sk Website: www.choral-music.sk International Choir Festival InCanto Mediterraneo, Milazzo (Sicily), Italy, 10-16 July 2022. Contact: Associazione Corale “Cantica Nova”, Email: festival@festivalincantomediterraneo.it - Website: www.festivalincantomediterraneo.it International Boys and Men’s Choral Festival, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, 12-19 July 2022. Contact: IBMCF, Email: IBMCF@internationalchoralfestival.com Website: www.internationalchoralfestival.com

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Brighton International Festival of Choirs, Brighton, United Kingdom, 2-5 Sep 2022.

Contact: Brighton International Festival of Choirs, Email: festival@brightonifc.com - Website: https://www.brightonifc.com/ ForEverYoung International Choral Festival, Budapest, Hungary, 8-11 Sep 2022. Contact: ForEverYoung Choral Festival, Email: info@fey-festival.com - Website: http://www.fey-festival.com/ ON STAGE in Lisbon, Portugal, 9-12 Sep 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ 4th Kalamata International Choir Competition and Festival, Greece, 22-26 Sep 2022. Contact: Förderverein Interkultur, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ 10th International Choir Festival & Competition “Isola del Sole”, Grado, Italy, 25-29 Sep 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Internationales Chorfest, Magdeburg, Germany, 5-9 Oct 2022. Contact: Förderverein Interkultur, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Sing’n’Joy Bohol, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines, 5-9 Oct 2022. Contact: Förderverein Interkultur, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ Bratislava Cantat II, Slovak Republic, 6-9 Oct 2022. Contact: Bratislava Music Agency, Email: info@choral-music.sk - Website: www.choral-music.sk

ON STAGE in Prague, Czech Republic, 10-13 Nov 2022. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/

Désa stre ©

10th Canta al Mar International Choral Festival, Calella, Barcelona, Spain, 21-24 Oct 2022. Contact: Förderverein Interkultur, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/

Eve Lom é

We Are Singing Ljubljana International Choral Festival 2022, Slovenia, 21-23 Oct 2022.

Contact: - Website: https://www. wearesinging.org/festival-we-aresinging-ljubljana

International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 1-4 Dec 2022.

Contact: Bratislava Music Agency, Email: info@choral-music.sk Website: www.choral-music.sk Sound Waves Linz International Choir Competition & Festival, Austria, 7-11 June 2023. Contact: Interkultur Foundation, Email: mail@interkultur.com - Website: https://www.interkultur.com/ 2021 Golden Gate International Children’s and Youth Choir Festival, Oakland, California, USA, 9-15 July 2023. Contact: Piedmont Choirs, Email: info@goldengatefestival.org Website: www.goldengatefestival.org 13th International Choir Competition, Miltenberg, Bavaria, Germany, July 2023. Contact: Kulturreferat des Landratsamtes Miltenberg, Gaby Schmidt, Email: kultur@LRA-MIL.de - Website: www. chorwettbewerb-miltenberg.de

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30 DEC. 2023 05 JAN. 2024

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