小光葛格

It's the last concert I joined in this Taipei Internation Chorus Festival. Finally, there is a traditional-style chorus in the festival. That doesn't mean these popular a cappella group -- hmm... actually, most of works that the Winnipeg Singers presented are a cappella works, but they are totally from the other groups that added dancing and funny amusing music to give concerts more attractiveness -- is not welcome to me or not qualified, and they have different style and wonderful presentation. I am delighted to hear their performance. They easily gave harmony and nice voices in these complicated works. Maybe sometimes their sopranos bursted out some not-well-controlled voice, but generally speaking their performances were still very good and worthy our applause. Here are the introductions of the Winnipeg Singers and their conductor Yuri Klaz. All of these including the photo are cited from the Taipei Philharmonic Fundation. The Winnipeg SingersThe Winnipeg Singers, Winnipeg’s premiere choir, has long been regarded as one of Canada’s finest choral ensembles. The Winnipeg Singers consists of 24 trained voices, performing music that spans the times from the Renaissance to the present. The choir’s mandate is to make a diversity of choral music, performed to the highest standards, accessible to a growing audience. Each year the choir commissions new Canadian works and premieres other new works for its Manitoba audience. It presents a concert series each year, engaging some of North America’s finest musicians as guests. The Winnipeg Singers have performed joint concerts with such diverse organizations as MusikBarock Ensemble, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers, and Les Danseurs de la Riviere Rouge. The Singers regularly appear as guests of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and have given concerts and workshops for local social agencies, business firms and high schools.The Winnipeg Singers can trace its origins to a choir begun in the 1930s by composer and voice teacher W. H. Anderson for radio broadcast on the CBC. His choir, known as the Choristers, performed secular music and on occasion offered public concerts. Filmer Hubble, who conducted the group for a national weekly CBC radio broadcast of sacred music called Sunday Chorale succeeded Anderson in the 1950s and ‘60s. This choir also performed a series of yearly concerts. He was succeeded by a student of W. H. Anderson, Herbert Belyea, also a composer and voice teacher. In the early 1970s, William Baerg was asked by the CBC to form a group of singers which would perform concert broadcasts. This choir, the CBC Winnipeg Singers, was devoted to the exploration of both sacred and secular works from all eras and initiated the form of The Winnipeg Singers as it exists today. In 1973, when the CBC was no longer able to support the choir, The Winnipeg Singers began to produce its own annual concert series, which it has done ever since. Past artistic directors of The Winnipeg Singers include Bill Baerg, John Martens, Wayne Riddell, Mel Braun, Vic Pankratz and Rudy Schellenberg. The current Artistic Director, Yuri Klaz, began his tenure with the 2003/2004 Season.The Winnipeg Singers are regularly heard on local and national CBC radio. They have released two compact disc recordings, O Praise Ye the Lord and Prairie Voices. The Canada Council with the awarding of the Healey Willan prize has twice recognized The Winnipeg Singers for their excellence in choral music. The Winnipeg Singers performed at the Toronto International Choral Festival in June 2002. The choir was one of three choirs invited to perform at the Gala Concert of Podium 2004, the national biennial convention of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors held in Winnipeg in May. The Winnipeg Singers have been honoured by an invitation from the International Federation for Choral Music to perform at the 7th World Symposium on Choral Music to be held in Kyoto, Japan in July 2005. Yuri Klaz Born in Petrozavodsk, Russia, Yuri received his Masters degree in conducting at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. He was an associate professor of choral and orchestral conducting at the Petrozavodsk Conservatory and later became the artistic director and conductor of the Chamber Choir of the Karelian Art Centre. In 1995, Yuri was awarded the prestigious title, “Honoured Artist of Russia”, and received a silver medal for exceptional achievement in the development of art in Russia. Mr. Klaz came to Canada in 2000 to become the artistic director and conductor of the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir. Most recently Yuri conducted The Winnipeg Singers, the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir and Renaissance Voices in performances of Bach, Verdi and Faure with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Klaz also directs the First Mennonite Church Choir, the ShaareyZedek Synagogue Choir, and the University of Winnipeg Student Choir. He is a faculty member of the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts. Mr. Klaz was appointed the artistic director and conductor of The Winnipeg Singers on July 1st 2003.

Another a cappella group but a little different from the Real group and Rajaton. It is composed of 32 singers and a conductor, not like the Real group or Rajaton that owns less than ten members. Therefore, their performances had more multi-layer variety. Not only rythm, their companiment supported sweet harmony as well as abundant sound effects. I think the only pity in their performances was their speaker was too louder to make the subject be inundated. In fact, I sat in the 4th floor but still got ears hurt because the loud sounds sometimes. As 炫超 said, he almost cannot hear any good voice but noise because he sat in the 2nd floor. Ha, ha, ha... it's so lucky to me that I didn't change the seat from the 4th floor to the 2nd floor since they didn't have break time after I went getting into. Such a nice luck I owned. XDHere is the introductions of the Vocal Line and their conductor, and they are cited from Taipei Philharmonic Fundation, as well as the photo. Vocal Line
Vocal Line is a modern a cappella choir boasting 32 singers, directed by Jens Johansen.The choir was formed in 1991 inAarhus, Denmark and our goal is to be trendsetters in the development of contemporary a cappella music on a national as well as an international level. Over the years, we have continuously sought to expand the limits of a cappella singing, and we aim to keep improving our art.We concentrate almost exclusively on new compositions and new arrangements. Although deeply rooted in the Danish choir tradition, we have developed a personal style and sound, which can be characterized as a mixture of pop, rock, jazz, world, and classical avantgarde.With this highly original take on modern a cappella as it is presented at the beginning of the new millennium, it is safe to say that nobody sounds quite like Vocal Line!Vocal Line is known throughout the Danish and European choir community, has won a number of international awards and prizes, and stands as a role model for choirs and conductors across the country and internationally. As one of the “foremost choirs of Europe” Vocal Line has recently received an invitation for the 7th World Choral Symposium in Kyoto, Japan in 2005. Vocal Line has decided to give two performances "Take-off: Taiwan-Japan Tour 2005" in May in our hometown of Aarhus. Jens Johansen, Conductor
The conductor and musical director of Vocal Line is Jens Johansen (b. 1952). Vocal Line was formed in January 1991 by Jens Johansen, who has conducted the choir in a dedicated and energetic manner ever since. Besides conducting, he also finds time to arrange new songs. He is employed as an assistant professor at Musikvidenskabeligt Institut, Aarhus Universitet (the Musicology Department at the University of Aarhus), where his lectures include "Arranging for Pop/Rock Choir", "Conducting Contemporary Choir " and "Music Theory and Analysis". In addition, he also teaches "Conducting Contemporary Choir" at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus. He has recently completed a research project on "Part-singing in Pop/Rock Music", in which Vocal Line plays an important part. Jens Johansen has given lectures at various seminars and acted as conductor at a number of choir festivals in Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Germany and Hungary. Over the past 20 years, he has published numerous choir arrangements and compositions that are performed by a wide array of choir singers all over Europe.On top of this, he is a board member on the committee of the choir organization KOR72 as well as on the committee of Danske Korledere (Danish Choir Conductors). In these capacities, he helps organize seminars, workshops and choir contests to the benefit of Danish choir singers and conductors.

It's amazing that the choir is pure a university choir, not a society choir or a professional choir, so, how do they own such good voice and well-trained skills?As my expectation, their famous performance was in the bottom half part with traditional choral music accompanied by the brilliant dances. Maybe we could kid that they are close to a variety entertainment group. However, their gorgeous body performance doesn't imply that they don't have talent at music. In the up half part, they represented very difficult 20-centry compositions including the Five Flower Song. They can easily handle the irregular rhythm and discordant interval. Even those compositions are not my favorites, I still enjoy their amazing performance.The followings are the introductions to this choir and their conductor, and they are cited from the Taipei Philharmonic Fundation, as well as the photo.
Parahyangan Catholic University Choir, Indonesia

Parahyangan Catholic University Choir (UNPAR Choir) is a professional music institution existed since 1962. After the national achievements, UNPAR Choir kept on achieving until international was in Holland Competition in 1995, in Italy 1997, in Linz Austria 2000, and lastly in The 8th International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf Germany, 2003.
Until recently, UNPAR Choir has not only gaining more and more achievements, but has also secured its place to declare itself as the barometer for choir development in Indonesia. For the achievements in the International level and their consistency in growing choral music nationally and has proven internationally, they now become one of the best choir in the world.
UNPAR Choir tends to bring a new perspective to the classical music, make it possible to enjoy by all level of society.

Avip Priatna, Conductor

As one of a few Indonesian director priviledged to acquire formal music education under choir and orchestra directing, Avip Priatna is acknowledged and admitted as the best Conductor and Music Director in Indonesia until now. Under the tutorship of Gunther Theuring and Leopold Hager, Priatna achieved his I Diploma degree in Hoschule fur Musik Darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria with compliment (ausgezeichnet). After having scholarship from Rotary Club and Austrian Government for his first education, he continued by having scholarship from Parahyangan University in Diploma Magister for choir in 1998.
While in Vienna, Priatna was assigned to be assistant conductor for Vienna Jeunesse Chor that strengthens his quality and credibility in choir art. His talent and interest firstly channeled through piano courses with Rosaline Tambunan then continued when he joined UNPAR Choir.
One achievement after another have been reaped by taking UNPAR Choir to national scale competitions and concerts held by UNPAR Choir. After bringing this Choir as three times in a row champion in ITB Choir Festivals and attain the best conductor award in the same event, Priatna continued his journey to international level. In 1995 Priatna managed to take the UNPAR Choir to achieve the champion title in Arnhem International Choir competition in Arnhem, Holland. The international achievement continued when he and UNPAR Choir then participated in International Polyphony Music Competition, a distinguished event in Arezzo, Italy 1997. The three gold medals gained in The 1st Choir Olympic in LinzAustria past 2000, strengthen his name on the national and international choir chart. Last achievement is get the 1st Prize accomplished the Achievement Level I – excellent performance at an international level, the highest achievement of the competition for Mixed Choir Category, also get Gustave Charlier Prize for The Best Interpretation of A Religious Choral Work in The Competition for Gloria 3 (Arranged by Woo Hyo- Won) in The 8th International Chamber Choir Competition, Marktoberdorf, German.

The first concert in the chorus festival this year.Rajaton, Finland, owns the charming characteristic that is similar to the most famous a cappella group -- the Real Group. Rajaton represents their music with a theme from a singer and with the accompaniment of the others. The singers sing simple harmony or rythm under a bright and sweet theme. Not only that, they are as good as the Real Group to make sound effects by the collocation of they excellent voice skill, microphones and speakers.Their performance is absolutely worthy all audiences's stand ovation. However, it's not surprising to me, I expect they are such a wonderful group in the beginning. In fact, the most astonishment to me is the performance of the domestic joint group, Xinxiang Bunun Children's Chorus. It's definitely hard to believe, a 20-children chorus gave me a shocking and beautiful harmony to start the concert. Clear and limpid voices seem to resound across the skies. They don't have the general flaw as other children choirs, not effective to control their voices. Even the processing of songs is a little bit monotonous, their impressive performance is no doubt to deserve our 3-minute applause -- it's pitty we cannot do it. Futhermore, don't forget that they come from a faraway mountain side that the supports of education are not enough as that in cities.The following part is the introduction of Rajaton cited from the website of Taipei Philharmony Foundation:The voice is boundless Countless vocal groups around the world sing Christmas songs and evergreens. Some a cappella groups base their approach on jazz, some on classical choral music, while others go for a more straight-forward pop sound. Other groups specialize in spiritual music. A few even sing original material. And then there is a unique group that does all of the above. It's called Rajaton. The Finnish word Rajaton translates as "boundless" - and that's precisely the right word to describe the way this vocal ensemble approaches music. The six-piece a cappella group has performed around the world at concert halls, churches, and jazz festivals, singing everything from spiritual music to pop hits. In fact, it's hard to imagine an audience that Rajaton could not reach with its music, or a type of music Rajaton could not make its own. Founded in Helsinki in 1997, Rajaton consists of Essi Wuorela (soprano), Virpi Moskari (soprano), Soila Sariola (alto), Jussi Chydenius (bass), Hannu Lepola (tenor), and Ahti Paunu (baritone). All members have vastly different musical backgrounds, ranging from classical to folk, pop, and rock.