In Winter's Arms by Choralis

Bob Chilcott

Choralis

In Winter's Arms

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Signum Classics
UPC: 0635212051221
Catnr: SIGCD 512
Release date: 03 November 2017
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Label
Signum Classics

UPC
0635212051221

Catalogue number
SIGCD 512

Release date
03 November 2017

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

About the album

Bob Chilcott’s compositions are beloved with choral societies around the world, and this album represents the fruits of his recent collaborations with the US choir Choralis and their conductor Gretchen Kuhrmann.

Featuring festive works for solo choir as well as choir and brass ensemble, at the centre of the programme is Wenceslas, inspired by the legend of the Bohemian King who braved the winter weather with his Page to save the life of a poor peasant, and incorporating the melody of the famous carol into each of its 8 movements.

The disc includes the premiere recordings of Chilcott’s Gloria, which was premiered by the choir to great critical acclaim in 2015.

Winterse muziek van Bob Chilcott

Bob Chilcott's composities worden geliefd door koren over de hele wereld. Dit album vertegenwoordigt de resultaten van zijn samenwerking met het Amerikaanse koor Choralis en hun dirigente Gretchen Kuhrmann. Het album omvat feestelijke werken voor zowel solokoor als koor en koperensemble. Centraal in het programma staat Wenceslas, geïnspireerd door de legende van de Boheemse Koning die het winterse weer trotseerde om het leven te redden van een arme boer. In het werk klinkt de melodie van het beroemde liedje in elk van de acht delen. Het album omvat ook de première opname van Chilcott's Gloria, het werk dat in 2015 zeer succesvol voor het eerst werd uitgevoerd door het koor.

Artist(s)

Choralis

The Choralis Foundation was established by Artistic Director Gretchen Kuhrmann in 2000 to nurture a passion for choral music through excellent choral performances, professional development opportunities for young soloists and conductors, education and training for young choristers, and community outreach events. Nearly 200 singers perform across five ensembles: Choralis, an auditioned SATB chorus; the Ēchos chamber group; and three Cantus Youth Choirs which serve children aged 5–14. Choralis is committed to programming that includes not only the classical choral repertoire, but compositions of living composers and world music. Since 2011 Choralis has been committed to performing music by contemporary British composers, including Bob Chilcott, Cecilia McDowall, Francis Pott, Andrew Gant, and Alan Bullard. In 2014 the choir performed Bob Chilcott’s Requiem at the national convention of Chorus...

The Choralis Foundation was established by Artistic Director Gretchen Kuhrmann in 2000 to nurture a passion for choral music through excellent choral performances, professional development opportunities for young soloists and conductors, education and training for young choristers, and community outreach events. Nearly 200 singers perform across five ensembles: Choralis, an auditioned SATB chorus; the Ēchos chamber group; and three Cantus Youth Choirs which serve children aged 5–14. Choralis is committed to programming that includes not only the classical choral repertoire, but compositions of living composers and world music.
Since 2011 Choralis has been committed to performing music by contemporary British composers, including Bob Chilcott, Cecilia McDowall, Francis Pott, Andrew Gant, and Alan Bullard. In 2014 the choir performed Bob Chilcott’s Requiem at the national convention of Chorus America, starting an 18-month residency with the composer which also included a performance of his Salisbury Vespers and the world and European premières of his Gloria, commissioned by The Choralis Foundation. Other highlights of recent seasons include Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, and Mozart’s Coronation Mass.

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Gretchen Kuhrmann (conductor)

Artistic Director Gretchen Kuhrmann is the founder and visionary of Choralis. A true advocate for choral music in all schools and communities, she has spent her career honing choral ensembles into musically sensitive performers and encouraging young singers to develop their skills. The daughter of a diplomat, Ms Kuhrmann has traveled and lived around the world, including an extended stay in Hamburg, Germany, where she spent her formative years. Before leaving Europe, she toured and performed with her own ensemble throughout Western Europe. In addition to being a sought-after conducting and choral clinician, Ms Kuhrmann has shown great success with building choral organizations and is in demand as a speaker and consultant on the topic at choral conventions and workshops around...

The daughter of a diplomat, Ms Kuhrmann has traveled and lived around the world, including an extended stay in Hamburg, Germany, where she spent her formative years. Before leaving Europe, she toured and performed with her own ensemble throughout Western Europe. In addition to being a sought-after conducting and choral clinician, Ms Kuhrmann has shown great success with building choral organizations and is in demand as a speaker and consultant on the topic at choral conventions and workshops around the world.
Ms Kuhrmann has prepared choruses for many notable conductors as well as numerous diplomatic and political events. She is the Director of Music for Fairfax Presbyterian Church and holds performance degrees in conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and George Mason University.

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Composer(s)

Bob Chilcott

Described by the Observer newspaper as “a contemporary hero of British choral music”, Bob Chilcott has grown up immersed in the choral tradition of his country. He grew up as a chorister and choral scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, and after singing professionally in London and also as a member of the vocal group the King’s Singers for a number of years, he became a full-time composer in 1997. He has embraced his career with energy and commitment, not only producing a large catalogue of music for all types of choirs, but also working with singers and choirs in more than 30 countries.
It was perhaps through his many works for young singers that he first came to prominence as a composer, prompting some large-scale performances of his pieces, particularly Can you hear me? in BC Place in Vancouver in 2001 with 2000 singers and at the Estonian Song Festival in 2004 with 7000 young singers. Thied to several other large-scale projects including notably The Angry Planet, written for David Hill and The Bach Choir for the 2012 BBC Proms, which was performed by The Bach Choir, The National Youth Choir, The BBC Singers and 200 primary school children from London.
He has written a number of substantial sacred works including Salisbury Vespers (2009), St John Passion (2013) for Wells Cathedral Choir, and his Requiem (2010) which has now been performed in over 16 countries. In 2013 he wrote The King shall rejoice for the service at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In June 2014 he began an 18-month term as composer-in-residence for the Washington DC-based choir Choralis as part of their 15th anniversary season celebrations. The season features a number of his works and concludes with the première of Gloria in December 2015.
Over the past 18 years Bob has worked with many thousands of singers in Britain through a continuing series of Singing Days throughout the country. Between 1997 and 2004 he was conductor of the choir of The Royal College of Music in London, and since 2002 he has been Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Singers.
His music has been recorded extensively and there are a number of albums dedicated to his music, including “Man I Sing” (2007), “Making Waves” (2008), “Requiem” (2012), “The Seeds of Stars” (2012), “Everyone Sang” (2013), “The Rose in the Middle of Winter” (2013), and “St John Passion” (2015). His music has been recorded by many leading British choirs and ensembles including The Sixteen, The Cambridge Singers, Tenebrae, The BBC Singers, The Choir of Wells Cathedral, The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and The King’s Singers.

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