CONCERT SEASON 2007/08
| Our own concerts: |
|
| Sun Nov 4, 2007 5pm |
Den älskande |
| Sat Dec 1, 2007 5pm |
The Starlight Night |
| Sat Feb 16, 2008 5pm |
A-Ronne |
| Sat Apr 12, 2008 5pm |
Le Nazaréen |
| Kulttuuritalo Sandels, Topeliuksenkatu 2 (Töölöntori) |
|
| Guest concerts: |
|
| Sun Sept 30, 2007 7.30pm |
Contemporary choral music Tapiola church, Espoo |
| Sat Oct 13, 2007 6pm |
Olemusten värisevään pohjaan asti Oulu Cathedral |
| Sun Apr 6, 2008 7pm |
Opening concert at Kirkko soikoon festival Sacral works by Einojuhani Rautavaara Paavali church, Helsinki |
Thank you:
City of Helsinki
Jenny and Antti Wihuri foundation
Finnish Cultural Foundation
Arts Council of Finland
Subcommittee for Public Lending Right Grants for Music
YLE Radio 1
Our opening concert on Nov 4, 2007, and ending concert on Apr 12, 2008, will be broadcast on YLE Radio 1.
A message from the Artistic Advisor:
The Helsinki Chamber Choir and I are pleased to invite you to join us on a musical journey across Europe in the 2007/08 season. Alongside the premieres of demanding new works for which the choir is renowned, we will be performing some of the great classics of the choral repertory.
I'm particularly pleased that Pasi Hyökki, without doubt the most exciting young choral conductor in Finland, is available to conduct both the opening concert of the season and the choir's visit to Oulu. We also look forward to encouraging the next generation of highly trained choral singers when we perform with the children of Galante and Suomalainen poikakuoro in our Christmas concert.
Although I've worked with choirs since I took my first steps as a conductor whilst at school and university in England, my main focus has always been on orchestral music and, in recent years, opera. So I was both flattered and mildly terrified when the Helsinki Chamber Choir asked me to join them as Artistic Advisor for the 2007-09 seasons. Planning these programmes has already been a journey for me, involving getting to know many pieces that I'd never heard before.
In its earlier incarnation as the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir, this group of singers was respected throughout the Western musical world, as was made clear by the tributes that came flowing in when YLE announced that it was ceasing to fund the choir in 2005. Thanks to the determination of the singers and the work of my predecessor, Kimmo Hakola, the Helsinki Chamber Choir has survived and continues to perform music that only professional, highly skilled musicians can sing. We are grateful to all the foundations that have supported the work of the choir over the years. However, the financial situation is and will continue to be precarious until a regular source of funding is found.
As long as the Helsinki Chamber Choir exists, Finland will continue to be mentioned internationally as one of those few countries that have musicians capable of rising to the most demanding challenges of choral music. Such rare skills should not be taken for granted!
The choir and I look forward to welcoming you to our concerts in the charming, brand-new Sandels Hall on Helsinki's Töölöntori.
- Nils Schweckendiek
I can truly say from my experience of working with many professional choirs that this choir belongs to the top.
Peter Dijkstra,
choral conductor