LE CHŒUR DE CHAMBRE DU QUÉBEC the beginning of an exceptional ensemble Portfolio Photo : Sébastien Guillier-Sahuqué 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. The creation of the Chœur de chambre du Québec 3 2. The promotion of original works 4 3. Two prestigious invitations for the spring of 2015 6 4. The detailed budgets for the spring 2015 projects 6 5. The members of the Chœur de chambre du Québec 7 6. Conclusion 14 7. Contact information 14 Photo : Sébastien Guillier-Sahuqué 2
1. The creation of the Chœur de chambre du Québec “The performance by the Chœur de chambre du Québec was of an exceptional quality, equally for its interpretation and choice of repertoire, as for its beautiful singing. Our audience was speechless … What a wonderful discovery for us!” - Laurier Fagnan, Associate professor, Campus Saint-Jean, University of Alberta and Artistic Director of Choralies Internationales, Edmonton 2012 In May 2010, the first steps were taken towards the creation of a professional vocal ensemble of 16 voices, bringing together French-speaking and Francophile singers and choral conductors age 23 to 40 whose mission would be to represent Canada and French- speaking Quebec abroad. Since its creation, the main goal of the Chœur de chambre du Québec has been to participate in the development and the creation of choral works composed on French texts through the performance of original works that combine texts from contemporary French-speaking authors with new musical compositions. In this way, the ensemble aims at enriching the musical heritage of French Quebec and Canada. Thanks to concerts given in Quebec and Alberta, the ensemble has succeeded in bringing significant attention to its mission in Canada and France. Additionally, social networks and the ensemble’s website contribute to achieving its objectives. For the past several years, all levels of choral singing have experienced a boom in popularity in Quebec, be it professional, academic or amateur. With this boom comes the need for a new generation of choral conductors and composers ready to invest themselves in the creation and performance of new choral music. The Chœur de chambre du Québec performs essentially music from Canada and French Quebec, as well as occasional works from France. A large percentage of its repertoire includes choral works in French, several of which are composed by its artistic director, Robert Ingari, as well as other compositions by some of its singers. The ensemble is committed to not only continuing to create new repertoire of choral works in French, but also to showcase them outside the borders of Canada and Quebec. In fact, cultural exchanges are a crucial part of its mission, allowing it to share the beauty and subtleties of the French language through contemporary musical composition for choir. New musical settings of poetry from French Québec and Canada will also help introduce its literary works to classical music lovers from within its borders as well as others from around the world. The mission of the Chœur de chambre du Québec has three main objectives: • the research and promotion of new or recently composed works by composers from Quebec and Canada, particularly works composed on French-language texts; • professional quality concerts at home and abroad by an ensemble made up mainly of young French-speaking musical artists from Quebec; • the creation and performance of original choral works composed by its artistic director, Robert Ingari. l 3
2. The promotion of original works The quantity of original choral works in French by composers from French Quebec and Canada is somewhat less developed than in other traditions. Thus, the future of newly composed music for professional and university chamber choirs will depend on the contribution of composers and performers committed to its development and subsequently to its preservation. At the core of the mission of the Chœur de chambre du Québec is the promotion of the composition of new choral works in French as well as the capacity to share this new music abroad, thus allowing it to promote the French language and the talents of its young performers. The creation, performance and recording of new works, particularly those composed to French texts, are among the most important aspects of its mission. • Composition Writing for choir requires special attention to the musicality of the text. Consequently, the chosen language of a particular vocal work influences significantly its composition. Setting the French language to music presents particularities in its pronunciation that the great composers of the French mélodie such as Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Gabriel Fauré and Francis Poulenc approached with such mastery. However, we find that the standard choral repertoire on French texts is somewhat limited in Quebec and to some extent in France. Each of the composers mentioned above wrote important choral works, notably Poulenc who is the most prolific in this respect. But the lack in Quebec of a standard French-language repertoire in a similar style still needs to be addressed. In the United States and English-speaking Canada, the choral repertoire for chamber choir is vast and varied and has been in constant development for over 60 years. Thus, its popularity continues among specialists and lovers of choral music. The Chœur de chambre du Québec hopes to start a similar movement in the professional, academic and amateur sectors of Quebec. The goal of its activities is to collaborate with living poets and 4
composers and to work intimately with each one of them on the musical setting of French texts, thus encouraging the creative process in both artistic spheres. The Chœur de chambre du Québec seeks to create a dialog between authors, composers and performers, offering the possibility of all sorts of exchanges. And the eventual publication and recording of new choral works are two essential components of its future projects. For years, the artistic director of the Chœur de chambre du Québec, Robert Ingari, has devoted himself to the composition of choral works of which several are published by Cypress Choral Music. His most recent work, written in 2013, is Cantate en trois lieux for choir, soloists and orchestra. His “Three psalms for mixed chorus and marimba”, featuring his colleague Mario Boivin appears on the CD “Sacred Choruses/ Choeurs sacrés ” as well as his Psalm 23 and Dona Nobis Pacem, both for choir and string orchestra. As a composer he seeks to develop his own compositional language. His sense of vocal lyricism and his artistic capacities in the choral conducting field are important resources in his creative process as a composer. His awareness of current trends found in the repertoire he conducts allows him to incorporate them into his own writing and he is known for his sensitivity towards the texts of his choral works. With his new works and those of other composers with whom he wishes to collaborate, he hopes to advance the work of the Chœur de chambre du Québec, both nationally and internationally. • Performance The Chœur de chambre du Québec is composed of 16 to 18 professional singers, choral conductors and voice teachers. Under the artistic direction of Robert Ingari, the ensemble is known for the purity and beauty of its sound and its sensitive interpretations. The subtleties heard in the choral sound are surely related to its repertoire of works in French, a language that demands fluidity and warm timber. The blending of the voices, each carefully chosen, affords it a rich and varied colour palette, allowing the singers to shape each phrase with precision and depth. Since February 2011, the Chœur de chambre du Québec has given concerts to enchanted audiences. Its numerous performances include the opening concert of the 2012 Choralies in Edmonton, Alberta, a concert in the Prestige Concert Series for Professional Choirs at the Mondial Choral in 2011 in Laval, Quebec, as well as concerts in 2011, 2012 and 2013 at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec. In 2014, the choir will be the invited artists at the École d’été de chant choral (Summer Choral School) at Université de Sherbrooke, during which the invited conductor, Catherine Simonpietri from Paris, France will work woth the singers on a program of choral music from France and French-speaking Quebec. In December 2014, the ensemble will give a Christmas concert at the Festival Saint-Zénon-de-Piopolis in Piopolis, Quebec. They have received several invitations to perform in France, notably with the professional choir Sequenza 9.3 and at the Choralies at Vaison-la-Romaine. 3. Two prestigious invitations for the spring of 2015 The Chœur de chambre du Québec has begun to establish its place on the international stage and the support of the Quebec community will play an important role in its future. For some time, other distinguished choral artists have become aware of its existence and its mission, leading to the numerous invitations it receives to perform outside its province and country. Its members and artistic director are proud of what the ensemble has been able to accomplish in such a short time. It will be essential that music-supporting citizens 5
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