Tour update from Spain

Twenty-three Sydney Chamber Choir choristers together with Musical Director and Conductor, Paul Stanhope, have been on Spanish Soil for a week.

Based in Zarautz, a coastal town in the northern Basque region (just 20km from San Sebastian), we have already given four concerts within a 250km radius in acoustically wonderful churches in local towns.

We have discovered that Spanish audiences are wonderfully receptive. The choir has had the pleasure of watching members of the largely Basque audience listen intently to the pristine clarity of the Spanish Renaissance works of Guerrero and Victoria; silently mouth the words to the Basque lullaby Itsasoa laño dago; dart their eyes from one choral section to another in Ross Edwards’ vigorous and atmospheric Mountain Chant; and tap their feet to our encore piece, Dan Walker’s arrangement of the 80s hit Africa.

These reactions are not only the response to our performance, but also in part generated by the introductions to each piece, in Spanish, by our Spanish-born tenor, Miguel Iglesias. Miguel has engaged the audience with an introduction to each piece, and has even managed to include a translation of Waltzing Matilda!

Our touring program includes:
  • Guerrero: Ave Virgo Sanctissima
  • Victoria: O Magnum Mysterium
  • Bello-Portu: In Monte Oliveti
  • Stanhope: Lament
  • Butterley: Exultate Domino
  • Edwards: Mountain Chant
  • Sculthorpe: Lullaby
  • Trad. arr. Busto: Itsasoa laño dago
  • Mocoroa: Txantxibirin
  • Grainger: Brigg Fair
  • Trad. arr. Gyger: Waltzing Matilda
  • Trad. arr. Leek: South Australia
  • Toto arr. Walker: Africa

At the end of every concert, we have received a standing ovation, and have been the recipients of the most generous dinner reception from our Spanish hosts.

In between concerts, we’ve enjoyed many of the pleasures of touring northern Spain including a visit to the Bilbao Guggenheim, a wander through the “Running of the Bulls” route in the old city of Pamplona, and discovering the wonderful regional cuisine of Navarre and Aragon in the local tavernas and restaurants. Oh, and we’ve rehearsed, too!

Paul Stanhope and the choir are extremely pleased with the concert standard of the choir as we approach the festival tournament in Tolosa on Saturday 31st October. There is a confidence in performance that is the result of hard work together with the rare opportunity of multiple concerts with the same repertoire.

I’m not saying we’ll win the tournament, but I am saying we have never sung better!

Ed Suttle
President, Sydney Chamber Choir
26 October 2009