Christmas on Temple Square

This year, the Salt Lake Choral Artists are excited to be able to perform in the Tabernacle on Temple Square as the kickoff concert event to this year's season of Christmas on Temple Square!

Tickets for the concert are free and currently sold out, but you may be able to get in on standby.

Click here for event information.

Hope to see you there!

SLVA Spain Tour: More Competition and Results

Today we competed in our final two categories: large group polyphony and large group folklore (folk music, jazz, etc.). Both of our sets went very well. The audience seemed to love us, and we sang with so much energy in our second set that I think it would have been impossible not to tap your feet along with us!

Also, we are pretty sure we called the rain in Tolosa when we sang "Cloudburst."

After a long dinner and an agonizing wait through a bunch of beautiful traditional Basque dancing, we learned the results. Here's the breakdown:

SMALL GROUP SACRED MUSIC - First Prize
SMALL GROUP SECULAR MUSIC - First Prize
LARGE GROUP POLYPHONY - First Prize
LARGE GROUP FOLKLORE - First Prize

Additionally, we won the prize for being the audience favorite!

The only thing we didn't win was the overall Grand Prize, which went to an amazing Hungarian children's choir. But it's the best of all possible scenarios for us! This way, we won every single category we entered, plus the audience prize, and now we don't have to come back to Tolosa next year to compete in the European Grand Prix, which we would be forced to do if we had won that prize.

We could not be happier!

Tomorrow we have a prizewinners concert and then a final concert in Tolosa before we head home dark and early on Tuesday morning.

Thanks again to everyone who has made this possible, especially the festival organizers and all of the wonderful people here in Spain who have lead us around, fed us, housed us, and listened to us sing. We love you!

SLVA Spain Tour: Concerts and Competition!

I apologize that it has been so long since I have updated this blog. We have had many busy days in a row with extremely late nights, and there just has not been time! So here is a longer update about what has been going on since Tuesday.

The concert in Pamplona was great fun. The audience seemed to enjoy us very much, and we had a great time with them! We also enjoyed a little time running with the bulls.


On Wednesday, we enjoyed spending some rehearsal time with Josu Elberdin, who wrote "Segalariak," which is one of the compulsory pieces for the competition. He gave us a lot of great pointers and we are very grateful for his help!


Later that day, we headed to Tafalla for another concert in a great place called the San Pedro church.


The concert was fun and we were starting to feel really good about competition! But we also needed a break, and conveniently, Thursday was our free day. We decided to spend some time in San Sebastian, which has some beautiful beaches and lots of shops.




It was lovely and a much needed break.

On Friday, the competition began! Friday was the first round---secular music---for the small group (max 16 voices). We had a short rehearsal in the morning and then a very brief sound check in the hall...and then we were off!


It went quite well, and we were happy to relax after it was over, because on Saturday morning we had round two for the small group---sacred music. This round took place in a nice little church in Tolosa.


Again, we felt pretty good about what we did. The other choirs here are really quite good! It's a very fun and very intense competition! We are very happy to be here doing this!

After round two yesterday, we headed off to a new city for a concert, and on the way we took a spin through Bilbao just to see the Guggenheim museum.


What an amazing building! Thanks to our guides and our bus driver for taking us there! Afterwards, we headed on toward our concert in a church whose name escapes me right now, in a town that I also can't recall at this moment. (Very informative!)


The concert was absolutely fantastic---our best to date---and left us feeling very charged for the large group competition (max 40 voices) that happens today. We feel very ready and very excited!

It's hard for all of us to believe that we have already been here for a week and we are almost ready to come home! It's been great so far...thanks to everyone who made this possible for us!

SLVA Spain Tour: Sing, Sing, Sing!

It's Tuesday afternoon here in Spain, and we're smack in the middle of our daily siesta (which, by the way, America should definitely adopt). In about an hour we'll head off to Pamplona for a little bit of shopping, then a rehearsal and a concert.


Yesterday, we also had siesta, which was great---and a video was made during that time which you can view on the Salt Lake Vocal Artists facebook page. In the video, the concert from last night is referenced---we sang in a church in Basauri called San Pedro of Eliza.


The concert was very fun and pretty well attended---they definitely liked us and really appreciated our Basque songs. They fed us a very late meal afterwards which we very much appreciated!

Tonight we'll sing in Pamplona and hopefully it will go better than it did yesterday---not that last night was bad, just that there is always room to improve and the competition is approaching very quickly!

Spain is very cold right now but very beautiful. We are happy to be here!

SLVA Spain Tour: Flight and Arrival

Did you know the Salt Lake Choral Artists have a new addition to their choral family? The Salt Lake Vocal Artists are a small chamber choir of about 40 voices that have just begun a 10-day tour of the Basque region in Spain. We left Salt Lake City at noon on Saturday, October 22, and, after a flight to Atlanta and another to Madrid, arrived here in Spain on Sunday safely.

It's beautiful and very rainy---whether on the plain or not!


We are staying in a little town called Oiartzun which is not far from Tolosa. What is happening in Tolosa near the end of this week is the reason we are here.


SLVA has come to compete in the Tolosa Choral Competition, which is a very prestigious competition attended by some of the best choirs in the world. We are competing in both the large (40 voice maximum) and small (16 voice maximum) categories. Before the competition begins, we'll give a few concerts in towns around the area.

We're all looking forward to performing, meeting the Spanish people, and giving our best at the competition! Hopefully the wifi at our hotel will continue to work so we can keep you updated. You can also follow us on facebook!

We hope you enjoy SLVA's first tour blog!

SCI: Session 1

The first session of the Summer Choral Institute starts this week! Now in it's fourth year, SCI continues to bring a great selection of music to the community! If you like to sing---in your car, in the shower, at a karaoke bar, anywhere!---then SCI is for you!

This week's session is titled "Music from the South" and features Robert Ray's Gospel Mass, Rob Landes' jazzy piece Images, and other traditional spirituals. Don't miss it!

Rehearsals are on Thursday 7-10 PM, Friday 7-10 PM, Saturday 9:00-noon and 2:00-5:00 (all in room 270 David Gardner Hall), with a free concert at 7:30 PM in Libby Gardner Concert Hall!

Sign up at our homepage or at the door. You won't want to miss it! See you there!

Lux Aeterna

Join us for our last concert of the 2009-2010 season! Featuring Morten Lauridsen's ethereal "Lux Aeterna" and the premiere of a new work by Ray Shattenkirk, this is an evening of fantastic music not to be missed!

Saturday, May 15
7:30 PM
Libby Gardner Concert Hall

Tickets are available through our homepage or at the door the night of the concert.

Don't miss it!

Young Choral Artists

At our upcoming Beatlemania concert (see previous blog post), the Salt Lake Choral Artists are proud to present our newest group, the Young Choral Artists!



During the last two months, over 80 talented children ages 7-13 auditioned for the children’s choir. Over 60 children were selected to sing and are expected to bring the house down. Jessica Lee, a former graduate student of Dr. Allred's, organized and directs the choir. This concert marks the kick-off event for the Young Choral Artists, whose first official season begins Fall 2010.

The organization will provide children with the unique opportunity to collaborate with the Salt Lake Choral Artists, as well as organize their own performances and collaborations in the community.



“The first thing we drilled at rehearsal,” Jessica Lee said, “was looking at pictures of the legendary four and reciting their names, 'Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Star.' Many of the children had no idea who the Beatles were when they came to the audition!”

Jessica Lee hopes all the singers will come away from the experience with a new-found excitement for performance. “Several parents have mentioned that they are delighted to have an opportunity for their children that reinforces the thrill of musical achievement in a social atmosphere,” she said. “The study of music is often an independent, and sometimes lonely, endeavor. Children practice their instruments alone, go to lessons alone, and perform onstage alone. There isn’t a coach yelling their name as they practice their scales, or a devoted mother bringing treats to every practice. Choir is one way to offer young people an experience that engages them socially and motivates them musically. Choral singing teaches beginning vocal technique and musicianship skills that can supplement and enhance private instruction.”



Get your tickets to Beatlemania here!

Visit this page for more information about about joining the Young Choral Artists for the 2009-2010 season!

Beatlemania!

The Salt Lake Choral Artists' next concert will be like nothing you've ever heard from us before: Beatlemania!



John, Paul, George, and Ringo: those four iconic names that changed the face of pop music forever. Experience the British Invasion all over again as the Salt Lake Choral Artists sing the classic music of Lennon and McCartney as well as music by artists that both influenced and were influenced by the Beatles. With Get Back, a live Beatles cover band, and the award-winning vocal ensemble T minus 5, this is sure to be a night to remember!

You'll hear many of your favorites, including "Hey Jude," "All You Need is Love," "Here Comes the Sun," "Blackbird," and more.

Due to overwhelming demand for tickets, there are two performances!

Option 1:
February 20, 2010
Libby Gardner Concert Hall
7:30 PM
Tickets for this performance are sold out at the box office. There may be a small handful left. Call and ask, but don't count on getting in at the door!

Option 2:
For the first time ever, SLCA is offering a matinee performance!
February 20, 2010
Libby Gardner Concert Hall
2:00 PM
Tickets for this performance are still available! They are $15 and can only be purchased through our website.

Don't miss it! It will be an extravaganza like none other! See you there!

Laud to the Nativity

Don't miss our annual holiday concert, "Laud to the Nativity," on December 19 at 7:30 pm in Libby Gardner Concert Hall!

Tickets available through our homepage. See you there!

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who attended and made our first concert of the season, "Made in America," a great success! Special thanks to Spence Kinard for narrating the program and tying everything together.

Mark your calendars now for our December concert, "Laud to the Nativity," on Saturday, December 19. This season has started out with a bang, and it's sure to only get better!

Fall Concert

Saturday, October 17
7:30 PM, Libby Gardner Concert Hall
Tickets available through Kingsbury Hall or our website. May also be available at the door the night of the concert

Don't miss it!

Facebook Fans

Make sure you join the Salt Lake Choral Artists Facebook Fan Page to not only keep up with all the latest news and concert announcements, but also take advantage of some great media!

We already have a lot of pictures from previous events, with more sure to come, and we've just begun featuring songs on our music player. The first featured song is a live performance of an arrangement of George Gershwin's "'S Wonderful." Since our first concert this season features American music, this is a great way to get in the mood!

New songs will be added periodically, and we'll also feature videos from our new YouTube channel.

If you are already a member of facebook, join our fan page today! If you're not a member, sign up for free and hop on board! You won't be sorry!

Season Tickets

Tickets for our 2009-2010 are now available for purchase.

You may buy tickets for individual concerts or buy season tickets. Prices and further information can be found on our website.

Buy season tickets before October 10 and receive an Early Bird discount: get the entire season for only $50!

Visit our website to purchase. We've got a great season of music lined up---you won't want to miss a single concert!

SLCA is on YouTube!

The Salt Lake Choral Artists now has its very own YouTube channel! You can view it here. Arvo Pärt's "Te Deum" is the first video available (in four parts due to length) with more on the way.

Subscribe, rate, and spread the word! And keep watching!

SLCA's 2009/10 Concert Season

We're ready to go on our new concert season, and we're very excited! Season brochures will be available soon. In the meantime, use this note to mark your calendars now! You won't want to miss any part of this season.

October 17: Made in America
Moving past pop and rock and roll, the Salt Lake Choral Artists explore the roots of American music. The choir will sing selections from Carol Barnett's "Bluegrass Mass," along with traditional folk music, African-American spirituals, gospel music, jazz, and music from the American musical theater. Also including sacred and secular music by living American composers, this concert truly represents a melting pot of styles.

December 19: Laud to the Nativity
Featuring soprano Carol Ann Allred, tenor Todd Miller, and mezzo-soprano Laura Garff Lewis, Respighi's "Laud to the Nativity" charmingly and intimately tells the nativity story through the eyes of the shepherds. Dr. Allred will also direct the Salt Lake Choral Artists in Ariel Ramirez' "Navidad Nuestra," which sets the Christmas story against a tapestry of traditional Latin American dance styles and instrumentation. The concert will include the music of Arvo Part, selections from Sergei Rachmaninoff's "All Night Vigil," and familiar favorites by John Rutter.

February 20: Beatlemania
John, Paul, George, and Ringo: those four iconic names that changed the face of pop music forever. Experience the British Invasion all over again as the Salt Lake Choral Artists sing the classic music of Lennon and McCartney as well as music by artists that both influenced and were influenced by the Beatles. With Get Back, a live Beatles cover band, and the award-winning vocal ensemble T minus 5, this is sure to be a night to remember!

May 15: Lux Aeterna - Eternal Light
Light: hope, faith, life, joy. Morten Lauridsen's "Lux Aeterna," a beautiful work for choir and chamber orchestra, fully expresses the idea of light in both its soaring, majestic phrases and its moments of quiet serenity. With texts drawn from a variety of sacred Latin sources, the piece emphasizes heavenly light. The Salt Lake Choral Artists will also premiere "One Light," a newly commissioned work by Ray Shattenkirk that draws its inspiration from religious poems from many faiths.

Free Concert!

Don't miss the concert of the last weekend session of the Summer Choral Institute, featuring John Rutter's "Psalmfest." This concert is free, and you'll get to hear the choir along with a chamber orchestra and soloists George Dyer and Carol Ann Allred.

This is a very exciting event and a great way to wrap up this part of this year's SCI. Tell all your friends! And come with them!

Details:

Saturday, August 8
7:30
Libby Gardner Concert Hall
School of Music, U of U campus
FREE!

See you there!

Our First CD Release!

The Salt Lake Choral Artists are proud to present their first CD release:

He Loves Me, sacred choral works by David R. Naylor


David Naylor is a Utah composer, and SLCA is proud to promote the works of local artists. You may hear samples of some of the tracks here, and you may purchase the CD at our boutique (online soon or in person at an SCI event or any concert), or from any choir member.

Thank you for your support!

Free concert!

There's a free concert tomorrow night (Saturday, July 11) in Thompson Chamber Hall at the University of Utah. It begins at 7:30, and features music for women's voices. There's folk songs, Broadway tunes, and everything in between. Come for a fun, free night of great music!

Utah Composers and more conducting

July is a busy month for the Salt Lake Choral Artists. Don't miss the next great SCI sessions we've got lined up!

Session 5: July 13-19

Session 5 is titled "Utah Composers: Sacred and Secular Choral Music by Composers from Utah." Especially good for families, this session is in collaboration with the Madeleine Choir School. Elementary and junior high students will enjoy daily choral rehearsals at the Madeleine Choir School. Additionally, they can choose enrichment classes in subjects such as composition, violin, handbells, conducting, keyboard, and movement. The youth portion of this session lasts from July 13-19.

Adult singers will enjoy singing sacred and secular choral music by Mack Wilberg, Ronald Staheli, Thomas Durham, David Naylor, Cameron Rose, Jane Fjeldsted, Marie Nelson Bennett, Murray Boren and others. The adult portion of this session lasts from July 16-19.

The session concludes with a free Saturday evening concert and a Sunday performance at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

Intermediate/Advanced Conducting Workshop: July 13-17

Raise the level of your artistic, technical, and aural conducting skills. Scheduled in conjunction with the Salt Lake Choral Artists Summer Choral Institute, students will have opportunities to conduct the Institute Choir as well as members of the SLCA Chamber Choir in standard choral literature. Selected repertoire will include the sacred and secular music of Utah composers. Topics of discussion include advanced score study and preparation, performance practice, diction, rehearsal techniques, and ensemble unity. The week's activities will culminate in two public performances featuring selected conductors from the class.

The workshop is taught by Dr. Brady R. Allred.

As always, visit our webiste to register. You may also register at the door.

We'll see you there!