SMCC 2014 Concert Overview for Incantato Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal: "Chants of the World"

The San Marino Chamber Choir, under the direction of Tammi Alderman, will be presenting their concert "Chants of the world - Cantos del Mundo - Cantos do Mundo" during their Incantato Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal in Spring 2014.

You are all invited to join us at each venue, performance, and Joint Concert that will take place during the Performance Tour. Here you have an overview of all them.
For more information on each venue, please check the links.


MADRID, Sunday, March 30, 7 pm
MASS at Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid
The San Marino Chamber Choir will be the featured choir at the imposing  "La Almudena", as "madrileños" like to call the Cathedral of Madrid, on Sunday, March 30, at 7 pm.
The principle church of the Diocese of Madrid, the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena, is a relatively modern building, which was started in 1883 and was not completed until 1993.


LEÓN, Monday, March 31, 1 pm
RECITAL at Catedral de León

The San Marino Chamber Choir was granted permission to present a special recital at the marvellous Catedral de León, the gothic masterpiece in Leon, Spain.
The Cathedral of Leon has existed for over 800 years. The Pulchra Leonina, as it was called for its outstanding beauty, is a remarkable visit for travelers, artist, archeologists and pilgrims, and a main stop along the Camino de Santiago - Way of St. James.



OVIEDO, Tuesday, April 1, 8 pm
JOINT CONCERT with Joven Coro de la Fundación Príncipe de Asturias
Teatro-Auditorio de Siero
San Marino Chamber Choir and Joven Coro de la Fundación Principe de Asturias (Youth Choir of the Prince of Asturias Foundation) will offer a Joint Concert as a wonderful finale to their Choral Exchange after the 2-day program together, at the very Auditorium of Pola de Siero, Asturias.
Before, the San Marino Chamber Choir will enjoy a Reception at Grado Townhall, and a special meeting with High School students.



SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Wednesday, April 2, 7:30 pm
MASS at Catedral de Santiago de Compostela

The San Marino Chamber Choir will sing Mass at Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, which is not only the most outstanding building of Romanesque art in Spain, but also the final destination of all the Ways of St. James - Camino de Santiago, which, during centuries, have brought Christendom’s pilgrims to the apostle’s tomb.




PORTO, Thursday, April 3, 7 pm
CONCERT at Monumental Church Igreja do Sâo Francisco
The San Marino Chamber Choir will present their "Chants of the World" repertoire at this outstanding temple, a must-see monument that amazes all visitors, and a cultural reference of the second most important city of Portugal.



LISBON, Saturday, April 5, 3 pm
JOINT CONCERT with Coro Musaico

Main Hall - Salâo Nobre do Conservatòrio Nacional
San Marino Chamber Choir will enjoy a Choral Exchange with the Coro Musaico, whose members are students of the National Conservatory of Portugal, on Saturday April 5th- followed by a Joint Concert. The Choral Concert will take place at 3pm, as the highlight concert during the 3-days cultural festival "Conservatòrio Sai Na Rúa".



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SMCC 2014: Incantato Tour Poster and Concert Card

Wonderful San Marino Chamber Choir and Director Tammi Alderman, sure deserve great marketing. Spain and Portugal are awaiting your arrival!

Concert Card for San Marino Chamber Choir Performance Tour 2014.

 

Incantato proudly presents the concert posters for Oviedo, Porto and Lisbon concerts for the San Marino Chamber Choir 2014 Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal. 

 

 

SMCC 2014: Incantato proudly presents San Marino Chamber Choir at Sao Francisco Church (Porto), on Thursday April 3, 7 pm

The San Marino Chamber Choir, under the direction of Tammi Alderman, will present their "Chants of the World - Cantos do Mundo"  Choral Concert at the Igreja Monumental do Sao Francisco de Porto, on Thursday, April 3, at 7 pm.

This outstanding temple is a must-see monument that amazes all visitors, and a cultural reference of the second most important city of Portugal. The Igreja de Sao Francisco is a perfect example of rococo or late Baroque architecture: its golden-covered pillars and columns are extremely ornate with cherubs, rose garlands, fruits, and animals.

The St Francis Church was built between
1383 and 1410, which can be recognized in its
strict gothic facade. During the 17th and 18th centuries the temple underwent a huge baroque decoration renewal, which gave place to an interior of gilded wood carvings and earthly designs made of gold. Amidst all these, the remarkable Tree of Jesse, which is a visual representation of Jesus’ family tree, which traces its way back to Jesse, the father of David.

Adding to the experience are the catacombs beneath the church’s three interior chapels. These catacombs house the church’s small museum that keeps artifacts from the former Franciscan monastery. Nowadays the Igreja Monumental do Sao Francisco de Porto is open as Museum and Monument, and also classical music concerts are often held here.

SMCC 2014: Choral Exchange and Concert: San Marino Chamber Choir with the Escola de Música do Conservatório Nacional of Portugal, Lisboa, Saturday, April 5.

San Marino Chamber Choir will enjoy a Choral Exchange with the students of the National Conservatory of Portugal, during their Incantato Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal, on Saturday April 5th. The Choral Concert will take place at 3pm.

The Escola de Música do Conservatório Nacional - School of Music of the National Conservatory of Portugal - is based in the capital city Lisbon, hosting a regular program of concerts and masterclasses for the students and the citizens, to increase the musical and cultural level of the city.

The Escola de Música mission is to qualify students through a solid education in its multiple facets: humanistic, scientific, historical, ethical, ecological, aesthetic, artistic and musical; empowering them for a professional option as musicians.

The Coro Musaico - Musaico Choir, under the direction of Tiago Marques, will meet San Marino Chamber Choir for the choral exchange and Joint Concert that San Marino Chamber Choir and Musaico will present at the Conservatory Concert Hall at 3pm on Saturday April 5..
Coro Musaico runs this year a light music programme of choice, but their repertoire comprises all kinds of styles. Here you can see Musaico on a performance celebrating the Day of Song, under the direction and solo from Maestro Tiago Marques.

The Coro Musaico is one of the choirs under the Escola de Música do Conservatorio. Here you can watch the Orquestra de Câmara and the Coro Géral performing together Vivaldi's Gloria.

The creation of the Conservatory in Lisbon is directly linked to the action of Portuguese musician João Domingos Bomtempo (1775-1842), known primarily as a pianist and composer, but also as an excellent educator. Following the Liberal victory (1834), he gave substance to his plans to reform the teaching of music in Portugal.

The Royal Conservatory of Lisbon remained basically unchanged until 1901, with a major reform headed by Augusto Machado (1845-1924), Director of the School of Music from 1901 to 1910, who guided the Conservatory in the ways of modernity, updating the curricula and repertoires of various instruments. 

Currently, the School of Music of the National Conservatory is identified with the traditional Conservatory institution, remaining in the same building of Caetanos and continuing to be a major player in the Portuguese musical training. 

SMCC 2014: San Marino Chamber Choir sings for Mass at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, April 2, at 7,30 pm.

The San Marino Chamber Choir will sing Mass at Catedral de Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday, April 2, at 7:30 pm.

The Catedral de Santiago de Compostela is the most outstanding building of Romanesque art in Spain. It is also the final destination of all the Ways of St. James - Camino de Santiago, which, during centuries, have brought Christendom’s pilgrims to the apostle’s tomb. And that is not all; it is the starting point for the construction of the monumental city of Santiago de Compostela, that arose in a sacred forest at the End of the World, with the vocation of becoming a Holy City and a World Heritage City.
Today, with a thousand years of existence experienced at the pace of Compostela’s extraordinary history, the Cathedral reveals itself to be a complex series of spaces covering an area of around 10,000 square metres, capable of rewarding with its powerful spirituality the faith of travellers, and with its beauty visitors from all over the world.

Construction on the cathedral was begun in 1075 in the reign of Alfonso VI, and sponsored by Bishop Diego Peláez. The work took place under the direction of Master Esteban on the remains of old churches built in devotion to the saint. 

It was built with three naves and a floor plan in a Latin cross, and had an area of about 8300 m². Its countless extensions have added numerous architectural styles to the building (Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Plateresque and neoclassical). 

The La Gloria portico is the main entrance, and was created by Master Mateo in 1188. It features 200 figures referring to the Apocalypse, and the figure of Saint James the apostle appearing to welcome the pilgrims, supported on a column rising from the mullion. 

The Obradoiro façade of the cathedral is the work of Fernando de Casas y Novoa, and is considered to be one of the supreme expressions of the Spanish Baroque. The main altar is also in the Baroque style, and the crypt of Saint James the apostle lies directly beneath.

The Cathedral of Santiago has different and beloved traditions, that both locals and pilgrims arriving each year graciously fulfill: a hand on the St. James pillar, a head on the Master Mateo sculpture, the botafumeiro incense burner swinging... distinctive and unique usages with a deep spiritural or cultural meaning that are kept for centuries. We are sure you will discover and enjoy them during the visit to Santiago, and we will present them here soon.

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SMCC 2014: Joint Concert: San Marino Chamber Choir will perform together with the Youth Choir of the Prince of Asturias Foundation, at Auditorio de Pola de Siero, Asturias, April 1, at 8pm.

San Marino Chamber Choir and Joven Coro de la Fundación Principe de Asturias will offer a Joint Concert on April 1, at 8pm, as a wonderful finale to their Choral Exchange program, at the very Auditorium of Pola de Siero, Asturias.

This busy Auditorium, designed by the bureau of Benito Diaz Prieto, has been inaugurated in 2011.
Since them, many international and national artists have performed for a welcoming "asturiana" audience: classical music, traditional concerts, theatre, dance, and all kinds of performances like: Ara Mailikian, Fernando Egozcue, Symphonic Orchestra of Asturias, CONSMUPA, Danza Invisible, Orquesta Autónoma de Cantabria, Joaquin Pixán...

The cultural complex of the Auditorium is composed by the main Concert Hall, with 680 seats, and a same dimensions wide stage: 25 x 25 metres.

The Auditorium complex also hosts a smaller Concert Hall with 170 seats, as well as a Public Library for adults, children and babys, and the Main Cultural Centre of the city of Pola de Siero.

Nowadays, the Auditorium stands as one of the cultural hubs of the northern region of Spain, gaining importance for the culture and arts.

SMCC 2014: San Marino Chamber Choir presents Recital at Catedral de León on March 31.

The San Marino Chamber Choir, under the direction of Dr. Tammi Alderman, was granted permission to present a special recital at the marvellous Catedral de León, the gothic masterpiece in Leon, Spain, on Monday March 31, at 12:30, during their 2014 Incantato Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal

The Cathedral of Leon can look back on a 800-years history. The Pulchra Leonina, as it was called (latin) due to its outstanding beauty, is a remarkable visit for travelers, artist, archeologists and pilgrims, as it is a main stop along the Camino de Santiago - Way of St. James.

The Catedral de Santa María de Regla de León (as it is officially named) is a French-style Gothic cathedral was begun to be built by Bishop Martin Fernandez, with funds from King Alfonso the Wise, in 1255 over the ruins of 2nd-century Roman baths, and stands as probably the finest Gothic building in Spain, closely modeled on the Flamboyant Gothic royal cathedrals of France, and sharing master carvers with Burgos cathedral.

The north transept adjoins to the 13th- and 14th-century cloister, which has carved capitals, Romanesque and Gothic tombs, and some faded frescoes.
Inside, some 125 medieval stained glass windows illuminate a harmonious, fully French Gothic interior with three aisles, a short transept, a five-bay choir, and an ambulatory with radiating chapels.

The effect of the pale stone combined with dazzling rays of sunlight filtering through the windows have given the cathedral the nickname "House of Light." 

León Cathedral's choir stalls, among the oldest in Spain, were carved of walnut by Flemish artists in the 15th century. A much-revered statue of the Virgen de la Esperanza, depicting the Virgin Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus, dates from the 13th or 14th century and is displayed in a side chapel off the choir.

For more information on the history and significance of this venue, please visit the official Catedral de Leon website.

SMCC 2014: Incantato proudly presents the Choral Exchange with the Youth Choir of Prince of Asturias Foundation

Dear travellers and friends of San Marino Chamber Choir,

What an exciting exchange: San Marino Chamber Choir and the Joven Coro de la Fundación Principe de Asturias (Youth Choir of the Prince of Asturias Foundation) will meet, sing and share time and music on on March 31 and April 1st in Asturias.

Prince of Asturias Awards Finale Concert with Prince of Asturias Choir

The Prince of Asturias Foundation, under the Presidency of HRH The Prince of Asturias, has a great international reputation, due to cultural activity along the year (as Prince of Asturias Awards), and also to the high quality of its musical activities and choirs under its Music Department. 
You can take a look to the videos of some Awards Ceremonies here
(By the way, let me share with you that it was during this Awards that HRH The Prince Felipe got to met his wife Letizia, now Princess of Asturias, where she was working as special journalist for the TV)

The Music Department

In 1983 the Prince of Asturias Foundation, a private organization whose aim is to contribute towards strengthening the links between the Prince of Asturias, the heir apparent to the Spanish throne, and the Principality of Asturias, formed a polyphonic group that whilst fostering the traditional love of the people of Asturias for choral music, would elevate it to its greatest heights. 
With Jesús López Cobos and Krzysztof Penderecki as Honorary Conductors, the Music Department runs different activities during the whole year: International Music School, the Concerts and the Choirs.

THE YOUTH CHOIR

The Youth Choir was founded in 1988 and is currently made up of young musicians from 15 to 25 years of age. It is one of the three choirs –also the Senior Choir and the Children’s Choir- that make up the Music Department of the Prince of Asturias Foundation, which has more than 300 voices. 

Under the conduction of José Ángel Émbil, the Youth Choir has performed throughout Asturias on numerous occasions. It toured Germany with great success in 1990 and took part in the Clermont-Ferrand International Youth Choir Festival (France).
They keep performing at national concerts.
In 2001, they obtained the second Prize at the Children’s Festival in Habaneras, held in Torrevieja. In April 2002, they offered two concerts in Barcelona and in June they performed at the Jerónimos Church in Madrid.
In 2005, the Choir returned to Madrid to sing in the El Pardo Royal Palace on occasion of the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, at a concert that was presided over by T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias.
In December the Choir returned to Madrid to perform at a concert in the Royal Palace for the staff of the National Heritage. The concert was presided over by H.R.H. the Prince of Asturias.
During the XXIX Religious Music Week (2006), the Choir premiered Diez villancicos pixuetos at the Saint Nicholas of Bari Church, by Elvira Bravo and the Fernández Ahuja brothers, and restored and harmonized by José Mª Martínez.
In 2009, they celebrated a exchange with the Youth Choir of the Performing Arts School in Kentucky (U.S.A.) at a concert in the Chamber Music Hall of the Prince Felipe Auditorium in Oviedo. The concert, a part of YPAS performing tour with Incantato, was a great success, where the magnificent composer Richard Burchard presented as European premiere "A song of Eternal Love". 

 

The choir has premiered pieces specially written for it by composers like Alfonso Sánchez or Luis Vázquez del Fresno. It is also a source of new voices for the Senior Choir, which has already reached unquestionable prestige in Spain and abroad.
The Youth Choir covers a wide repertoire, from elder to contemporary music and from religious to popular music. The members of the Choir rehearse for more than five hours every week and attend classes of music theory and vocal technique with the teachers of the Choirs of the Prince of Asturias Foundation.

Prince of Asturias Foundation Choir

Conducted by José Esteban G. Miranda, the Prince of Asturias Foundation Choir is regarded as one of the most important amateur groups in Europe and its prestige is world-renowned. Jesús López Cobos, the 1981 Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for the Arts, has been the honorary conductor of the choirs since their inception. He currently shares this role with Krzysztof Penderecki, who received the same Award in 2001. In December 2007, the European Parliament recognised the Choir with a special honour "for its outstanding services for the European Union".

Choirs and Internatinal Music School

They are the result of the educational work carried out by the Prince of Asturias Foundation's Music Department over the last twenty-five years. This explains why, along with its work recovering and fostering Asturian musical and choral traditions, it was chosen by the International Music Council (IMC), an organisation responsible to the United Nations, as an "Example to the World" in its support for music teaching and training. It was invited to present its work, aimed at fostering music, in the first "World Music Forum", which was held in Los Angeles, USA.

The Choral Exchange with San Marino Chamber Choir

The program of this upcoming and exciting choral exchange is divided in 2 days, in which both choirs will have the opportunity to meet, sing, share and rehearse as well.
The Choral Exchange will end in a Joint Choral Concert on April 1st, in the brand new Auditorium of Pola de Siero.
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SMCC 2014: San Marino Chamber Choir performs mass at Cathedral of La Almudena (Madrid): Sunday, March 30, at 7 pm.

The San Marino Chamber Choir, under the direction of Tammi Alderman, will be featured choir at the imposing  "La Almudena", as "madrileños" like to call the Cathedral of Madrid, on Sunday, March 30, at 7 pm.

The principle church of the Diocese of Madrid, the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena, is a relatively modern building, started in 1883 and not completed until 1993. 

The cathedral is consecrated to Santa Maria de la Almudena, a name which has Arabic origins: al mudayna, means "the castle". Legend has it that in the 8th century, when the Moors invaded the fortress where Madrid now stands, the people hid an image of the Virgin in the city walls, and only when the city was reconquered in the 15th century did a wall crumble to reveal her presence once again. Some versions suggest that the legendary el Cid found the image in the wall, and the Virgen helped him to retake the city.

The building is a mixture of styles with a neoclassical exterior, a gothic revival interior, and a neo-romanesque crypt. It is constructed of granite and marble, with a large neoclassical cupola and two towers at the main entrance. The Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena sits next to the Palacio Real, separated from it by a spacious square, the Plaza de la Armería.

Unusually for a church, it is not oriented east and west, but has its orientation north and south, as it was originally conceived as an integral part of the Royal Palace complex. A second entrance, in the Calle Bailén, has impressive bronze doors by the sculptor Sanguino, depicting the discovery of the image of the Virgin.

TODAY: First "Made in USA"-Concert by the San Marino Chamber Choir this Sunday in Munich

The San Marino Chamber Choir (SMCC) will be presenting the first concert of its 2012 International Performance Tour to Germany and Istanbul on Sunday, April 1 at 7 pm at Markuskirche in Munich. The 40 students from San Marino High School in the greater Los Angeles area in California bring a wide variety of choral literature along for the 11-day Konzerttournee starting with classics like Biebl's Ave Maria or Bach's "oh Come Sweet Death", but also present work from contemporary American composers like Eric Whitacre and Richard Burchard. Spirituals as well as folk songs from North America, Asia and Europe conclude the musical offerings. The concert is a benefit for the hosting church's own music program and the singers from the USA hope to engage in some form of exchange with youth from St. Markus as well as the audience after the performance. "It is life changing for our singers to perform internationally", explains director Mr. Howard Cheung: "We are honored to share the gift and joys of choral music with the people of Munich and its many visitors." The San Marino Chamber Choir travels abroad annually and has already performed in Taiwan, Japan, Italy, Spain, Austria and Hungary - Stephansdom in Vienna, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome or the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona or only a few of the prestigious venues the singers performed at. In the USA they have presented concerts to full houses in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall in New York City; and the choir is regularly invited to high ranking festivals and competitions. This year's musical theme "Made in the USA" sums up where both the majority of the music as well as the students come from, but it is also meant to challenge the audience's expectations concerning the modern day make-up of American schools.  The San Marino Chamber Choir unites singers who origins origins represent many different nationalities, mostly Chinese and Taiwanese, but also Hispanic, Indian and last not least Arabic and German. 

The concert starts at 7 pm at Markuskirche on Gabelsbergerstr. 6 in Munich. The entrance is free, however seating is limited and thus early arrival highly recommended.