Bring on the men

EsQuire – Alberta Men’s Chorus, a once-a-year all-male choir, returns for its second concert and it’s doing it in a big way.

The 83-member ensemble is bringing in one of world’s unsurpassed choral conductors, renowned Swedish conductor Robert Sund, who will swing the baton at 2011: A Real Odyssey this coming Sunday at the Winspear Centre.

“Robert is a great teacher and a great musician and conductor,” says St. Albert tenor Trent Worthington who, long with former St. Albert music teacher David Garber and Jerry Paravicini, founded EsQuire.

Worthington goes on to add that in North America there is a dark division between classical and contemporary musicians. “In Scandinavia there is less of a division. Robert can easily crank out a jazz standard or a nocturne by Chopin. It flows out of his fingers equally and this versatility puts him in a unique position.”

Sund has compiled a versatile repertoire that specifically highlights male voices. Among the 18 songs are madrigals, sacred songs, pop tunes, folk music, opera and even “customary drinking song.”

They range from the Renaissance music of Weep O Mine Eyes to the Beatles’ pop infused Michelle. From the pantheon of great composers, Sund has also selected works from Giuseppe Verdi, Charles Gounod, Norman Luboff and Hakan Sund.

Opening the concert is a piece by August Söderman, a beloved 19th century composer who wrote a variety of sacred texts. Following is Franz Biebel’s Ave Maria, his most famous composition. “It’s gorgeous. The male voice is pitched lower and the longer wavelength, the lower frequency allows a more sonorous sound than a mixed choir.”

Also on the bill is Edvard Grieg’s Landkjending (translated: Recognition of Land), a song that tells the story of explorer Olaf Tryvason sighting new land across the ocean. “It’s Norwegian history. The text is of sighting new land and building a new kingdom. It is so expressive and wonderful.”

Paravicini adds that St. Albert has a high overall percentage of singers in the choir. Local ambassadors are Richard Tarleton, Gunnar Lang, Ian Skogstad, Bill Yont, Don Corrigan, Wilf Gunderson, Tom Lee, Jim McDonald and Gerrit van Dyk.

For more information visit www.esquiremenschorus.ca.