Choirs' travels form Connections

In May 2010, the Kokopelli and Oran choirs competed at the Dresden Children’s Choir Festival and were billeted with German families. This Easter season, they are returning the favour for the Dresden Philharmonic Youth Choir.

On Monday, April 25, Kokopelli and Oran’s 110 voices meet their match in the 40-odd voices from Dresden. Together they will fill McDougall United Church, an acoustically superb venue, with a light program entitled Connections.

The a cappella Dresden choir, with singers ranging in age from 15 to their late 30s, sings both classical and folk songs. “Technically they are very strong and they sing with a beautiful tone. Definitely there’s a lot of musicality and musicianship in what they do,” says Oran conductor Kathleen Skinner.

The Dresden choir sings a mixture of sacred and secular and two of their highlights will be Psalm settings from Felix Mendelssohn and Heinrich Kaminsky’s repertoire.

Skinner adds that the three choirs join forces in a mass setting with three lighter works: An Irish Blessing, Auld Lang Syne and Binasi Ponno, an African tune about two villages arguing over who has the most beautiful women.

Oran is planning a trip to Cuba at the end of the year and they will show off a couple of sassy Latin island tunes as well as Duerim Negrita (Sleep Black Baby), a Venezuelan lullaby passed down from the slave days.

And Kokopelli, with St. Albert’s Tyler Wenger, takes on Erika Lloyd’s Cells Planets, a folky, gospel arrangement that promotes connections among people.

And using the text of the Kyrie, Norwegian American composer Ola Gjeillo has created Spheres. “It’s a reprise from the stars. It’s ethereal and beautiful.”

Skinner encourages everyone to step out on Easter Monday. “There’s usually a great energy when friends from around the world meet. It will be great fun.”