The first of three settings of text from the Odes of Solomon. The Odes of Solomon are believed to have been written around the year 100 A.D., and include strong parallels to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Scholars have debated whether the Odes should be consid...  moreThe first of three settings of text from the Odes of Solomon. The Odes of Solomon are believed to have been written around the year 100 A.D., and include strong parallels to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Scholars have debated whether the Odes should be considered Jewish, Christian or Gnostic, and whether they were first written in Greek, Hebrew or Syriac. Early Christian writings refer to and quote from them. A Syriac manuscript containing the text of most of the Odes was discovered in 1909 by the English scholar J. Rendel Harris, and other partial texts in various languages have also been found. There are 42 Odes. Some fragments are still missing from Odes I and III, and no part of Ode II has yet been found. For these choral settings, I selected text from four of the Odes of Solomon which I found particularly compelling. The anonymous translation I have used comes from The Gnostic Society Library.  less

This year in Denmark we are so lucky to host the world’s biggest music competition: the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. We work under the tagline #JoinUs and aim to invite everyone to join us and celebrate the music at the Eurovision in May.   ...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   There is always room for improvement, whether you’re a singer, a choir leader, a choral arranger, a workshop leader or a choir committee member...

MESSIAHHope and Salvation: the meaning of Handel's masterpieceby Stephen Thornton Handel’s Messiah is performed by thousands of choirs and choral  societies across the world every year. The music is sublime, but how  often do the singers ...

The Oratorio Society of New York, the second oldest cultural organization in New York City, has been part the city's musical life since 1873. The Society's 200 members come from all walks of life to volunteer their time for the joy of making music togethe...  moreThe Oratorio Society of New York, the second oldest cultural organization in New York City, has been part the city's musical life since 1873. The Society's 200 members come from all walks of life to volunteer their time for the joy of making music together. In addition to its concert programs, the Society works to further oratorio singing and provides young singers with the opportunity to advance their careers through the annual Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition.  

Now in its 12th year, Play It Forward presents Australia's most exciting Singers Festival for all school & community choirs and individual singers. Melbourne International Singers Festival has an even bigger and more diverse program over this King’s...

On Saturday 8th March 2014 the Taunton Deane Male Voice choir joined us for a concert in Weston-super-Mare. Proceeds from the event were in aid of the Weston Hospicecare charity which celebrates its 25th birthday this year.

The Performance Choir is a select ensemble of vibrant 8- to 12-year-olds eager to share the gift of song. These singers have already demonstrated their enthusiasm for exploring various genres and styles, and their performances are infused with infectious ...  moreThe Performance Choir is a select ensemble of vibrant 8- to 12-year-olds eager to share the gift of song. These singers have already demonstrated their enthusiasm for exploring various genres and styles, and their performances are infused with infectious joy and youthful enthusiasm. They act as ambassadors for the Community School of Music and Arts to reach the broader community through performance and share their love of music.  

The Ainur Chamber Choir was originally founded in 1991, at a time when a main choral movement was taking place in the Canary Islands. The choir’s work was interrupted for several years during its members’ academic education, as well as during their partic...  moreThe Ainur Chamber Choir was originally founded in 1991, at a time when a main choral movement was taking place in the Canary Islands. The choir’s work was interrupted for several years during its members’ academic education, as well as during their participation in different musical projects. The present line-up has been steady since 2006. Their repertoire offers a variety of styles of great difficulty and chromatic richness, and tries to take advantage of the cultural and geographic circumstances which make of the Canary Islands a multicultural place. A remarkable feature of the group is their willingness to innovate within the choral music. Their versatility and the variety of repertoire they face can be seen in the different projects they have taken part in: short operas, official or private events, festivals, and monographic concerts on different subjects. A few instances of the choir’s late activity are the following: - Several concerts in Moscow in December 2006, as guests of the Spanish Embassy. - P...    less

No Hebrew knowledge required, no singing experience needed! Every tuesday 20:15-21:45 we sing in Hebrew at the LJG Amsterdam. Each 3 weeks we learn a new song together and perform 4-5 times per year. Texts are available in Hebrew and in Phonetics, we tra...  moreNo Hebrew knowledge required, no singing experience needed! Every tuesday 20:15-21:45 we sing in Hebrew at the LJG Amsterdam. Each 3 weeks we learn a new song together and perform 4-5 times per year. Texts are available in Hebrew and in Phonetics, we translate and learn to pronounce and sing together, and have an archive of all the songs and the various harmonies recorded separately to make it easier to learn and join. It's a lot of fun. Hebrew Groove is a young, contemporary, Hebrew vocal group based in Amsterdam. The repertoire consists of Hebrew pop songs from all periods, retouched with the groovy piano and close harmony vocal arrangements of conductor Noam Vazana. Hebrew Groove has performed at: Amsterdam MuseumNacht, Paradiso Choir Festival, Salaam-Shalom solidarity event for Charlie Hebdo, Namen en Nummers, Koor en More Festival and more.  less