The 37th Tolosa International Choral Competition

25 October - 4 November 2005

European Early Music Concerts

Salzburg: 5 November - 6 November 2005
Rome: 7 November - 9 November 2005

Tour manager Megan Hurnard
Choreographer Jacqueline Coats
dir. Alastair Carey

The Tudor Consort was invited back to participate in the 37th Tolosa International Choral Competition in Spain in October 2005 after winning two awards in the 35th edition. The Tolosa competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious of the European choral competitions with choirs from Europe, England, Asia and the Americas meeting annually to hear other performers, demonstrate their own vocal artistry, and experience music-making in a fine selection of some of the oldest and most beautiful venues in the Basque Country of Spain. The choir won two awards at the competition.

A key part of The Tudor Consort’s strategic projects is to motivate its musicians to strive for even higher levels of achievement by seeking opportunities overseas in order to observe others, to benchmark against international performers, and to experience a variety of venues and audiences that New Zealand cannot provide. Taking part in an international event of this type is an opportunity for New Zealand musicians to present our music and music-making to a wider international audience and to learn by watching others from different nations and cultures do the same.

This trip to Europe also included the realisation of several exciting opportunities that arose for the choir in Italy after the 2003 visit, including Masses at St Peter’s Basilica and Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome ’ key venues where Palestrina spent much of his musical life ’ and a concert in Rome at the Madonna dei Monte Basilica for the Palestrina Foundation, a key Italian early music society. The Tudor Consort was the first New Zealand vocal group to perform for this prestigious society.

Schedule and Itinerary

9am, Monday 24 October 2005: Depart Wellington
12pm, Tuesday 25: Arrive Bilbao, Spain

Tolosa is a small town in the heart of the Basque Country, about two hours drive south-east from Bilbao International Airport. Examine map of area (JPEG image, 39 Kb)

7.30pm, Friday 28: Competition round 1 in Tolosa
11am, Saturday 29: Competition round 2 in Tolosa
8.30pm, Saturday 29: Concert in Boria
8pm, Tuesday 1 November: Concert in San Sebastian
8pm, Wednesday 2: Concert in Ordizia
8pm, Thursday 3: Concert in Zarautz
12pm, Saturday 5: Concert in Salzburg, Austria
9.30am, Sunday 6: Mass at Salzburg
6pm, Monday 7: Mass at Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, Italy
10am - 2pm, Tuesday 8: Workshop with Andrea Angelini
5pm, Tuesday 8: Mass at St Peter's Basilica, Vatican
8.30pm, Tuesday 8: Concert at Madonna dei Monte, Rome
10am, Wednesday 9: Depart Rome

Competition Programmes

Musica Religiosa

Giovanni Gabrieli: Angelus Domini Descendit
Arnold Bax: This Worlde's Joie
Francis Poulenc: Tristis est anima mea
James Gardner: Umbra Mortis
Jonathan Rathbone: Joshua fought the battle of Jericho

Musica Profana

Maria Grenfell: Whata ngarongaro he tangata whenua toitu
Herbert Howells: The Scribe
Johannes Brahms: Leise töne der brust
Ivan Hrusovksy: Rytmus
Claudio Monteverdi: Quell' aurgellin che canta
David Griffiths: Blow, Wind of Fruitfulness
Herbert Murrill: O mistress mine

Concert Programme

Repertoire for the Palestrina Foundation concert in Rome:

Exultate Deo: G P da Palestrina

Ego flos campi: Jacobus Clemens non Papa
Sicut lilium inter spinas: Palestrina
Introduxit me rex: Palestrina

Versa est in Luctum: Alonso Lobo (MP3 sound, 4477 Kb)

Ne irascaris Domine: William Byrd
Civitas sancti tui: William Byrd
Lamentatione Jeremiae Prophetae: Thomas Tallis

Apollinaris inclyti: Annibale Stabile

Out of the deep: Orlando Gibbons (MP3 sound, 5330 Kb)

Angelus Domini Descendit: Giovanni Gabrieli

Missa Praeter Rerum Seriem: Agnus Dei: Cipriano de Rore

Jubilate Deo: Gabrieli

Concerts in Spain are made up of selections from this programme and the competition programmes

Mass Programmes

Repertoire for Masses sung in Salzburg, Rome and the Vatican:

Introitus: plainsong proper of the day

Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei: Missa Praeter Rerum Seriem: Cipriano de Rore

Offertorio: Sicut lilium inter spinas: G P da Palestrina

Communio: Ne irascaris Domine: William Byrd

Finale: Jubilate Deo: Giovanni Gabrieli

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