BARCELONA (Spain) 7-13/07/2008

 International Singing Week

 Welcome to our Barcelona Singing Week !

This one-week long Festival takes place in Barcelona
Enrolment fees  include accommodation, breakfast and lunch, pic-nic for dinner on performance days, and the music scores for the workshops.
Free time in the mornings. This allows you to enjoy the wide range of activities Barcelona has to offer: you can enjoy the sunshine on more than 3 km of beach line, the never-ending life on the glamorous Ramblas, or you may visit the Gothic city centre and all kinds of buildings, monuments or museums.
Workshops take place in the afternoon. Around 500 participants, Catalan and international, are expected to take part in the event.
The participating choirs will be expected to offer 2-3 performances: one concert in the gothic church of Santa Maria del Pi,  and one or two other concerts in different venues in the  vicinity of Barcelona
The Singing week Closure Concert takes place at the well- known modernist style Hall, “Palau de la Música Catalana”. In addition, a reception in the City Council will be organised.

 Concerts
Each participant choir gives different individual concerts (2-3) in Barcelona and surroundings

Workshops
Each participant has to take part in one workshop

 Workshop A

Conductor: Jordi Casals (CAT)
Mass E flat D 950, for soloists, choir and orchestra by Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
 

Workshop B

Conductor: Ramon Noguera (CAT)
Music by Manuel Oltra (Catalan composer – a capella and with guitar and piano accompaniment)

Workshop C           

Conductor: Fred Sjöberg (S)
News and Classic, Popular songs of our time
Musical hits from Lloyd Webber and others
 

Timetable
9-9:30 h breakfast
Free Time
14-15:30 h. lunch
16-19 h. workshop rehearsal
21 h. concerts (12/7 final concert)

Participating conditions:
The “Singing Week” is open to all choirs that wish to take part in an International Choral Music Festival.
Enrolment  fee: 330 € / person. Inclusive of:
Accommodation in different kind of rooms
Breakfast and  lunch from July 7^th (lunch) till July 13^th
(Breakfast).  Pic-nic  for dinner will also be provided on performance days.
Participation in the workshops
Workshops´ music scores.
During the week, choirs are expected to:
-Offer a 30 minutes long performance in Barcelona (S. Maria del Pi);
-Offer  1 or 2 60 minutes long performance/s in venues located in towns in the Barcelona area.
-Participate in one workshop.
All singers are requested to state 2 workshop preferences, so that we can achieve the best possible grouping for the workshops. We will, of course, try to meet your first preference if that is possible.
By signing the registration form, participants accept that the Federació Catalana d’Entitats Corals holds all the rights of the International Choral Days in Barcelona.
Deadline for applications: February the 28^th
The outcome of your application will be communicated to you by March the 15^th 2008.
Optional day outings: On request, we can organise for your choir a visit  to Monserrat Monastery with attendance to a short concert, or a Barcelona guided tour (ask for more information)

Jordi Casals (CAT)
He is born in Terrassa, and joins Montserrat´s Boys Choir when he is  10 years old. His musical formation continues at Terrassa´s Official School of Music. He starts studying Choir Direction under M. Cabero, H. Christophers and P. Cao. In 1999 he moves to Àustria, and studies at Vienna´ Conservatory with Reinhard Schwarz and Georg Mark. In 2003, he graduates with the highest honours  in Choir and Orchestra Conduction. He has worked as a guest conductor with several groups: Terrassa’s Montserrat Choir, Madrigal Choir, Càrmina Choir, World Voices Choir­, World Chamber Choir, Motettenchor,
Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Terrassa´s Chamber Orchestra, Preßbaum Orchester-Musikverein, Camerata Egara, Vilaseca’s Chamber Orchestra, Andorra’s National Chamber Orchestra, Liceu´s Theatre  Orchestra and  Vienna´s Radio Symphonic Orchestra. He has won several awards in his career as a conductor. Since 2003 he is the Assistant Director of the Arnold Schoenberg Choir in Vienna. From 2006 he works as a lecturer at Vienna´s Music University. He also has a degree in Journalism awarded by Barcelona´s Autonoma University.

Ramon Noguera (CAT)
He was Born in  Puig-reig (Catalonia) and has been active in choral singing from childhood. His career as choir director starts with the foundation, within the cultural group Joventut Sardanista, of a choir that would in  time become the present Puig-reig Polyphonic Choir, which he conducts since 1969. He was initially self-taught, but later he completed his education at  the  Barcelona City Profesional Music School. He studied with Mn.Andreu Planas, Manuel Oltra, Lluis Virgili, Manuel Cabero and Eric Ericsson. He has conducted many choral works with several kinds of musical formations: chamber orchestras, symphony orchestras, but also with Catalan folk “coblas”. He has composed several works and has arranged many choral and orchestral scores, mostly film soundtracks and modern compositions. Currently, he is also the director of the Puig-Reig Parish Choir, and he has conducted for 10 years Berga´s Music School Choir. He currently teaches Choir singing and Singing Technique. He also teaches to the Puig-Reig Instrumental Ensemble and Town School Music Band.
 

Fred Sjöberg (S)
Born in 1953 in Sweden, studied voice and choral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and Örebro. He studied with Prof. Solvieg Grippe, Prof. Eric Ericson, and Prof. Helmuth Rilling, among others. He works in a great variety of musical styles - jazz, a cappella, major classic works, pop, contemporary, etc. He has conducted the World Youth Choir, the World Chamber Choir and the European Youth Choir and several workshops at Europa Cantat festivals and singing weeks and is frequently asked for as conductor, clinician or jury member world wide. He has been a Board member of Europa Cantat since 2003 and is now Vice President as well as the President of Europa Cantat Music Commission.

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 REGISTRATION FORM: Send before February 28^th  2008  to
FCEC-Via Laietana, 54, 2n  213, E-08003-Barcelona (Spain)
Tel. 34-932680668 / Fax. 34-933197436 / Email: fcec@fcec.cat
 

Choir’s name:_____________________________________________City:_________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Area code:_________  City:_________________________________  Nation:_______________________________________

Phone:___________________  Fax:____________________  Email:______________________________________­________

Conductor’s name:__________________________________ Contact person:_______________________________________

Number of  participants (total number):_____________

Detail of the singers (without the conductor)

S___  C___  T___  B___ Accompanying persons___

Choice of workshop (in order of preference):  1/ ____________________________2/ ____________________________

Average age of singers _____

We need a special diet ______________________ for ____ persons

Means of transport:_______________________________

Our Bus can be used for  transportation during the Festival:    Yes__  No__

We acknowledge the registration and participation conditions and enclose the following documentation:

                A short biography of the choir

                A short biography of the conductor

                A photo of the choir

                A cassette or CD recording of the choir not older than 2 years (no video)

                Repertory of the choir

Date: ____________________

Signature:                                           

We accept that the  Federació Catalana d’Entitats Corals possesses all the rights of the International Choral Days in Barcelona.

Payment of the inscription:

After the acceptation of the choir, wait for our instructions. 1^st payment end of April (50%) 2^nd payment end of May.

Cancellation: After the 1^st June only 50% of the payment will be returned

Information: Tel. +34932680668 Fax. +34933197436 . Email fcec@fcec.cat