The Gabrieli Choir
The Choir History
Introduction
The Gabrieli Choir is a Budapest-based amateur chamber choir specializing in the study and performance of sacred music drawn from the repertoire of Anglican Cathedrals. It has been led by its present Musical Director, Richárd Sólyom, since he re-formed it in 2005. Currently, the Choir comprises around twenty-four experienced singers, who together possess a wide variety of musical backgrounds. Many are professional musicians or music students; others simply enjoy learning and performing new music in a chamber choir environment in their spare time. The Gabrieli Choir made its concert début in November 2005, and by the end of 2006 plans to have given eight hour-long concerts in some of Budapest’s most beautiful churches. It rehearses once a week in St. Stephen’s Basilica.
English music is not widely performed in Budapest. There are some established ensembles who do perform works by composers such as Tallis and Purcell, but the Gabrieli Choir is unique in giving such an emphasis in its programming to English music of all ages. Thus, in common with performance practice in England (both in concerts and within the liturgy), old works are frequently juxtaposed with new; English pieces are contrasted with non-English pieces; and the whole is set the context of the Anglican tradition.
Repertoire
Many people’s first question about the Gabrieli Choir is: what do we mean by the “repertoire of Anglican Cathedrals”? Is it Gregorian chant? Is it Renaissance polyphony? Is it the music of Thomas Tallis and William Byrd? Or Edward Elgar and Ralph Vaughan Williams? Or perhaps Benjamin Britten and Michael Tippett? The glorious truth is it is all these things, and still more besides. So, in addition to masterpieces by all the aforementioned great names, there is the most wonderful music by composers whose names are barely known outside cathedral choir stalls and song schools, whose works are rarely, if ever, performed in concert halls. There are whole mass settings – some in English, some in Latin. There are extended anthems and exquisite motets, composed for every date and festival in the Church’s calendar. There are Canticles and Responses composed for that most beloved of Anglican services – Evensong. There is also Plainchant (the name by which Gregorian Chant is more usually known in England), Anglican Chant (basically chanting in harmony), and Anglican Hymnody (harmonized metrical chorales). As you see, it is an extremely wide repertoire, and hitherto only a small fraction of it has been heard with any regularity in Hungary.
It is often said that Anglicanism is a “broad church.” The description is apt when considering its musical life too, for the repertoire of Anglican Cathedrals is by no means restricted to music by composers who are English, or even Anglican. A complete list of non-British composers whose works are regularly performed would be very long indeed, but to give an idea it would certainly include Continental masters such as Bruckner, Duruflé, Fauré, Guerrero, Kodály, Palestrina and Victoria. However, there would also be less well-known names from America, Australasia, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Eastern Europe and Russia.
Logo
The Gabrieli Choir’s logo is an English stained glass window that has been a Sólyom family heirloom for at least three generations. Believed to originate from London, and measuring about fifteen inches in diameter, for many years it lay in a drawer, broken and far too fragile to display. In 2004, however, it was restored by the renowned stained glass artist and restorer, Éva Mester. She observed from the window’s composition, materials and style that it is not all of one age: the majority of it is nineteenth century, but the central elements are mediæval. Now, with its long hibernation over, when the sun streams through it, one can marvel anew at its beauty and the craftsmanship of its makers. One can also imagine how much music it must silently have borne witness to down the centuries. Perhaps that’s why it seemed to suggest itself so readily as the design for the logo of the new Gabrieli Choir.
“Pre-history”
Mention has been made that the Gabrieli Choir was re-formed in 2005, so it is only appropriate to add a footnote about what went before. The Gabrieli Choir was originally founded in 1992 by Anikó Sógor, under whose direction it enjoyed more than a decade of success performing in concerts and competitions, touring and making a CD. Its repertoire ranged from the sixteenth century Gabrieli uncle and nephew, Giovanni and Andrea, from whom the choir took its name, to the works of 20th century Hungarian composers. When, for family reasons, Anikó relinquished the directorship in 2004 the choir reached its natural end. Richárd Sólyom had been singing with Anikó since 2002, and unhesitatingly acknowledges that had it not been for Anikó’s friendly support and encouragement, it is unlikely he would have taken the bold step he did in re-establishing the Choir. Although it has a new membership, new repertoire and a new Musical Director, many friends have observed that something of the spirit of the former days undoubtedly lives on.
Long may it remain so!