The Gabrieli Choir
Would you like to sing in a choir that specializes in English sacred music?
Did you know there is a chamber choir in Budapest that specializes in English sacred music? Well, it’s true – and it is now recruiting enthusiastic new members in all voices. The GABRIELI CHOIR is the only choir in Hungary specializing in the study and performance of Anglican Cathedral repertoire.
The choir’s musical director, Richárd Sólyom is a native English speaker, he sang in a traditional Cathedral choir of boys and men, and he is passionately enthusiastic about introducing English sacred music to Hungarian singers and audiences. Since its re-formation in 2005, the choir has given concerts in some of Budapest’s finest churches, including St. Stephen’s Basilica; it has taken part in the Művészetek Völgye festival; and it sang a service of Choral Evensong in Esztergom Basilica recorded by Bartók Rádió.
Much of the choir’s repertoire will be new to Hungarian audiences. There is a wealth to draw on, but the focus is on English music from the 16th century to the present day. In common with performance practice in England, old works are frequently juxtaposed with new; English with non-English; and the whole set in the context of the Anglican tradition. 20th century works performed so far have included the Requiem by Herbert Howells, an intensely personal creative reaction to the death of the composer’s only son; The Lamentation, by Sir Edward Bairstow, an exquisite setting to Anglican Chant of words from the Lamentations of Jeremiah; and James Whitbourn’s Son of God Mass, a bold new setting of the Latin Mass for choir, organ and soprano saxophone (with Kristóf Bacsó as soloist).
But the choir also sings Renaissance music (e.g. Tallis, Byrd, Gibbons, Purcell), Romantic music (Stanford, Holst), French music (Fauré, Poulenc, de Sévérac) and Spanish music (Victoria, Guerrero). It enthusiastically champions the works of living composers such as Sir John Tavener, Richard Allain and Miklós Kocsár. Currently, the choir has about 24 experienced singers. Many are trained musicians or music students; others simply enjoy learning and performing new music in a chamber choir in their spare time.
If you are an experienced singer, are good at sight-reading, and would like to know more about what is involved, then please get in touch.
Further information: Richárd Sólyom, Artistic Director, tel.: +36-23-451787
