City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
Encyclopedia
The CBSO Chorus is a chorus
based in Birmingham
, England
. It is regarded as one of the finest symphony choruses in Europe.
It was founded in 1974 as the CBSO Chorus, but between 1995 and 2009 was known officially as The City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus (CBSC). The chorus is allied with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
(CBSO), but unlike the orchestra, the singers are amateur
, although their high standard in their category has led to them being referred to as "unpaid professional
s". Simon Halsey
has served as Chorus Director since 1983.
Because of its close association with the CBSO, the chorus regularly performs with the orchestra. It has also performed with other major orchestras such as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The chorus has travelled and toured to all the major concert halls around the UK
and has toured Europe
, North America
, Asia
and Australia
. It has recorded with both the CBSO and other orchestras, mainly on the EMI Classics
label. As with the orchestra, the chorus rehearses at the CBSO Centre
in Birmingham, and its home venue is Symphony Hall. The CBSO also runs two choruses for young people: the City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus
(CBSYC) for children aged 8 to 18; and the City of Birmingham Young Voices
(CBYV) for young people aged 13 to 21.
The standard is very high and with around 15-20 concerts per year a great level of commitment is required, probably more than any other amateur choir. As a result, some members refer to the chorus as their 'second job'. The chorus rehearses on Wednesday evenings and at other times as required for concerts, and has a full time management of two, the Chorus Manager and Assistant Chorus Manager and one part time Chorus Administrator.
Long service awards are presented for 10, 20 and 30 years service.
at the opening of the Sydney Olympic Arts Festival in 2000 during the chorus's World Tour. In Birmingham in October 2000 the chorus was joined by the City of Birmingham Choir for the centenary performances of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius
, which the choruses performed from memory.
In 2002 the chorus performed in Britten's War Requiem
in Coventry
and Ghent
cathedrals. The chorus and youth chorus also performed Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand on three occasions in 2002: with the BBC Philharmonic
and Gianandrea Noseda
at the Bridgewater Hall
to open the Commonwealth Games
Festival in July
, and with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Sir Simon Rattle
at Symphony Hall and the BBC Proms in August
. In May 2002 the chorus accepted an invitation to record live for EMI at the Vienna Musikverein
singing in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
with the Vienna Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle. After two performances, the chorus received complimentary reviews such as from the Wiener Zeitung
noting that "the CBSC met Rattle's demands with transparency, clarity and perfect execution".
October 2003 saw the chorus join the City of Birmingham Choir
and the CBSO to give the Centenary performances of Elgar's The Apostles
.
In January 2004 the chorus flew to Helsinki
to join their music director at the time, Sakari Oramo
and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
for the Finnish premiere of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, a work which they performed later in the year with the CBSO in Birmingham and Amsterdam
. On 31 January 2004, the chorus celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a choral programme conducted by Simon Halsey, and in June, live concert recordings for EMI of Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand with the CBSO and Sir Simon Rattle were also produced. In September 2004 the chorus performed for the first time with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle
at the BBC Proms and at Symphony Hall in performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
.
In 2005 the chorus made its debut at the Sage, Gateshead performing Walton's Belshazzar's Feast with the CBSO and Oramo.
In February 2006 the chorus flew to Hong Kong
to take part in the Hong Kong Cultural Festival, giving a performance of Mahler's Second Symphony
with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
under Edo de Waart
and performing Fauré
's Requiem
under Simon Halsey. October 2006 saw the chorus joining the City of Birmingham Choir
and the CBSO to give the Centenary performances of Elgar’s The Kingdom
.
In June 2007 the chorus took part in the 150th Anniversary of Edward Elgar
's birth by performing The Dream of Gerontius, The Apostles and The Kingdom over three days with Sakari Oramo
and the CBSO. The chorus then performed The Apostles again with Oramo and the CBSO at The Proms in August and The Dream of Gerontius in St. George's Chapel, Windsor in September at the Windsor Festival with Christopher Robinson and the CBSO.
The 2007-2008 season saw the chorus taking part in the reopening of the Town Hall, Birmingham following a long refurbishment in a performance of Elgar's The Music Makers with Halsey and the CBSO. Other performances included Mahler's Symphony No.2, Holst's The Planets, Stravinsky's The Rakes Progress and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. In April 2008 the chorus travelled to Kuala Lumpur to perform Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra under Martyn Brabbins. In June 2008 they performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
for the 50th time in the final concert under Sakari Oramo
as Music Director of the CBSO.
's A Child of Our Time
, conducted by the composer, which was awarded the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik
; Szymanowski
's Stabat Mater
conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, which was awarded the 1995 Gramophone Best Choral Recording. At the 2000 Gramophone Awards the chorus was awarded Best Opera recording for its EMI release of Szymanowski's King Roger
with the CBSO and Sir Simon Rattle, and Best Choral recording for its Chandos
release of works by Lili Boulanger
with the BBC Philharmonic and Yan Pascal Tortelier
in 1999. Other recent releases include Walton
's Belshazzar's Feast
, and Mahler's Symphony No. 3
with the CBSO, and choral works by Fauré with the BBC Philharmonic. In 2006 the chorus released its first completely choral CD under Halsey on the EMI label. In 2007 the chorus featured on a new recording of The Dream of Gerontius
with the CBSO and Oramo released for the Elgar 150th birthday celebrations on the CBSO's own label.
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
based in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is regarded as one of the finest symphony choruses in Europe.
It was founded in 1974 as the CBSO Chorus, but between 1995 and 2009 was known officially as The City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus (CBSC). The chorus is allied with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. The Orchestra's current chief executive, appointed in 1999, is Stephen Maddock...
(CBSO), but unlike the orchestra, the singers are amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
, although their high standard in their category has led to them being referred to as "unpaid professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
s". Simon Halsey
Simon Halsey
Simon Halsey is an English choral conductor.Born in London, Halsey sang in the choirs of both New College, Oxford and King's College, Cambridge. He studied conducting at the Royal College of Music in London....
has served as Chorus Director since 1983.
Because of its close association with the CBSO, the chorus regularly performs with the orchestra. It has also performed with other major orchestras such as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra is one of the the oldest symphony orchestras in the world...
, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
The Vienna Philharmonic is an orchestra in Austria, regularly considered one of the finest in the world....
, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
The Berlin Philharmonic, German: , formerly Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester , is an orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. In 2006, a group of ten European media outlets voted the Berlin Philharmonic number three on a list of "top ten European Orchestras", after the Vienna Philharmonic and the...
, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The chorus has travelled and toured to all the major concert halls around the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and has toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has recorded with both the CBSO and other orchestras, mainly on the EMI Classics
EMI Classics
EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases....
label. As with the orchestra, the chorus rehearses at the CBSO Centre
CBSO Centre
The CBSO Centre is the administrative home and rehearsal centre of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Choruses , and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group on the corner of Berkley Street and Holliday Street, in Birmingham, England.It...
in Birmingham, and its home venue is Symphony Hall. The CBSO also runs two choruses for young people: the City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus
City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus
The CBSO Youth Chorus, based in Birmingham, England is a youth choir which performs alone, or in association with the CBSO.The CBSO Youth Chorus was formed in 1994 with the aim of providing the CBSO with a chorus for the many pieces of symphonic music that require young people's voices...
(CBSYC) for children aged 8 to 18; and the City of Birmingham Young Voices
City of Birmingham Young Voices
The CBSO Young Voices is a choir for young people, based in Birmingham, England. It is one of the CBSO Choruses.Formed in 1999 as a partnership between the CBSO and Birmingham Music Service, Young Voices provides the highest standards of choral and musical training to singers of any ability from...
(CBYV) for young people aged 13 to 21.
Membership
Membership of the chorus is by audition, which includes aural tests and sight singing as well as a prepared piece. All members are reauditioned every other year, with members over 50 year of age reauditioned annually. Members come from all walks of life; many are professionals with a keen interest in music, some are students studying at Birmingham Conservatoire.The standard is very high and with around 15-20 concerts per year a great level of commitment is required, probably more than any other amateur choir. As a result, some members refer to the chorus as their 'second job'. The chorus rehearses on Wednesday evenings and at other times as required for concerts, and has a full time management of two, the Chorus Manager and Assistant Chorus Manager and one part time Chorus Administrator.
Long service awards are presented for 10, 20 and 30 years service.
Notable performances
Featured amongst a number of important performances in the past few years was a performance of Mahler’s Symphony of a ThousandSymphony No. 8 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. Because it requires huge instrumental and vocal forces it is frequently called the "Symphony of a Thousand", although the work is often performed with fewer than a...
at the opening of the Sydney Olympic Arts Festival in 2000 during the chorus's World Tour. In Birmingham in October 2000 the chorus was joined by the City of Birmingham Choir for the centenary performances of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius
The Dream of Gerontius
The Dream of Gerontius, popularly called just Gerontius, is a work for voices and orchestra in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by John Henry Newman. It relates the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God and settling into Purgatory...
, which the choruses performed from memory.
In 2002 the chorus performed in Britten's War Requiem
War Requiem
The War Requiem, Op. 66 is a large-scale, non-liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten mostly in 1961 and completed January 1962. Interspersed with the traditional Latin texts, in telling juxtaposition, are settings of Wilfred Owen poems...
in Coventry
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
and Ghent
Saint Bavo Cathedral
thumb|right|225px|Sint-Baafs CathedralThe Saint Bavo Cathedral is the seat of the diocese of Ghent. It is named for Saint Bavo of Ghent....
cathedrals. The chorus and youth chorus also performed Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand on three occasions in 2002: with the BBC Philharmonic
BBC Philharmonic
The BBC Philharmonic is a British broadcasting symphony orchestra based at Media City UK, Salford, England. It is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The orchestra's primary concert venue is the Bridgewater Hall....
and Gianandrea Noseda
Gianandrea Noseda
Gianandrea Noseda is an Italian conductor. He studied piano, composition and conducting in Milan. He furthered his conducting studies with Donato Renzetti, Myung-Whun Chung and Valery Gergiev....
at the Bridgewater Hall
Bridgewater Hall
The Bridgewater Hall is an international concert venue in Manchester city centre, England. It cost around £42 million to build and currently hosts over 250 performances a year....
to open the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
Festival in July
July 2002
July 2002: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-July 1, 2002:* A Russian Tupolev Tu-154 airliner and a Boeing 757 operated by DHL collide at 35,000 ft over Uberlingen, due to failure of correct communication from...
, and with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Sir Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
at Symphony Hall and the BBC Proms in August
August 2002
August 2002: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December- August 4, 2002 :...
. In May 2002 the chorus accepted an invitation to record live for EMI at the Vienna Musikverein
Musikverein, Vienna
Wiener Musikverein, , commonly shortened to The Musikverein, has a twofold meaning: it is the name of a famous Vienna concert hall, as well as the short name for the music society, Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde [Society of Music Friends], that owns the building.This building is located on...
singing in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
with the Vienna Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle. After two performances, the chorus received complimentary reviews such as from the Wiener Zeitung
Wiener Zeitung
Wiener Zeitung is an Austrian newspaper. It is one of the most famous newspapers in Europe and one of the oldest, still published newspapers in the world. It is the official publication used by the Government of the Republic of Austria for its formal announcements. It was founded in 1703 under the...
noting that "the CBSC met Rattle's demands with transparency, clarity and perfect execution".
October 2003 saw the chorus join the City of Birmingham Choir
City of Birmingham Choir
The City of Birmingham Choir is a large, well-established, choral society based in Birmingham, UK. It promotes five or more concerts each season, mostly in Symphony Hall or Town Hall Birmingham. Many of its concerts are accompanied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Occasional concerts...
and the CBSO to give the Centenary performances of Elgar's The Apostles
The Apostles (Elgar)
The Apostles, Op. 49, is an oratorio for soloists, chorus and orchestra composed by Edward Elgar. It was first performed on 14 October 1903.-Overview:...
.
In January 2004 the chorus flew to Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
to join their music director at the time, Sakari Oramo
Sakari Oramo
Sakari Markus Oramo OBE is a Finnish conductor.Oramo started his career as a violinist and concertmaster of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 1989, he enrolled in Jorma Panula's conducting class at the Sibelius Academy...
and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra is a Finnish orchestra based in Helsinki, and is the chief radio orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company . The orchestra primarily gives concerts at the Helsinki Music Centre...
for the Finnish premiere of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, a work which they performed later in the year with the CBSO in Birmingham and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. On 31 January 2004, the chorus celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a choral programme conducted by Simon Halsey, and in June, live concert recordings for EMI of Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand with the CBSO and Sir Simon Rattle were also produced. In September 2004 the chorus performed for the first time with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
at the BBC Proms and at Symphony Hall in performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
.
In 2005 the chorus made its debut at the Sage, Gateshead performing Walton's Belshazzar's Feast with the CBSO and Oramo.
In February 2006 the chorus flew to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to take part in the Hong Kong Cultural Festival, giving a performance of Mahler's Second Symphony
Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would eventually mark his...
with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra , is the largest symphony orchestra in Hong Kong. First established in 1895 as an amateur orchestra, under the name Sino-British Orchestra, it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957, and became a professional orchestra in 1974 under the funding...
under Edo de Waart
Edo de Waart
Edo de Waart is a Dutch conductor, and the Music Director of both the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra....
and performing Fauré
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
's Requiem
Requiem (Fauré)
Gabriel Fauré composed his Requiem in D minor, Op. 48 between 1887 and 1890. This choral–orchestral setting of the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead is the best known of his large works. The most famous movement is the soprano aria Pie Jesu...
under Simon Halsey. October 2006 saw the chorus joining the City of Birmingham Choir
City of Birmingham Choir
The City of Birmingham Choir is a large, well-established, choral society based in Birmingham, UK. It promotes five or more concerts each season, mostly in Symphony Hall or Town Hall Birmingham. Many of its concerts are accompanied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Occasional concerts...
and the CBSO to give the Centenary performances of Elgar’s The Kingdom
The Kingdom (Elgar)
The Kingdom, Op. 51, is an oratorio for soloists, chorus and orchestra composed by Edward Elgar.It was first performed at the Birmingham Music Festival on 3 October 1906, with the orchestra conducted by the composer, and soloists Agnes Nicholls, Muriel Foster, John Coates and William Higley. The...
.
In June 2007 the chorus took part in the 150th Anniversary of Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
's birth by performing The Dream of Gerontius, The Apostles and The Kingdom over three days with Sakari Oramo
Sakari Oramo
Sakari Markus Oramo OBE is a Finnish conductor.Oramo started his career as a violinist and concertmaster of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 1989, he enrolled in Jorma Panula's conducting class at the Sibelius Academy...
and the CBSO. The chorus then performed The Apostles again with Oramo and the CBSO at The Proms in August and The Dream of Gerontius in St. George's Chapel, Windsor in September at the Windsor Festival with Christopher Robinson and the CBSO.
The 2007-2008 season saw the chorus taking part in the reopening of the Town Hall, Birmingham following a long refurbishment in a performance of Elgar's The Music Makers with Halsey and the CBSO. Other performances included Mahler's Symphony No.2, Holst's The Planets, Stravinsky's The Rakes Progress and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. In April 2008 the chorus travelled to Kuala Lumpur to perform Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra under Martyn Brabbins. In June 2008 they performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
for the 50th time in the final concert under Sakari Oramo
Sakari Oramo
Sakari Markus Oramo OBE is a Finnish conductor.Oramo started his career as a violinist and concertmaster of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 1989, he enrolled in Jorma Panula's conducting class at the Sibelius Academy...
as Music Director of the CBSO.
Recordings
The chorus claims many recordings to its credit, including five award-winning releases: Mahler's Symphony No. 2 conducted by Sir Simon Rattle which won Gramophone Record of the Year in 1988; Sir Michael TippettMichael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
's A Child of Our Time
A Child of Our Time
A Child of Our Time is an oratorio written by Michael Tippett between 1939 and 1941."After more than ten years of thoughtful planning, Michael Tippett summed up his musical, political, spiritual and philosophical beliefs in his first oratorio, A Child of Our Time...
, conducted by the composer, which was awarded the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik
Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik
The Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik is an annual prize presented for achievement in recorded music.It was inaugurated in Germany in 1963 by publisher Richard Kaselowsky with the aim of recognizing the "most rigorous standards for supreme achievement" in the field of recording.The awards...
; Szymanowski
Karol Szymanowski
Karol Maciej Szymanowski was a Polish composer and pianist.-Life:Szymanowski was born into a wealthy land-owning Polish gentry family in Tymoszówka, then in the Russian Empire, now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. He studied music privately with his father before going to Gustav Neuhaus'...
's Stabat Mater
Stabat Mater
Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Roman Catholic hymn to Mary. It has been variously attributed to the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi and to Innocent III...
conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, which was awarded the 1995 Gramophone Best Choral Recording. At the 2000 Gramophone Awards the chorus was awarded Best Opera recording for its EMI release of Szymanowski's King Roger
King Roger
King Roger is an opera by the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski set to a libretto by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz. It was first performed on 19 June 1926 in Warsaw, Poland...
with the CBSO and Sir Simon Rattle, and Best Choral recording for its Chandos
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :...
release of works by Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger was a French composer, the younger sister of the noted composer and composition teacher Nadia Boulanger.-Early years:A Parisian-born child prodigy, who was good at piano...
with the BBC Philharmonic and Yan Pascal Tortelier
Yan Pascal Tortelier
Yan Pascal Tortelier is an internationally renowned French conductor and violinist and is the son of the late cellist Paul Tortelier.-Biography:...
in 1999. Other recent releases include Walton
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
's Belshazzar's Feast
Belshazzar's Feast (Walton)
Belshazzar's Feast is an oratorio by the English composer William Walton. It was first performed at the Leeds Festival on 8 October 1931. The work has remained one of Walton's most celebrated compositions and one of the most popular works in the English choral repertoire...
, and Mahler's Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 3 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 3 by Gustav Mahler was written between 1893 and 1896. It is his longest piece and is the longest symphony in the standard repertoire, with a typical performance lasting around ninety to one hundred minutes.- Structure :...
with the CBSO, and choral works by Fauré with the BBC Philharmonic. In 2006 the chorus released its first completely choral CD under Halsey on the EMI label. In 2007 the chorus featured on a new recording of The Dream of Gerontius
The Dream of Gerontius
The Dream of Gerontius, popularly called just Gerontius, is a work for voices and orchestra in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by John Henry Newman. It relates the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God and settling into Purgatory...
with the CBSO and Oramo released for the Elgar 150th birthday celebrations on the CBSO's own label.
External links
- Choruses page of the CBSO website
- CBSC Concert History – list of concerts given to date by the Chorus, and list of recordings