Vienna Choir Boys Return to Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for Holiday Celebration with Spiritual Music From Around the World on Saturday, December 2, 2006
November 7, 2006
For the fifth consecutive year, the talented and sonorous young voices of the acclaimed Vienna Choir Boys continue to bring holiday cheer to the Kimmel Center on Saturday, December 2 in Verizon Hall at 3pm, as part of the World Pop Mix Series. With historical roots tied to Emperor Maximilian’s court musicians over 500 years ago, the choir today has expanded to 100 choristers who frequently tour European countries, Asia, Australia and the Americas. Continuously influenced by their travels, the repertoire of music for this year’s holiday program includes selections of spiritual music and Christmas songs of Europe and from around the world, along with Austrian folk songs. Holiday selections include American classics "Joy to the World" and "The First Nowell," spiritual folk tunes "Shoch va gado" (Shâhni ham gadâni, The King and the Beggar) and Psalm 61, among many others.
Tickets for the Vienna Choir Boys on Saturday December 2 at 3pm are priced at $75, $65, $55, $45, and $35 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply.) For group sales call 215-893-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to curtain time and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.
Vienna Choir Boys is the eighth concert in the World Pop Mix series. The next performance in this series is A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor on Saturday, January 27 at 5:45pm.
In 1498 the Vienna Choir Boys was founded as six boys included among Emperor Maximilian I court musicians. Until 1918, the choir sang exclusively for the court, at mass, at private concerts and functions and on state occasions. Now expanded to about 100 choristers, The Vienna Choir Boys are divided into four touring choirs that give around 300 concerts and performances each year in front of almost half a million people. Together with members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera Chorus, the Wiener Sangerknaben maintain the tradition of the imperial musicians: as Hofmusikkapelle they provide the music for the Sunday Mass in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel, as they have done since 1498.
Musicians like Heinrich Isaac, Paul Hofhaimer, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Johann Joseph Fux, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Caldara, Antonio Salieri and Anton Bruckner worked with the choir. Composers Jacobus Gallus, Franz Schubert, and conductors Hans Richter, Felix Mottl and Clemens Krauss were themselves choristers. Brothers Joseph and Michael Haydn were members of the choir of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and sang frequently with the imperial boys' choir.
The choir is a non-profit organization financed through concerts, recordings and private donations. Their repertoire includes a wide range of music, running from, medieval to contemporary and to experimental. However the core of the Vienna Choir Boys music rests with monets and lieder, as well as children’s operas such as Moby Dick. The Choir also collaborates with a number of men’s choirs to perform major choral works. Beginning in the 1920s the Choir started to collect world music as it traveled the world. In 2002, they recorded their first ever pop album, featuring songs by Madonna, Celine Dion and Robbie Willams. The bestselling CD was nominated for the 2003 Amadeus, the Austrian music award. In 2003, the Vienna Choir Boys put out their third world music album, Slick Road. The choir is currently planning their first-ever DVD.
Two Free at the Kimmel events will take place before the Vienna Choir Boys ticketed performance. As a Free in the Plaza—PNC Grow Up Great Initiative, Enchantment Theater Company will perform selections from the inspiring classic tale Beauty and the Beast on the Commonwealth Plaza stage, Saturday, December 2 at 11am. Children between the ages of one to four can enjoy Enchantment Theater’s special blend of magic, mask, pantomime, puppetry and original music. Also, on the Commonwealth Plaza stage on Saturday, December 2 at 1:30pm, a special Tuba Christmas celebration will take place for all tuba performers in the city to join. Registration will take place at the Gershman Y located on 401 S. Broad Street at 10am, and rehearsal will follow at 11am.
Kimmel Center Presents' 2006/2007 season is supported by: Mellon Financial Corporation, University of Pennsylvania Health System, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, ARC Wheeler, The William Penn Foundation, The Presser Foundation, Philadelphia Music Project and Dance Advance, Initiatives of The Pew Charitable Trust administered by The University of the Arts. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Jazz and World Pop programming. NBC-10 is a Media Partner for Kimmel Center Presents. The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com are media sponsors for the Great Orchestras on Tour series.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS
December 2, 2006 | 3pm
Verizon Hall
Vienna Choir Boys
Spiritual Music From Europe
GREGORIAN CHORALE: Puer natus est nobis
LODOVICO GROSSI DA VIADANA: Exultate justi
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Ave verum corpus KV 618 (1791)
FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY: Lobe den Herren, meine Seele from: Symphony no. 2 in B flat major Op. 52 (1840)
CHARLES HUBERT HASTINGS PARRY: Jerusalem (1916) (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Spiritual Music From Around the World
UZBEK FOLK TUNE: Shoch va gado (Shâhni ham gadâni, The King and the Beggar) (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
PERUVIAN/QUECHUAN HYMN: Hanac Pachap (c. 1500) (Arr.: Andy Icochea Icochea)
INDIAN BHAJAN: Namo namo Maria (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
ANDY ICOCHEA ICOCHEA: Psalm 61
Austrian Folk Songs
Vom Zillertal außa (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Wann du durchgehst durchs Tal (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Und wanns amal schen aper wird (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Waldhansl (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
JOHANN STRAUSS, JR.: Vergnügungszug, Op. 281
JOHANN STRAUSS, JR.: Wein, Weib und Gesang, Op. 333 in E flat major (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
-Intermission-
Christmas Songs From Around the World
Adeste fideles (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
O come, O Come Emanuel (Arr,: Andy Icochea Icochea)
The First Nowell (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Kommet ihr Hirten (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Ihr Kinderlein kommet (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Joy to the World (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Huanyo Naviden?o (Arr.: Andy Icochea Icochea)
Il est né le divin enfant (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Arr.: Michael Praetorius)
Es hat sich halt eröffnet (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Es wird scho glei dumpa (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
Still, still, still (Arr.: Hermann Furthmoser)
Leise rieselt der Schnee (Arr.: Gerald Wirth)
*********
FREE AT THE KIMMEL EVENTS
Saturday, December 2 | 11am
Commonwealth Plaza Stage | Free in the Plaza—PNC Grow Up Great
Enchantment Theater Company
Company performs selections from the inspiring classic tale Beauty and the Beast, using a special blend of magic, mask, pantomime, puppetry and original music. Prior to Vienna Choir Boys ticketed performance in Verizon Hall.
Saturday, December 2 | 1:30pm
Commonwealth Plaza Stage | Free in the Plaza
Tuba Christmas
Join us at the Commonwealth Plaza lobby area for a special Tuba Christmas celebration open to all tuba performers in the city. Registration will take place at the Gershman Y located on 401 S. Broad Street at 10am, and rehearsal will follow at 11am.
OTHER FREE AT THE KIMMEL EVENTS ARE:
Friday, December 1, 2006 | 6pmM
Commonwealth Plaza Stage
Four Blind Mice
Jazz quartet comprised of Victor North (saxophone), Lucas Brown (organ), Craig Ebner (guitar), Wayne Smith, Jr. (drums). Prior to Sonny Rollins ticketed performance in Verizon Hall.
> index of news releases
> For more information, and to request high resolution images for press use, please
send us a message online.