2002 Kathaumixw news articles, by Powell River Peak

Singers thrilled with wins

By Tom Yeung

Voices from home and abroad received accolades at the closing of International Choral Kathaumixw July 5 and 6. For the members of the Danish National Girls' Choir, the loudest ovation came from their choral colleagues when they were announced Choir of the World at Kathaumixw Saturday night. "We're surprised," said Danish chorister Lene Stavngaard just after the award. "We never took part in a competition before." Said fellow choir member Julie Ivensen, "It's thrilling."

Danish Girls' conductor Michael Bojesen viewed the victory in light of the other choirs this year. "It was really surprising, because there have been such brilliant choirs here, with such unique ideas of the choral works."

Though the Danish choir seemed stunned by their win, backstage buzz pegged them as the favourites to win the big prize. "They didn't tell me," responded Bojesen. By the way, according to his girls the Danish phrase Bojesen uttered to the choir Saturday night translates to, "We kick ass."

Powell River's own Jessica Bowes won first place among vocal soloists under 21. "Oh my god," said Bowes breathlessly just after the announcement Friday afternoon. "It was really a shock."

The first Turkish choir to ever venture outside Europe for competition placed first in the chamber choir category. Members of the Orfeon Chamber Choir erupted in cheers when Kathaumixw artistic director Don James announced their victory Friday. "We're number one!" exclaimed Orfeon co-ordinator Ilker Ersil. Orfeon took Kathaumixw seriously, according to Ersil, who gave up his singing role in the choir to focus on organizing the trip. Just after the brief celebration Ersil went to place a call to the Turkish Minister of Culture, who had been following Orfeon's exploits with interest. It took Orfeon 39 hours and four different journeys to arrive in Powell River on Canada Day. Part of the 29-member choir left June 30 from Istanbul to Chicago, and then had to take two separate trips to Seattle and then a bus to Vancouver. Two more groups took a similar route from Ankara to New York.

The other winners were Celesta Women's Choir [West Vancouver] in the equal voice category, the Academic Choir of Aarhus [Denmark] for mixed voice choir, Scala [Belgium] for contemporary music, Columbia Children's Choir [Washington state] for folk music, the Young People's Chorus of New York City for children's choir, and the Danish National Girls' Choir for youth treble choir. Other individual winners were Kim Greenwood and Amanda Candela for vocal solos over 21 and under 16 respectively.

Festival means global unity

By Tom Yeung

Among the first-timers in Powell River for International Choral Kathaumixw is one distinguished visitor organizers of the choral festival have been asking for years to come. Jean-Claude Wilkins, secretary-general of the International Federation for Choral Music, came to Kathaumixw for the first time last week to help open the world-renowned choral festival, and to act as a competition judge.

The federation is a nearly 20-year-old organization representing approximately 30 festivals and 25 million singers from around the world. Taking a break between engagements, Wilkins gave The Peak a perspective on Kathaumixw only international visitors can provide. "There are many choral festivals and choral competitions around the world, very few with the same profile as Kathaumixw," said Wilkins, who was born in Belgium but now hails from Spain. "This is a non-profit organization. This is a festival where people come not only for performing at a high level artistically, but to meet others, to meet their colleagues from other parts of the world, to see what they sing, to discover new repertoire.

"And in addition this festival involved the whole community of Powell River, which is a small place. That makes the event quite unique, and I know no more than 15 or 20 of such a kind around the world."

Wilkins and Kathaumixw artistic director Don James have known each other since the choral federation's beginnings. Wilkins said he has had to decline previous invitations to attend because of his work schedule, but was glad to come this year.

In the middle of his gala opening address July 2 Wilkins drew an unexpected ovation from the audience when he stated that while the paper mill put Powell River on the map economically, it was Kathaumixw that put the town on the global map culturally.

"The meaning of my speech was to tell local people and politicians they should be aware of that, and that is a good reason for you to have this festival," said Wilkins. "Because nothing is done without money of course. I think comparing to economic activity--or tourism promotion or sports promotion--cultural activities of this kind, which is made up a lot of volunteering and a lot of participation from amateur singers and amateur performers, doesn't cost so much and can do a lot for the local community and for the city."

Kathaumixw organizers were thrilled to have Wilkins as a guest.

"We're very honoured to have him here," said administrator Terry Sabine. "It's prestigious for our community and our festival."

When he returns, Wilkins said he wants to come with his choir and maybe conduct some workshops for other singers.

"I will definitely come back here. I like the place very much, I like the people very much. It's a really nice place to make music."

  Singers come to life

By Tom Yeung

International Choral Kathaumixw's first-ever singing week ended with a roar of approval, from both its audience and singers.

A rousing standing ovation from the near-capacity audience at Dwight Hall June 28 closed singing week, Kathaumixw organizers first attempt at a precursor to the main festival, which focussed on learning and singing rather than competition.

And it's not just the audience who thought it was a success.

"I think the concept is excellent," said Kathaumixw artistic director Don James. "And the choirs that have come really like the format. And I think there's a good chance it could happen again. We'll have to see how the budget works out in the end and whether or not we can afford to do it."

Singing week was a hit with visiting youth choirs as well.

"It's a lot of fun," reported 14-year-old Kristin Fitzgerald, who sings in the 62-member Iowa Youth Chorus. "We got to go to Texada Island, which was a lot of fun. We had a barbecue and stuff. And the festival was a lot of fun, meeting the other kids."

Kristin said she would like to attend singing week again if there is another one in two years. "It's a good experience. I like the music a lot and the conductors are really great."

Youth Chorus director Barbara Sletto said for some of her singers the one-on-one work with guest clinicians was "the highlight of their life."

"I think it has great potential for choirs that are looking for work with international clinicians, and aren't interested in competition," she said. "And we feel because of not having the competitive nature of this singing week, the kids are more relaxed, they're more willing to meet other kids and not feel there needs to be the barrier."

The director of the visiting Fredericksburg Children's Chorale from Texas said she has noticed a marked change in her choir after the week.

"I've noticed they've sort of come alive," said Laurie Jenschke. "It's wonderful to see them come alive for other directors, and also just the fact they really had to work. It was a busy schedule and they've risen to the occasion."

Kathaumixw's main festival continues this week with morning competitions and 3 pm and 8 pm concerts Wednesday. First-place choirs will perform the night of Friday July 5, when judges will decide who is the Choir of the World at Kathaumixw.

Festival tickets are on sale at the Powell River Recreation Complex from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday, and 9:30 am to noon on Saturdays. Interested readers can get more information at 604.485.9633.

Town charms visiting singers

By Tom Yeung

It's not unusual for a chorus the calibre of the University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers to receive a standing ovation. Rare is it, however, for a choir to receive one right in the middle of the program. But that's what happened the night of Friday June 28, when the Madrigal Singers treated a Powell River audience to their rendition of "Let It Be."

The Madrigal Singers are officially artists in residence at this year's International Choral Kathaumixw. The 39-year-old choir helped close Kathaumixw's successful first singing week, and will perform at the gala opening July 2 at the Powell River Recreation Complex.

At the dress rehearsal for their June 28 concert, Madrigal Singers director Mark Anthony Carpio said he's excited to work with the local choirs. At the gala opening the Madrigal Singers will team with the local Academy Chamber Choir and the Powell River Youth Choir to sing Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms.

"The first time in '94 we made so many friends from different countries and different choirs and got to hear different music," recalled Carpio. "Really different music from those different choirs. That's what we were looking forward to this time."

Carpio is only one of three Madrigal Singers remaining from the group that first visited Kathaumixw in 1994. The 20-member choir is made up of university students, most of them music students.

This summer is piano student Philip Vincent Mubunga's first time in Powell River.

"The weather's nice, though I know it's going to be summer pretty soon," Mubunga said diplomatically, smiling despite the overcast skies of the last week in June.

"It's very charming. I find it very much the mirror of the European countries."

The Madrigal Singers have been touring for three weeks. Before Powell River they were in Chicago. After performing at the closing concert July 6 they're off to Klondike Days in Edmonton.

Cultures and voices blend

By Tom Yeung

Language isn't a big problem at International Choral Kathaumixw: music crosses boundaries of language and culture, and many international visitors to Powell River speak some English.

But accents and pronunciation are significant. That's one of the main differences guest conductor Fred Sjöberg experiences when he coaches North American choirs: the diphthongs in English--compounded vowel sounds such as "coin" or "loud"--are absent from Sjöberg's native Swedish.

Sjöberg gestures with enthusiasm when asked to explain how the sounds English-speakers take for granted affect singing. It has to do with bright vowel sounds, such as "teeth," meeting dark sounds such as "odd," he says. "The focus of the tone is moving," explains Sjöberg. "So it's easier to work, when you have the dark vowels and the bright vowels, and if they are not so hard connected to each other."

Sjöberg is one of three guest conductors in town for Kathaumixw's singing week, which began Monday. A first for Kathaumixw, singing week gives secondary and middle school-age choirs the chance to work with international conductors like Sjöberg. Singing week precedes Kathaumixw's main festival, where some of the world's best choirs will compete from July 2 to 6.

"I think it's very good to do a singing week," says Sjöberg, "only to put the focus on the choristers, to give them your experience and widen their repertoire and for this chorus to meet other conductors and another way of thinking."

Sjöberg and wife Gunnel, also here as a guest director, will team with Powell River's own Academy Chamber Choir, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, and a roster of soloists in the July 3 performance of George Frederick Handel's Dixit Dominus. Fred Sjöberg will conduct.

Proving that language is no barrier to music, guest director Karmina Silec had the visiting Fredericksburg Children's Chorale from Texas singing in her native Slovenian in under an hour.

"I think that children are very open for any new things," Silec says. "We all can sing in foreign languages. I don't find they have any big problem, they're willing to learn. I find it very good for children to get to know other cultures."

Silec will be a guest conductor in the Friday June 28 Celebration of Song, which closes singing week. The concert takes place at Dwight Hall at 8 pm. Kathaumixw's main festival begins July 2 with the Gala Opening Concert, featuring the Academy Chamber Choir and the Powell River Youth Choir. Singing week and festival tickets are on sale at the Powell River Recreation Complex from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday, and 9:30 am to noon on Saturdays. Interested readers can get more information at 604.485.9633.

Billeting blooms friends

By Tom Yeung

Welcoming the world into their home has yielded many personal rewards for Trudy and Derry Simpson. The latest came recently in a simple white card, wrapped in scarlet ribbon. It comes from one of the first people the Simpsons billeted for the International Choral Kathaumixw Festival nearly 10 years ago, a German man named Volker Hüntrup.

"The one we went to visit last year," explains Trudy. "Just three weeks ago we got this wedding invitation. It's in September and he wants us to come back."

The Simpsons have lost track of how long and how many people they've met through volunteer billeting for Kathaumixw, the world-renowned choral festival. Trudy guesses they accepted their first guest in 1986.

Says husband Derry: "It's just a case of, we enjoy Kathaumixw, we always have. To be part of it you have to take these people into your home, because that's one of the things Kathaumixw is to me, people from other countries."

Billeting has fostered many lifelong friendships for the retired couple. Trudy estimates they still keep in contact with more than half of those they've met. The Simpsons have travelled the world visiting former guests. Last summer they spent four months in Ireland, Switzerland, Finland, and Germany visiting old friends they've hosted through Kathaumixw and Up With People.

This year the Simpsons are hosting four men from Australia.

Kathaumixw still needs billets for 60 visitors from countries such as Bulgaria, China, the Philippines, Turkey, and Ukraine. For billeting information call the Powell River Academy of Music at 604.485.9633.

Billeting households are responsible for providing housing, food, and transport for visitors to their rehearsals and concerts. Households should expect to put up guests from July 1 to 7. Kathaumixw organizers are reminding locals that time grows short for both accepting billets and buying advance tickets. Academy administrator Terry Sabine says that's the way to ensure a seat at any performance.

"Some of the concerts sell out," Sabine warns.

Tickets are sold in advance in either eight-concert packages, individually, or at the door. Tickets are on sale at the Powell River Recreation Complex from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday, and 9:30 am to noon on Saturdays. For more information readers can call 604.485.9633. The main festival begins July 2.

From Denmark with song

Choirs will soon be arriving for International Choral Kathaumixw, including the Danish National Girls' Choir. Each day, leading up to the noon news on Danish Broadcasting Corporation channels, the Danish National Girls' Choir can be heard singing songs related to the seasons of the year.

The group will arrive in Powell River in July as choirs from all over the world gather for the 10th annual International Choral Kathaumixw.

Because of its participation in the news broadcasts, the Danish National Girls' Choir has a listening audience of 500,000, making it the best-known and one of the most beloved ensembles in Denmark.

Made up of 100 members between the ages of nine and 19, the choir performs concerts in its own country as well as abroad and is heard regularly on radio and television. Members are chosen by audition from among hundreds of applicants received each year. Approximately 40 singers are chosen to form the concert choir.

The choir is led by chief conductor Michael Bojesen, one of Denmark's leading choral conductors and composers, who has directed the Danish National Radio Girls' Choir since 2001. In 1998 Bojesen received the honorary title Danish Choral Composer of the Year. Bojesen teaches conducting at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in addition to his duties as conductor of the girls' choir.

The Danish National Girls' Choir enjoys the patronage of Her Royal Highness, Princess Alexandra.

Tickets for Kathaumixw are now available in the Poplar Room of the Powell River Recreation Complex from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday, and 9:30 am to 12 noon on Saturday.