Choral Music
“I love to hear a choir. I love the humanity, to see the faces of real people devoting themselves to a piece of music. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic about the human race when I see them cooperating like that.” — Paul McCartney
Choral music is the music written specifically for a choir or chorus to perform. The term choir was applied originally to groups affiliated with a church, while the term chorus was reserved for groups that performed in theaters or concert halls, but these days this distinction is far from rigid. The origins of choral music are found in Ancient Greece, as well as in contemporary European musical cultures. Today, diverse repertoires of choral music and a number of professional choirs can be found all around the world. In Bulgaria, choral singing has long been popular, and the high standards attained by the country’s many choirs have been recognized throughout the world. Indeed, the country is known as the “Kingdom of Choruses.” Min-On initiated the Choral Music Series in 1970 with a Japan tour by the Men’s Chamber Choir of Bulgarian Radio and Television.
Since then, Min-On has invited four more internationally acclaimed choral groups from Bulgaria, including the Tolbuhin Children’s Choir in 1975, the Svetoslav Obretenov Bulgarian A Capella Choir in 1977, the Madrigal Choir of Sofia in 1983, and the Philip Koutev Choir of Bulgaria in 2007. The Choral Music Series has to date featured more than 20 of the finest choirs from all around the world for a total of more than 600 concerts of world choral music, inspiring audiences throughout Japan. The most recent in the series was the performance by the Young People’s Chorus of New York City from the United States, winner of the Worald Choir Olympics in both 2009 and 2010.
The Children’s Choir of Czechoslovakian Philharmony in
1976
The Tapiola Children’s Choir from Finland
Estonian Girl’s Choir Ellerhein from Estoni
Carmina Slovenica Women’s Choir from Slovenia in 2008
Bulgarian A Capella Choir from Bulgaria in 1977
The Royal Swedish Men’s Choir (Orphei Drängar)
Riga Chamber Choir “Ave Sol” from Latvia in 2004
Choral Series
1970 The Men’s Chamber Choir of Bulgarian Radio and Television from Bulgaria
1970 Southern California Youth Choral Group from the United States of America
1972 The Men’s Chamber Choir of Bulgarian Radio and Television from Bulgaria
1973 Mozart Sängerknaben from Austria
1973 Kölner Manner-Gesang-Verein from Germany
1975 The Tolbuhin Children’s Choir from Bulgaria
1976 The Childern’s Choir of Czechoslovakian Philharmony
1977 Bulgaria A Capella Choir from Bulgaria
1977 The Tapiola Children’s Choir from Finland
1980 Venezuelan Choir from Venezuela
1981 Knabenchor Hannover from Germany
1983 The “Madrigal” Choir of Sofia from Bulgaria
1984 The Royal Swedish Men’s Choir (Orphei Drängar) from
Sweden
1991 The Children’s Choir of Romanian Radio and Television from Romania
1993 The Harvard Glee Club from the United States of America
1995 The Efroni Choir of Israel
1996 The St. Bavo Boy’s Choir of the Netherlands
1997 The Drakensberg Boy’s Choir of South Africa
1998 Philharmonischer Kinderchor Dresden of Germany
1999 Wolfratshausen Childern’s Choir of Germany
1999 La Cigale de Lyon of France
2000 Estonian Girl’s Choir “Ellerhein” from Estonia
2001 The Drakensberg Boy’s Choir of South Africa
2002 The Drakensberg Boy’s Choir of South Africa
2003 Romeo and Juliet Choir from Sweden
2004 Riga Chamber Choir “Ave Sol” from Latvia
2006 The Efroni Choir of Israel
2007 The Philip Koutev Choir of Bulgaria
2008 Carmina Slovenica Women’s Choir from Slovenia
2008 The Russian Sveshnikov Concert Children’s Choir of Kolomna from Russia
2009 The Red Star Chorus of China
2009 The Young People’s Chorus of New York City from the United States of America
2009 The Young People’s Chorus of New York City from the United States of America
2010 The Young People’s Chorus of New York City from the United States of America
2012 The little Singers of Armenia
2013 Svanholm Singers
2014 The Norwegian Girls’Choir
2017 The Drakensberg Boy’s Choir of South Africa
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