Anyway, Nuremberg! Four concerts on one day, that was a fabulous marathon, which I so much enjoyed that I still long for turning back the time and living through it again.
The first three concerts, which all had a length of about 90 minutes and no interval, were double concerts. The fourth was the final with all six choirs with each of them having their own slots and ending with two pieces sung by all of them: "Ubi caritas" by Maurice Duruflé, conducted by Jörg Breiding of Knabenchor Hannover, and Bruckner's "Locus iste", conducted by Poznan's Boys Choir's Jacek Sykulski.
It all started with the performance of the hosting choir, Windsbacher Knabenchor, but the other concerts presented the non-German choirs first. As I was more eager to hear the foreign choirs, I had hoped it to be reverse, but of course it's more polite to let the guest choirs sing first. The final concert again started with Windsbach and then alternatingly the other choirs followed by non-German, German:
Windsbacher Knabenchor
Escolanía de Montserrat
Regensburger Domstpatzen
Poznański Chór Chłopięcy
Knabenchor Hannover
Nidarosdomens Guttekor
I found all of this really well organised and well thought-out in order to treat all choirs alike and in a nice manner. So the entire atmosphere was really good, friendly and refreshing, and my impression was that the choirs very much enjoyed themselves during the weekend, too.
The allocation to two churches in Nuremberg was a perfect idea, so that the next concert could be prepared and rehearsed for, while the other concert took place. Of course, listening to a rehearsal then was only possible before concert 1 and at concert 4.
What I also liked was the ability of reacting to and improving things directly. Windsbach went off the stage after their first concert, and due to their high number of about 60 choir members, they got applause during a long time. However, at some point the moderator started talking into it to already announce the next choir, Poznan, which cut off the applause, while Windsbach was still on their way. That happened exactly once. After this, each choir got all the time needed to leave the stage under applause, until the very last singer had left the stage.
So, I have to shout out a great compliment not only to all six awesome choirs, but also to the organisators and all people who helped realising such a festival. Very well done - thank you so much!
Escolanía de Montserrat and Nidarosdomens Guttekor were actually the choirs which decided over my attendance. I had seen both of them live before, unlike all four of the other choirs. I was also very curious about Poznan Boys Choir, as I'm attracted by music of other languages, and about Windsbach, who are said to be the currently best boys choir in Germany.
A collection of six top choirs was presented. I don't think I'm able to make a full ranking. But the Escolanía is still beyond any words! After immediately falling in love with their sound in Bad Tölz 2019, they have now easily made it to my favourite in Nuremberg once more. It was wonderful to see them again and to get confirmed that their particular sound has not changed since I first heard them.
It was super-interesting to see the choirs' differences as well as their similarities. I found all three of the German choirs very much shining with a reminiscence to gold, very clear and strong, particularly the Windsbach sound.
Poznan Boys Choir has its main weight on the broad "middle" area and that produces a very pleasing choral sound. I cannot really express how I mean it. But I feel something like: What draws the attention are not the shining heights or the low voices etc., but a strong middle body.
Escolanía is mesmerising! The most gentle singing you can ever imagine, while they can flourish with brilliance too. More about them later.
Nidarosdomens Guttekor's so warmly streaming sound, so relaxing ... I'm sad to say that in Nuremberg this sound, which I have always found so characteristc of them, was missing. In fact it was a bit cumbersome here and there and they voices did not blend as well as they used to do. I'm not sure about the reasons. The pandemic? Or kind of nervousness, as they haven't yet found a new conductor (their current conductor intends to retire)? I deeply hope that they will find back to their warm sound, as I love it and it really "warms" my heart.
I like it that more or less all choirs, although they brought their sheet music on stage, obviously have the free choice of using them or not. So you could see some reading from them, others were carrying the file under their arm to only use it when needed and again others sang by heart and did not bring anything. So their conductors do not demand sheet music to be used either by everyone or nobody just for an image they produce on stage.
I liked less that they are so serious. You can see some of them smile here and there, but it's a great minority. In the last concert I was sitting next to a Windsbach mother and we discussed it. Apparently, being serious helps to keep them focused and in control. Which I understand, but on the other hand I, belonging to the audience, miss it, because it would be so good to see their own enjoyment in their faces, so why not smile. And she agreed and said that perhaps smiling on stage is something that should be encouraged.
Most of the music that day was sung a cappella. Only Nidarosdomens Guttekor and Escolanía brought an organist for a couple of pieces.
In the final concert, both Nidarosdomens Guttekor and Knabenchor Hannover sang one only men's piece, which I very much enjoyed.
Windsbacher Knabenchor (Martin Lehmann)
As described, Windsbach has a very strong, brilliantly shiny sound and sings and acts highly straight forward. They are extremely committed and on stage visibly realise what they learn in their lessons/rehearsals. I must say that for my taste some of the singers exaggerated that and gave me the feeling that it was no choir, but a group of individual soloists. I find their commitment fantastic, but I also think that individual members should not draw attention only by how they act inside the choir, but align a bit.
Their set list was modern and very interesting. Most of all I liked "MUSIK" by Moritz Eggert. That was a great, diverse piece. It contained solo parts which were a huge pleasure to listen to, just excellently sung. I also liked Pärt's Magnificat very much.
They have just now got a new conductor as of 1st July, Bernd Töpfer.
Poznan Boys Choir (Jacek Sykulski)
They fit to Windsbach in terms of the contemporanean repertoire they sang in this concert. All in all it was very versatile, so ... something for me! I especially liked "Angelus Domini, Ave Maria", composed by their conductor Jacek Sykulski. It had several separate parts and some of them were very moving. I enjoyed most their other songs as well.
The beginning of "De profundis", also a Sykulski composition, lived up to its name by starting with the deep, deep singing of the basses.
Unlike Windsbacher Knabenchor, they stood quite still.
Nidarosdomens Guttekor (Bjørn Moe, organ: Marilyn Brattskar)
First of all I must say that they were good, even though their sound is not in the shape I remember, but I heard from someone that they are aware, and that speaks in their favour and increases my confidence. All in all their singing missed the shining element and so they sounded a mat (dull?) in a way. For me it was also their set list, which I didn't find too inspiring, but I would also have wished that all who didn't hear them before would have had a wonderful first experience with them here.
In addition, they got into an unlucky situation: After one of their songs, we heard a ringing sound which I believe came from an organ somewhere back in the church, it was a constantly repeating short motif and certainly lasted over a minute, while nobody knew what it was. When it stopped and the choir could sing its next song, it ended in the company of church bells ringing. Honestly, I didn't find any of that overly disturbing, such things happen. But I felt sorry for them.
So, although they were not as convincing this time as they used to be, they are still in my league of favourite boys choirs; I just trust that all will be back to fine. As their manager said in the final concert's interview, it is very hard to find someone who is prepared to, in terms of darkness, spend his life in the city with Europe's most Northern cathedral. I keep my fingers crossed for them to find an excellent conductor very soon who suits them, as I believe that this will gain them much relax, looking into the future without being afraid what will become of their choir. I look forward to hearing them again and Norwegian is just very cool to listen to.
In this chor, some boys (or all?) continue to sing the high voices, after their voices have changed. So that was interesting to witness how one boy sang in the boys section in the whole choir's pieces, but changed to the men for the song they sang alone.
My favourite song was among the three pieces by Knut Nystedt from "Prayers of Kierkegaard", but I don't remember which one it was, as well as "Norge, mitt Norge" from the final concert, which is always a song I like.
Regensburger Domspatzen (Christian Heiß)
Founded in 975, the final concert's moderator Clemens Nicol called them the "grandpa among today's choirs".
Their conductor is an own ex-member, just like it's the case with the Escolanía.I had been very curious and I must say that I really liked their sound. It is not as "forward" as Windsbacher Knabenchor, not as strong. Also all in all they behave calmer in movements, but they sound equally clear and transparent and their voices shine pleasantly. I loved listening to them!
My music highlights were "O Domine" by Viktoria, "Unser Vater in dem Himmel" by Homilius and Dubra's "Ave Maria".
Escolanía de Montserrat (Llorenç Castelló i Garriga, organ: Mercè Sanchis)
With 38 singers, this choir was the smallest among the six and the only one with solely soprano and alto voices. I do not think though that this is the reason for their gentle sound, as in other choirs you get to hear only boys parts too, but no-one sounds like this Escolanía. Not sure if their average age is lower than in other choirs. In the final concert's interview it was said that they attend their school from 3rd to 8th grade.
As mentioned, they were the highlight in terms of choirs and provided the highlight in terms of songs that day in form of the "Ave Maria" that Bernat Vivancos took from Schubert and set it newly in minor key (which I find a stunning idea, as it really works!). I did not look at the choirs' set lists prematurely most of the time and so I was close to fall over, when they started this piece. I discovered it about two years ago and it is one of my favourite choral songs, generally spoken. To hear it in Nuremberg was a marvelous gift! An intimate and haunting song, which stirred me to tears all the way through. I don't think it let anyone untouched. Actually, I never heard people so totally agree like this time, after all the concerts, that one particular song had been the most beautiful of the entire day. Amazing fact and I am deeply moved and happy about that, because I love this choir so much.
For the "Ave Maria" they had also chosen a very creative form: A group of singers formed a filled out triangle in the middle and the others stood in a semi-circle around it, leading closely along the the triangle's top, the soloist. I'm still wondering if they just wanted to do something unique by that or if that particular form had a meaning. As the triangle reminded me of an A like Ave and at night I sometimes get the craziest thoughts, I found that with an overdose of fantasy you could see the whole form as a strange M-form for Maria. I threw this - anyway very thin - theory into the bin though, when I saw other live recordings from them, where the overall form was similar, but the triangle was a rectangle.
Their appearance on stage is very calm and modest, they move a bit, but always suiting the music. There is no posing. I would even say that they seem introverted. They just sing, sing so completely naturally, light and soft, and the result is a silky sound that can make you addicted.
Each of their songs was stunning and all solos, alone or as an ensemble, were stunning as well. The soloists' voices remained consistent over all their melodies, that was top-notch.
In Vivancos's "Salve Regina", there was much unison to be sung by all and it was flawless. I must confess that during such parts I can't help getting a little nervous, although I only sit in the audience, just because I'm aware how dangerous such bits are. But no need for fear about them! Also this song has some very difficult melodic turns and large intervals, but whatever is coming, they remain in pitch. They are sensational.
Another favourite of mine was "El Cant dels Ocells". I have been familiar with the song for a long time and now I finally got to hear it in concert no. 4 and also the next day, as they were the very one choir who had a choral job in a service at another church in Nuremberg. It was even followed by a mini concert of 4 pieces. I was so lucky and so happy at the same time!
They had a superb soloist for the song, and he - like the song itself - was especially good in that mini-concert. Pure intonation, secure voice, calm, singing with aplomb. And the end of the verses end with most beautiful harmonies, pianissimo, fading out. Incredibly beautiful!
They also got the first standing ovation of the day after finished their concert, and it was already concert number 3!
I only would have liked the moderator of the final concert to do his homework in time. He started with calling them EscolOnía, with effort reading their name from a paper, next time he said it correctly, then returned to pronouncing it wrong twice. I found this embarrassing.
And now I will finally, finally open an own thread for the Escolanía, which they deserve so much (but today it's got too late, so I postpone it to tomorrow.
)Knabenchor Hannover (Jörg Breiding)
The last performing choir in Nuremberg and maybe the one I liked the least, which sounds a lot more negative than it is, as I enjoyed them all! My impression with Hannover was that they still seemed a bit insecure in parts of the Bach pieces at the end of their own concert. All others were flawless though, and there were quite a few beautiful pieces like Mendelssohn's "Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt" or Rachmaninov's "Borogoditse Devo". Very nice increasing dynamics I heard in "A radiant dawn" by James McMillan (which in parts remotely reminded me of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater and "Can you read my mind"), when they had so sing an increasing "Come, come, come", that was really nice.
Sadly, in the final concert they simply repeated songs they had sung in their afternoon concert. While these were beautiful pieces, I would have preferred something new.
How inspiring to see all those choirs, none of them like the other, all different in sound, repertoire and performance! It was an intensely colourful day and I'm so glad to have attended!
The Slavic languages are hard for us, as they have some tricky characters and pronunciations, but in the other case there was no reason to read the name as if he heard and saw it for the first time. After all, he is a radio moderator and a former member of the Windsbacher Knabenchor, so ... 
