Vienna Boys Choir - Weiner Sangerknaben

Wow is all I can say. Tonight, my sweetie and I went to see the Vienna Boys Choir...in Alexander City! It was awesome. The choir was conducted by Florian Schwarz. Florian Schwartz was born in Vienna. He has an extensive resume himself and has only been conducting one of the Weiner Sangerknabens four concert choirs since 2008. The concert itself was divided into four parts. The first part of their presentation was of a religious or classical venue. My favorite song was a South American didty called Gloria (from Missa Criolla) and composed by Ariel Ramirez. Ok, you all know I teach Spanish...and when the conductor pulled out the Spanish guitarra...and one of the boys picked up the Djimbe...I was captured. Gaudete, arranged by Gerald Wirth was my second favorite...because the conductor played a Boudrain. It was amazing...he would give the boys the pitch to the song...and BAM...they would hit it head on! After the intermission they sang Songs from Around the World, Popular Music, and then Vienna Classics. It was hard to understand the words to most of the songs because they were not in English....but the beauty was in the harmonics and purities of the voices. The amazing thing about the Vienna Boys Choir is that it began in 1498, but until 1918 sang exclusively for the imperial court, at mass, at private concerts and functions, and on state occasions. When the Hapsburg Empire ended in 1918 the Choir became a private institution and became Weiner Sangerknaben, their uniforms became the sailor suits, and because there was not enough money to pay for their upkeep, they started giving outside concerts in 1926. The choristers are between the ages of ten and fourteen and divied into four touring groups. They give about 300 concerts a year....during a nine to eleven week period. The choir maintains its own school and they rehearse in the Auzartenpalais, which is the former imperial hunting lodge of Vienna. Instruction begins in kindergarten for both boys and girls. They are provided with a complete musical and general education throughout elementary school. At ten, the most talented boys are selected to join the choir and enter the choir's grammar school until they are fourteen. Each boy selected is assigned to a touring choir. If you get a chance to go and hear them....believe me it is worth the money.