Rome, the city of history, the city of art, the city of Christianity. Imagine yourself singing in this perfect scenario, with centuries of art and culture all around you. Imagine meeting other singers and music lovers from all over the world in a city that has been the cradle of civilization. Imagine combining the emotions of a musical performance with an all-round artistic experience. Can you think of a better place for a music festival? Well, we couldn’t. That is why we planned the International Sacred Music Choir Festival: this year we are proud to present the IV edition.
Dear Choirmasters, Choristers and Friends of choral music, it is with great joy to invite you and your choir in the beautiful City of Rome for the IV International Sacred Music Choir Festival which will be held between July 25th – 28th, 2007. You will have the unique opportunity to sing in the most beautiful Roman Basilicas and Churches, and to perform during the Holy Mass in St. Peter's Basilica or in other Roman churches.
Last but not least, you will take part in the marvellous Choir parade and/or in open air concerts in the streets of the Eternal City. For further details, please contact the Festival Secretariat which will be glad to answer all your questions.
We hope, dear choir conductors and singers, that you will take part in our festival and take this unique chance to meet other choirs from all over the world in most beautiful possible setting. Looking forward to meeting you in Rome and having a wonderful time together, we remain with best regards.
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Sen. Dr. Dr. h.c.
Hans-Albert Courtial
President and Founder |
Mons. Valentino Miserachs Grau
Rector of the Pontifical Institute
of Sacred Music
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Mons. Pablo Colino
Emeritus Director of Music of
St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican |
THE INTERNATIONAL SACRED MUSIC CHOIR FESTIVAL 2007.
LAST YEARS’ EXPERIENCE:
July 2007: Choirs from all over the world have taken part in the III edition of the Festival. On the first day all the choirs performed in the Opening Concert in the beautiful church of S. Ignazio, attended by a huge audience: each choir performed the best songs of their repertoire and the result was an extraordinary atmosphere of an unforgettable concert.
The following day in the morning, all choirs, wearing typical costumes of their countries, walked singing in the open air in some suggestive places in the well-known area of the Pantheon. The parade started in the beautiful archaeological site of Largo Argentina. The choirs from Guatemala and Cyprus performed folk songs from their country, then all choristers moved to the enchanting square of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. In front of the impressive Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the choirs from Poland, Romania, Greece and Italy sang their best folksong. The choir Amicii della Musica from Romania sang the worldwide known “Va’ Pensiero” from the Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi. The other choirs and the audience were touched by this unique performance and everybody joined the choir singing this wonderful air. At the Pantheon the area was crowded with Romans and tourists, who attended with enthusiasm all the event: there the parade finished with each choir performing one song.
At night there have been the first two interesting individual concerts in the beautiful churches of San Lorenzo in Lucina and St. Eustachio. Choirs had the unique chance to sing in some of the most beautiful roman churches centrally located and the audience listened to the beautiful sacred music of each choir. And finally on the last day we met again to applaud at the last individual concert in the church S. Eustachio.
Choirs had the unique chance to sing during the Mass in St Peter’s Basilica: an unforgettable experience they will keep in their heart for the rest of their lives.
Following last year’s great success, we gladly announce the IV edition of the Festival.
For more details please have a look at the program below.
| CHOIRS WHO ATTENDED THE JULY FESTIVAL IN THE PREVIOUS EDITIONS:
Little Boys Choir Plodviv, Bulgaria
Leandros Sitaros Choir, Cyprus
Choeur d’Hommes du Pays Vannetais, France
Amici Del Canto Choir, Great Britain
Patras Polyphonic Choir, Greece
Choir of the Universidad del Istmo, Guatemala
Ki Agush Choir, Guatemala
Coro Cantores Mundi, Italy
Chorus Marignanensis, Italy
Collegium Baccalarum Choir, Poland
Coro Padre Tomás Borba da AMIT, Portugal
Amici della Musica Choir, Romania
Coro Orfeo La Lira, Spain
Coro Arte Vocal, Spain |
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
Friday, July 18th
Afternoon: meeting with all the choir conductors. Welcome by the organizer of the Festival. Each conductor will make a short introduction of each choir. The staff will review the whole program of the Festival and will be at choir disposal for any kind of question.
Night: all choirs will meet for a dinner. All choirs will have the chance to meet and this will be the perfect occasion to stay together and to learn from each other’ experiences during an informal venue. The dinner will take place in a typical Roman restaurant: choirs will be able to taste the delicious Italian food and in this contest, every choir will sing some of the most beautiful songs of their repertoire.
Saturday, July 19th
Morning: choir parade/opening air concert in the enchanting streets of the Eternal City: choirs, wearing typical costumes of their countries, will sing in the open air in some suggestive spots of the historical centre of Rome crowded with Romans and tourists, who will attended with enthusiasm the beautiful event.
Night: Inaugural Concert with all the choirs in the church of S. Ignazio Church: with its classical baroque style it is probably the most beautiful among all Roman churches. The most characterizing elements of the S. Ignazio Church are the brightness, the acoustics and the invitation to devotion. When the sun shines, the lines, the arches, the columns and the cornices become a brilliant escape from classical schemes and transmit an harmonious movement; the vault, with its breathless beauty and richness of characters, colours, movements and games of light and shade which brighten the chiaroscuro of the nave, strengthens the magnificence of the whole.
Sunday, July 20th
- possibility to participate in the Holy Mass at St. Peter's Basilica the living hearth of Catholic Cristianity with its unique façade (45 meters high) and its enormous dome (136 meters). St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world, overlooks the square that carries the same name that was designed by Bernini and which is surrounded by a colonnade. Magnificence and majesty: this is the sensation that one gets walking up Via della Conciliazione towards Piazza San Pietro.
- Night: concerts in the charming villages of the Roman countryside. Choirs will visit and sing in one the towns of Nemi, Frascati, Castelgandolfo, etc. located in the Alban Hills (Castelli Romani). The Alban Hills where in the past Roman noble families and Popes had their castles. This is why the region is called Castelli Romani (Roman Castles). On the way to the concert place you will enjoy picturesque villages and small towns, partly built in ancient times, a various landscape, beautiful views and a most refreshing air.
- Night: Some choirs will be singing in the enchanting sea town of Fregene located on the Tyrrhenian Sea surrounded by a blue and warm sea. Fregene is very well known among the Roman people and it is considered the most attractive place nearby Rome. It will be a unique occasion to sing there and experience the Italian summer life in a lively and cozy location.
Monday, July 21st
- morning departure or possibility to extend your stay in Italy visiting Florence, Assisi, Venice etc. where we can organize for you other wonderful concerts
The organizer reserves the right to make any changes required for technical reasons.
During your stay in Roma you will not only sing in the most beautiful churches with a good acoustics and meet people from all over the world, but you will be able to visit the unique sites of the Eternal City:
You cannot leave Rome without a tour of the ruins and monuments of the Roman Empire with the Colosseum, one of the most famous buildings in the world, symbol of Eternal City with its enormous dimensions. You will be able to make a tour in the Roman Forum, perhaps the most fascinating expression of ancient Roman civilization. There are several other important things and place to visit in this ancient part of the town as the Capitol Hill, the smallest of Rome’s seven hills, characterized today by the solemnity of Michelangelo’s unique architecture, as many other sites.
If you want to discover the so called Romantic Rome, you must go to the Trevi Fountain, Rome’s biggest fountain. This is an obligatory stop for every visitor who wishes to assure his return to Rome in the future by throwing a coin into the fountain over his shoulder. You will admire the Spanish Steps, one of the most picturesque scenes of Rome and finally the Pantheon, Emperor Hadrian’s monumental temple, an impressive and enormous construction from the Roman Empire which has survived almost intact until our days. Your visit can finish with a tour in one of the most famous squares of Rome – Piazza Navona where you can have a stop and taste the typical Italian ice cream.
Last but not least, we suggest you a tour of Christian Rome with visit to the patriarchal basilicas: St. Paul Outside the Walls which has been the biggest church in the world before the new construction of St. Peter’s, the Basilica of St. John in Lateran, called “Mother and Capital of all Churches in the City and the Continent”. Another patriarchal basilica, St. Mary Major, is the biggest among the 80 Marian shrines in Rome. Its sumptuous interior is one of the most beautiful and solemn sacral spaces in Rome.
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The Region of Lazio is found in central Italy, located on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It borders with Tuscany, Marches, Umbria, Abruzzi, Campania and Molise. In general, Lazio has a mild climate thanks to the influence of the Mediterranean Sea. Lazio offers a variety of landscapes including lakes, mountains and sea and a lot of chances from the point of view of tourism.
For those who want to discover Lazio history and origins throughout monuments, archaeological sites and ruins of ancient populations the region offers a wide range of possibilities. Lazio also allows tourists to choose a different kind of tourism, discovering the oeno-gastronomic itineraries and showing the unique traditions and peculiarities of Lazio cooking style.
Lazio Region hosts lots of events, fairs, exhibitions in the frame of entertainment in general. All initiatives are aimed at bettering tourist offer and making the Region attractive both to foreigners and Italian visitors.
Italian Colli Albani, or Monti Albani, area of extinct volcanoes southeast of Rome. The Alban hills are a beautiful place situated 25 Km in the hills southeast of Rome. Nearby there are two little lakes called Albano and Nemi. The Alban hills were a place sacred to the people of Latium. Old Roman roads, temples, villas, and theatres are still preserved there. Because of their coolness in summer, the hills for centuries have been a favourite summer resort of old Romans people. The vineyards produce the popular wines known as "Frascati Superiore DOC", "Cannellino", etc.
Art and culture, centuries-old traditions: these are the Italian Colli Albani. The range is from archaeology to wine food and culture; all within the territory of the Alban Hills ( 39 municipalities) in the immediate vicinity of Rome. You will be able to visit unique sites: the land of the Tusculum Villas; archaeological sites (such as the amphitheatre and the cisterns of Albano). Concerning food and wine, you will taste the bread baked in Genzano, roast pork from Ariccia, the famous wine, including the inimitable “fraschette” jars of Frascati”. It is strongly suggested to make a walk in the villages streets, shop for traditional and fashionable products, meet friendly people in the numerous bars and pubs, visit the antique markets hosted in different villages, or have an authentic meal in the restaurants, taste local foods and wines in a pleasant and lively atmosphere.
Nemi has a very long history, most significant is the temple of Diana goddess of fertility and the woods, and of course the Roman ships of Caligula. Nemi is also famous for the wild strawberries known as “fragoline”. The Lake of Nemi lies on the volcanic complex of The "Colli Albani". Less famous but more suggestive, the lake-filled Nemi crater is smaller and shallower than the Albano crater. The town of Nemi is located on the northern rim of the Nemi crater, allowing for extremely beautiful views onto the crater lake below. To the southwest there is the village of Genzano. The area is renowned as one of the most suggestive nature regions in Italy and as a part of a natural park, it has for the most part been preserved intact.
Lake Albano lies 293 metres (961 feet) above sea level. With its smooth surface, functions as a natural amphitheatre. The lake is part of the volcanic complex of Colli Albani that constitute an extremely scenic landscape and is a quite popular weekend destination for numerous Romans. Right on the rim of the crater is Castel Gandolfo which hosts the summer residence of the Pope.
Albano and Castel Gandolfo can look back upon a long history. According to legend, Ascanius, son of Aeneas, founded there Alba Longa; it was the oldest capital of the Sabine league. In the XII century the area of Castel Gandolfo was dominated by a castle belonging to the Roman noble family of the Gandolfi, who gave the town its name.
Castel Gandolfo is the town chosen by the Popes for their holiday. In the centre of the Castelli Romani, it has a panorama of extraordinary beauty, embracing the Lake and all its beauty and charm. At the sunset you can admire the spectacular lights dancing on the water of the Lake, where the atmosphere is really magic.
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Organizer
Courtial International s.r.l.
Via Paolo VI, 29 – 00193 Roma
Tel.: +39 06 6889951 - +39 06 68899528
Fax: + 39 06 68308568
email: info@courtial-international.it
Patronage
Associazione Internazionale Amici della Musica Sacra
Registration form
LINKS REGARDING THE CITY OF ROME (CULTURE, RESTAURANTS, ETC.)
Comune di Roma
www.comune.roma.it
Museums in Rome
www.museidiroma.com
Tourism in Rome
www.romaturismo.it
Tours and visits of Rome
www.romecity.it
Tourism in Lazio Region
www.turislazio.it
Castelli Romani
www.turismo-castelliromani.it
Castel Gandolfo
www.castelgandolfo.org
Comune di Nemi
www.comunedinemi.it
Comune di Fregene
www.afregene.it
LINKS REGARDING THE USEFUL INFORMATION (BUSSES, TRAINS, ETC.)
Bus and metro in Rome
www.atac.roma.it
Airport in Rome (Fiumicino and Ciampino)
www.adr.it
Trains
www.trenitalia.it
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