The Moores Concert Chorale continues to hit high notes months after earning World Championship honors at the Grand Prix of Nations in Magdeburg, Germany. Based on its captivating performances at that festival, the Chorale is now ranked No. 3 in a recent list of the world’s leading choirs.
Interkultur, an organizer of international choral festivals and competitions recently released its world rankings. The Chorale’s award-winning performance in Germany propelled it to the No. 3 spot on Interkultur’s Top 1,000 Choirs. It also took the No. 1 ranking in Interkultur’s list of the 50 best Children’s and Youth Choirs. UH is the only U.S. choir to be ranked in the top 10 of the latter category.
The accolades are indeed rewarding for UH’s hard working group of singers, but the ultimate reward is the sound of audiences’ applause, said its director Betsy Cook Weber. This weekend, the Chorale will likely earn such ovations when it performs a free concert at the Sanford Schmid Amphitheatre in La Grange, Texas. UH’s singers will take the stage at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 25. Event information can be found on the Arts for Rural Texas’ website.
On Oct. 5, Houstonians will experience the Chorale and other University vocal ensembles during “New Voices: Works by Stroope, White, McMillan, Gyöngyösi, Augustinas and Edenroth.” The performance will feature the Chorale, Concert Men’s Chorus, Concert Women’s Chorus and Mancorps. Tickets are $12 and $7 and can be purchased online through the Moores School of Music’s ticket site.
According to Weber, audiences at both shows will experience a group that continues to improve with each performance.
“We were elated to discover that our Concert Chorale is held in such high regard by this well-respected organization,” she said. “Honestly, it is more fun to look forward, and I can't resist saying that I believe the ensemble this fall will surpass the one from this past summer. The quality of their singing and the speed with which they have learned new, difficult repertoire in the one short month since we started school is simply astonishing.”
The recent Interkultur rankings complement the chorale’s other international accolades. Prior to its performances in Magdeburg, Germany, the Chorale also earned honors at other European festivals. In 2009, it traveled to Wales for the Llangollen Musical Eisteddfod and took first place in the festival’s Chamber Choir competition. The group also took second place in the Mixed Choir Competition at the Florilege Vocal de Tours in France. In 2013, it performed at the International Chamber Choir Competition in Germany, where it received first prize and award for best interpretation of a religious work.
UH’s Moores Concert Chorale is made up of 40 singers and based within the Moores School of Music. In addition to its performance on campus and around the state, the group has collaborated with the Houston Symphony Orchestra and performed at community events including the Mayor’s Holiday Celebration. To learn more about the group, visit its website.
The Moores School of Music is one of the premier music schools in America. Offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, it serves approximately 600 students annually. Areas of study include composition, conducting, performance, theory and musicology. Its faculty consists of internationally recognized performers, composers and scholars. Among its ensembles are the Moores School Symphony Orchestra, Moores Jazz Ensemble, Moores Opera Center, Concert Chorale, Concert Women’s Chorus, Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band, Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble. A majority of the school’s concerts are performed in the 800-seat Moores Opera House. For more details on the Moores School of Music, visit http://www.music.uh.edu/.