Nickell’s Bag

Just got back from the opening concert of the International Choral Festival, at Caras Park. The sun shone bright, and the music was awesome. I’m feeling a bit overly sunbaked at this point, but it was worth it.

The Georgian chant choir kicked it off with a series of ethereal songs that seemed to come from another time (actually, some of the songs did: one of their pieces dated back to 1100). Their outfits — ankle-length black wool tunics embellished with white accents and silver daggers — were as unusual as the music; I felt bad for them in the heat, but they seemed unfazed.

The Mexican choir was a hoot; they did some traditional Latin and Mexican tunes, including one that featured a surprisingly effective imitation of a firework explosion.

The Swedish girls’ choir was fantastic; I was transfixed by a contemporary Finnish a capella number by the composer Pekka Kostiainen.

The UC Berkeley alumni choir boasted the biggest sound, performing music that should sound familiar to anyone raised on American choral music.

And the South Koreans certainly won the spirit award, swaying and grinning broadly through a series of tunes including some American classics. Their version of “Dancing in the Streets” was awesome.

I’ll be writing about events at the festival throughout the week for the paper, and trying to keep up with blogging as well. You’d do well to catch some of the concerts; check here for a full schedule.

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