European Choral Association News (04-2014)

		04/2014

Below you will find our April newsletter. We are reminding you of two projects for which the deadline for application is coming up at the end of April, the Eurochoir and the European Academy for Young Composers, we remind you of the fundraising concert happening in Bonn on May 3rd, we are sharing the experience of Kirsty from Scotland who did a work placement in our office, we share the latest news about the World Youth Choir and we invite you to join our campaign encouraging all EU citizens to use their voice and democratic rights at EU elections in May. Finally, as usual, we share information from different European and International associations in which we are members. Please forward this newsletter to your singing friends, if you work in a choral association, forward it to your members or translate the news which you find essential into your own language. With best regards  Sonja Greiner Secretary General on behalf of the European Choral Association - Europa Cantat www.EuropeanChoralAssociation.org Malheureusement nous ne pouvons pas fournir la traduction française en même temps que l'original cette fois-ci. Vous la trouverez la semaine prochaine >> ici. Regardez déjà dans la version anglaise les projets pour lesquels le 30 avril est la date limite d'inscriptions! Es kann sein, dass die deutsche Übersetzung diesen Monat nicht zeitgleich mit dem Original zur Verfügung steht. Sie finden sie dann spätestens nächste Woche >> hier. Bitte beachten Sie bereits in der englischen Version dass der 30. April die Anmeldefrist für einige Projekte ist!

Content: 01 Deadline approaching 02 Fundraising concert in Bonn on May 3rd 03 Kirsty from Scotland in Bonn 04 Symposium in Budapest 05 News from the VOICE project 06 News from the Youth Committee 07 News from Pécs 08 World Youth Choir Press Release 09 Raise your voice - vote at EU elections 10 IFCM announced 2017 symposium 11 News from Musica International 12 IMC Work Placement in Paris 13 European Forum on Music in Bern

Deadline approaching April 30th 2014 is the deadline for applications for - the Eurochoir, a unique project for young singers,   which will be organised in Saintes, France    this summer - see www.theeurochoir.org  - the European Seminar for Young Composers   in Aosta, "Choral Composers Today", see >> here - The 11th Oratorio Choir Academy on Orchestra    Conducting, see >> here If you want to plan ahead and check the deadlines for application for other projects of ECA-EC in 2014, please go to www.EuropeanChoralAssociation.org -> Events - Events 2014 or check in our brochure with the programme of activities in 2014  >> here.

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Fundraising concert in Bonn on May 3rd The Schedrik Choir from Oberpleis near Bonn and the Wesna Choir from Moscow are offering a fundraising concert for the Friends of Choral Music in Europe in Bonn on Saturday, May 3rd 2014.  The two choirs will meet and sing for each other and together. Especially in these politically troubled times, we think that this concert with German and Russian young singers can show how singing can stand off against prejudices and cross-border difficulties.  The concert will take place in the Clara-Schumann Gymnasium Bonn (Loëstraße 14, 53113 Bonn) at 17:30 on May 3rd. There will also be a short performance of the Wesna Choir on the same day around 12:30 in front of the old townhall (Altes Rathaus) in the centre of Bonn.

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Kirsty from Scotland in Bonn In the frame of the project Make Music! Be Heard!coordinated by the European Music Council, we welcomed Kirsty Robertson from Scotland in the General Secretariat of the European Choral Association - Europa Cantat in Bonn for a one-week work placement. Kirsty, a former singer in the Scottish National Youth Choir helped us with a number of tasks, checking texts as a native speaker, updating our website, developing an online evaluation form and checking our communication from the point of view of a young singer who does not know us, yet. You will find her report >> here

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Symposium in Budapest From April 23rd to 27th the International Symposium on Singing in Music Education under the title "How can singing belong to everyone?" took place in Budapest. The symposium was organised by KÓTA- the Hungarian Association of Choirs and Orchestras in cooperation with the Liszt Academy in Budapest (which hosted the symposium in the beautifully renovated building) and is part of the project VOICE - Vision on Innovation in Choral Music in Europe, coordinated by the European Choral Association - Europa Cantat (ECA-EC).  A rich three-day programme looked at the role of singing in Music Education in different contexts through lectures, panel discussions, workshops and concerts. If you missed the symposium or its final session and would like to get a little humouristic overview on what happened during these three days in Budapest, you can download the dialogue between to random participants of the symposium, remembering what they saw and heard. More detailed information >> here and soon on the Symposium Website

04

News from the VOICE project The Institut Français d'Art Choral joins the VOICE projectWe are happy to announce that the Institut Français d'Art Choral (IFAC) joins the VOICE project! They are organising the next edition of the Eurochoir that will take place in Saintes, France 17 to 25 August 2014.You will find all the information about the Eurochoir on the website. The registration process for the Eurochoir is still running, so if you are interested, please check out the application form (Deadline for applications is April 30th 2014! If you need a few more days, please contact the organisers to check if they can still accept later applications)

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News from the Youth Committee We are happy to announce, that for the 3rd time YEMP (Youth Event Management Programme) will be organized at the next EUROPA CANTAT XIX Pécs 2015 Festival.During the two week period of the program 25 young people, who are all eager to learn about the festival and develop their organization skills, will have the opportunity to work with the management team in international environment, guided by two coaches (one international and one Hungarian).More information will be announced in June, on www.ecpecs2015.hu . Furthermore the Youth Committee is happy to announce the election of Jesse Boere, the chair of our Youth Committee, as chair of the IMC Youth. Congratulations Jesse!

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News from Pécs The organising team of the Pécs festival organised a 2 day photo session together with the Voisingers, one of the ambassador choirs of the festival, with the aim to create new visual materials. The photos will be used for upcoming promotion materials, such as the atelier booklet and the updated website to be published with the opening of the applications in June. The Team is excited to share the results of the session, which will reflect on the slogan of EUROPA CANTAT XIX Pécs 2015: Hung(a)ry for Singing! To keep updated, visit www.ecpecs2015.hu.

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	World Youth Choir Press Release The World Youth Choir Foundation has announced to its partners that unfortunately the 2014 summer session of the World Youth Choir had to be cancelled by the partners in Croatia due to unforeseen, last moment financial difficulties.Find the full Press Release >> here
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Raise your voice - vote at EU elections European cultural networks launch campaign "Go vote! Bring a friend." for the European elections (to be held between 22 and 25 May 2014) - help us spread the message and encourage your friends and colleagues to make use of their democratic rights Here's a very simple message European cultural networks and organisations want to circulate to encourage citizens to use their right to vote and influence the future of Europe. All of them are concerned by the high rates of abstention during European elections and the recent rise of extremism across Europe. These elections will – perhaps more than any previous EU elections – help decide the future direction of Europe. Some 350 million voters will have a say over how the EU should be governed for the next five years, including deciding who will become the next President of the European Commission. Cultural networks wish to contribute to the European debates and policies, defend democratic values and raise citizens' awareness of their power of decision.Read more about the campaign find useful links >> here

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IFCM announced 2017 symposium IFCM is excited to announce that the World Symposium on Choral Music in 2017 has been awarded to…… Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Every three years choral conductors, performers, teachers, presenters and enthusiasts from around the globe gather for the IFCM WORLD SYMPOSIUM ON CHORAL MUSIC in a different city on a different continent. Between July 22 and 29, 2017, Barcelona will celebrate to the sounds of the very best selected choirs, and members from all walks of the world’s choral community will join in, in full voice. To bring such an important event to life the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM), the Federació Catalana d’Entitats Corals (FCEC), the Barcelona City Council and Catalan Government will work together to ensure that the choral world will remember Barcelona as one of the most memorable World Symposiums on Choral Music ever. With the backdrop of a city that boasts the astonishing beauty and sinewy architecture of Antoni Gaudi, and with such magnificent performance venues including L'Auditori (that will host the symposium) and the Palau de la Musica, a World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona will surely be one of those choral highlights that last a life-time. Preparations are already underway to bring this extraordinary and unique music event to life in one of the world’s most colourful and cosmopolitan cities. Watch the IFCM website for more updates REMINDER: The 10th World Symposium on Choral Music (SCM 10) will take place in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), on August 6th to 13th. 2014  - seewww.wscm10.org

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News from Musica International Award for Jean SturmFor distinguished services to choral music, the French Minister of Culture has appointed Mr Jean Sturm to the rank of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.) This French national honor, which is rare in the field of choral music, was primarily awarded in recognition of the Musica project, of which Jean Sturm was the founder and has been the tireless linchpin for over thirty years. The award also recognizes the work of Jean Sturm for the Ensemble Vocal Allegro de Strasbourg which he conducted for many years, as well as for the Festival EUROPA CANTAT 9 in Strasbourg in 1995. The Award will be presented to Jean Sturm on on June 7th 20154 in Strasbourg and will be overseen by Catherine Trautmann, former French Minister of Culture and former mayor of Strasbourg , Member of the European Parliament, in the presence of the press and many leading figures in the field of choral music.

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IMC Work Placement in Paris The International Music Council (IMC) is also offering a work placement in the frame of the Make Music! Be Heard! project in Paris. Deadline for application: 5th May 2014. More details >> here.The work placement is part of the work placement scheme in the Make Music! Be Herard! project coordinated by the European Music Council where 7 young people from across Europe are given the opportunity to undertake a week long work experience placement with one of the project partners:www.emc-imc.org/youth/make-music-be-heard/work-placement-scheme/

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European Forum on Music in Bern 4th European Forum on Music, Bern, 2014 Registration is open! The next EMC annual conference will take place in 2014 from 19 – 22 June in the Swiss capital of Bern. In cooperation with the Swiss Music Council and the Yehudi Menuhin Forum Bern, the Forum will evolve around the theme "Music & Politics: A shared responsibility". Inspired by the host country, the 4th European Forum on Music will explore what Europe can learn from Switzerland, the so-called “nation of will” ("Willensnation"). The widely acclaimed slogan “unity in diversity” is claimed by both the European Union and Switzerland as one of their main characteristics. What does this diversity look like? What are the challenges of it? And how is this diversity reflected in Europe?The draft programme is now available on the Website of the European Music Council>> hereThe European Choral Association - Europa Cantat has submitted a project presentation for "Singing Europe" and will be present at the European Forum on Music with several representatives.

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	The European Choral Association is supported by the European Union, the German Ministry of Youth and the City of Bonn Member of: International Federation for Choral Music - IFCM, European/International Music Council (EMC-IMC), Culture Action Europe, Musica International, Choral Festival Network