Sackville Cultural Capitals 08 Project
Visit the 2008 Cultural Capital Calendar to view all of the program events Cultural Capital Calendar
Two exceptional events in May
Rajaton Concert May 15, 8pm
Countless vocal groups around the world sing Christmas songs and evergreens. Some a cappella groups base their approach on jazz, some on classical choral music, while others go for a more straight-forward pop sound. Other groups specialize in spiritual music. A few even sing original material.
And then there is a unique group that does all of the above. It’s called Rajaton. The Finnish word Rajaton translates as “boundless” – and that’s precisely the right word to describe the way this vocal ensemble approaches music. The six-piece a cappella group has performed around the world at concert halls, churches, and jazz festivals, singing everything from spiritual music to pop hits. In fact, it’s hard to imagine an audience that Rajaton could not reach with its music, or a type of music Rajaton could not make its own.
Founded in Helsinki in 1997, Rajaton consists of Essi Wuorela (soprano), Virpi Moskari (soprano), Soila Sariola (alto), Jussi Chydenius (bass), Hannu Lepola (tenor), and Ahti Paunu (baritone). All members have vastly different musical backgrounds, ranging from classical to folk, pop, and rock.
“We all have different approaches to music, and that’s where the Rajaton sound comes from. One thing we all do have in common, though, is ambition. We're serious about putting music first”, group founder Jussi Chydenius says.
This ambition has paid off. After several extensive tours, Rajaton has gained recognition and earned rave reviews across Europe. In recent years, the group has also made inroads into the North American market with concerts in Canada and the U.S. In their native Finland, Rajaton are a bona fide pop phenomenon. In 2003, the group rose to number 2 on the charts and went platinum with their album Joulu (“Christmas”), a holiday collection featuring both original compositions and highly innovative versions of seasonal standards. Altogether, Rajaton has five gold and two platinum records in Finland, and their albums have sold nearly 200.000 copies worldwide.
Rajaton has just released their seventh album, Rajaton sings ABBA with Lahti Symphony Orchestra, which topped the charts in Finland in its release week and sold platinum in a month. This is the first album featuring other than a cappella songs, and also the first one consisting solely of cover material.
Evergreens are of course just one facet of Rajaton. A vast majority of the songs in Rajaton’s repertoire are originals, written by the group members themselves or by some of Finland’s most respected contemporary composers and songwriters.
“We choose our songs very carefully, whether it’s a question of traditional choral music or contemporary pop. We want to entertain, but there also has to be substance to entertainment. The songs we sing always have to mean something to ourselves”, Jussi Chydenius explains.
Local success has done little to diminish the group’s ambition to bring its music to new audiences. Rajaton will continue to tour internationally, once again amazing all kinds of audiences with their combination of technical excellence, entertainment value, artistic depth – and pure passion for music. To sample their sound and read complete biographies, visit the Rajaton web site: http://www.rajaton.org/ Tickets available through TicketPro.ca or locally with Performing Arts Series at Mount Allison University.
Podium 2008, Choral Wave May 15 to 18.
Forty young singers in their late teens and early twenties will be featured at Podium 2008 in Sackville, May 16 at 8:00 pm. The National Youth Choir etablished in 1984 by the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors, National Youth Choir provides an intensive training and performance opportunity for choral singers aged 18 to 25. Every two years, talented young people from British Columbia to Newfoundland apply to join this prestigious choir, with four being chosen to represent each province. Some of Canada’s finest choral conductors have directed National Youth Choir.
The Choir, which has won widespread critical acclaim since its inception, has performed at the World Symposium on Choral Music, Festival 500 and the ISME International Symposium, and its concerts have been broadcast nationally on CBC Radio 2. Many of Canada’s finest soloists, such as New Brunswick’s own Sally Dibblee, are National Youth Choir alumni.
The 2008 National Youth Choir will be based in the Maritimes. The choir will assemble at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro for a week-long residency in early May and then embark on a concert tour of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, culminating in a gala final performance at Podium 2008 at Mount Allison University, in Sackville on May 16. The guest conductor for the 2008 National Youth Choir is the internationally renowned Dr. Julian Wachner, director of choral activities and Opera McGill at the Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal.
NEW BRUNSWICK REPS - 2008 NATIONAL YOUTH CHOIR Angelyn McNeil (soprano) of Blackville, is a dedicated and accomplished singer with a solid background as a soloist and ensemble member. She sang for seven years as first soprano in the Blackville School Girls’ Choir and won numerous awards at the Miramichi Rotary Music Festival. Since moving to Fredericton to pursue a business degree at the University of New Brunswick, she has been taking voice lessons from Amber Bishop and has performed widely in the community, including as part of Christmas at the Playhouse.
Shawn Potter (tenor) is a second-year music student at Mount Allison University in Sackville, where he studies organ and harpsichord, and is a member of the university chamber choir Elliott Chorale. Originally from Newport, Nova Scotia, he is a member of the Nova Scotia Youth
Choir and the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus. He has received many awards and scholarships (including a Loran Award:
Alexander Clark (bass) of Riverview is working on a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Prince Edward Island, majoring in voice with a minor in math. A former trombone section leader with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra and the Mount Allison Symphonic Band (as well as first trombone in the Canadian National Youth Band), he switched to voice two years ago after an injury prevented him from continuing with trombone. Solo performances include the UPEI Concert Choir’s performance of Haydn’s The Creation and and Mozart’s Coronation Mass. He also sings in the UPEI Chamber Singers, under the direction of Sung-Ha Shin-Bouey, and his voice teacher is Stephen Bouey.
Media Contact: Chris Bowman, tel: (902) 843-0983, cell after May 4: (902) 956-0013