Musical Activities
COME SING RUTTER MAGNIFICAT!!
Set in the beautiful mountains of the Tyrol, Berwang Music ’25 is a week-long choral course for singers from around the world, held in the village of Berwang, a ski resort near the German border in western Austria that also caters for the summer season tourist traffic. Following the highly successful course in 2024, next year the course will study John Rutter’s Magnificat and other works, including a work for choir and instrumental ensemble by Tim Brown, leading to two performances, in Berwang and in the magnificent Bernaardisaal in the Abbey of Stams.
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There are rehearsals each day, and one free day to do touristic things. Free singing lessons for all participants. Course members find their own (excellent) accommodation and food in the village, though there will be some group meals.
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Early booking for the course and accommodation is recommended.
Singers will enjoy a mix of intensive but fun-filled music sessions, interspersed with plentiful breaks to relax and explore the surrounding area, culminating in two public performance(s). Rehearsals will be a mixture of sectional and full rehearsals.
Singing Tuition
An innovation in 2025 will be the addition of two vocal tutors, the husband and wife team of Nicholas and Olivia Boen, who are both members of the company of Hamburg State Opera, Germany. Nicholas trained at Clare College, Cambridge, and Olivia in the USA. They will be working with groups of singers during choir session times and will also give one-to-one lessons. Further details will be announced soon.
End-of Course Concerts
These will take place in Berwang Church on Friday 15th August, and on Saturday 16th August in the exceptionally beautiful Bernardisaal of nearby Stams Abbey.
Informal Concerts
Informal concerts occur during the week in which course members perform to each other.
Vocal Standard
There are no formal requirements with regard to technical vocal ability, but singers are expected to have some experience of choral singing and of reading music at sight.
Repertoire
1 The main work for this year's course will be Sir John Rutter's Magnificat, which will be performed at both the Berwang and Innsbruck concerts. Hard copies of the music will be available in Berwang. For prior preparation, you can refer to
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXpQCRhZw2lbBEWepbFkuf3hRwdlZz3OZ
Or
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=lctjcP1lejA&list=PLd0AfWJhOgsZfkoRP4ZkYzn9dM2GwSXih which also includes a choral score that runs alongside the music.
2 The Earth is the Lord's by Tim Brown [vocal score]
This work was composed for a high school choir in Iowa, USA, and first performed in 2024. Hard copies of the full score will be available in Berwang. A rehearsal choral score will be available in due course. The work has various obbligato instrumental parts and will be performed in Berwang and Innsbruck.
3 Missa Brevis by Georg Weiss [vocal score]
Georg is a good friend of the Berwang course, from Stams. He teaches there and in Innsbruck. We shall sing the Kyrie / Sanctus / Benedictus and Agnus Dei, and intend to perform it in Innsbruck. Hard copies will be available in Austria.
4 Folksongs: a selection of British folksongs, newly arranged by Tim Brown, will be rehearsed and may or may not be performed, dependent on how rehearsals of the main works go, and time allows. Pdfs of the scores will be forwarded to participants before the end of April. In addition, an Austrian folk song arrangement will be studied (score available in due course).
5 I've got peace like a river, arranged by Tim Osiak
A beautiful, and simple spiritual arrangement that we shall perform in Innsbruck. Hard copies will be available in Berwang.
Other music will be at the discretion of course members as and when they wish to rehearse them. Some sets of madrigals and part songs will be available. Participants will be encouraged to form their own small groups for informal singing.
‘Off-grid’ Singing
There will be opportunities for small singing groups to work on their own, either for their own pleasure, or for performance in informal concerts. Anyone wishing to do this is invited to contact Tim Brown in advance of the course.
Soloists
Soloists will, where appropriate, be drawn from the chorus.
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Instrumentalists
A small woodwind ensemble (including French Horn) is also needed for 2025. If you are interested in this please contact Jean Burrows (admin@berwangmusic.com) for details.
Listeners
Listeners will be welcome to attend rehearsals and concerts, and be able to enjoy the social life of the course.
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Course Base
This will be in the village school, behind the Gemeindehaus, at the centre of the village. A map of the village is on the Accommodation page.
Timetable
In essence there is singing each day (a mixture of sectional and full rehearsals), with an optional physical warm-up session at 9.00am, except for one completely free day in the middle of the week, when course members may explore the local area, go on an excursion, or simply relax and do their own thing.
We've kept these as short and jargon free as we can, so please read them carefully.
Booking is now open
To find out more about Berwang visit https://zugspitzarena.com/en/Towns-Region/Berwang