HM The Queen and HRH The Prince Consort of Denmark

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Timothy Johnston
10 years ago
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2 The international musical world shows a growing interest for performance based on original music. Thus, the boys choirs and their schools are as important today as they have been in their thousand year old history. Music written for boys and men is a cultural heritage of great importance. For generations the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir Københavns Drengekor has brought this tradition to all parts of the world not only as excellent ambassadors for European choir music but also for Denmark and Danish music in particular. I learn with pleasure that the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir will now tour to Sri Lanka and India. On many occasions our family has appreciated the beautiful singing of the choir. Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary were deeply moved by the singing of the choir at their wedding in the Cathedral of Copenhagen. HM The Queen and HRH The Prince Consort of Denmark I wish the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir and their dedication to promote choir music all over the world great success in the future.

For generations the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir Københavns Drengekor has brought this tradition to all parts of the world not only as excellent ambassadors for European choir music but also for

4 Mette Christensen, piano Ebbe Munk, conductor Robert Schumann: Zigeunerleben op. 29 Niels W.Gade: At Sunrise Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt / Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Gruss / Duet for two sopranos and piano Sergei Rachmaninov: From Vespers op. 37: Alleluja - Blazhen muzh Ave Maria - Bogoroditse Edvard Grieg: Leaping Dance, piano solo

the Lord, all ye lands Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Gruss / Duet for two sopranos and piano Sergei

5 Early Spring Music by Vagn Holmboe / words by Frank Jæger Now comes the beautiful girl called Spring Music by J. C. Gebauer / words by Christian Richardt / arr. by Kim Nandfred So many beautiful flowers, so much joy! Music by Hans Hansen / words by Mads Hansen Born in Denmark Music by Poul Schierbeck / words by Hans Christian Andersen Midsummer Night s Dance Music by Hugo Alfvén The Sensitive Groom Danish folk song arr. by Claus Vestergaard Jensen Nocturne Music by Evert Taube Nocturne op. 15 no. 1 in F major for piano solo By Frédéric Chopin Smiling Moon Music by Peter Heise / words by Edward Lembcke, for male choir Late Summer Night Music and words by Peter Erasmus Lange-Müller, for male choir O magnum mysterium / Oh, Glorius Wonder Music by Morten Lauridsen Lullaby at Sunset Music by Carl Nielsen / words by Johannes Jørgensen

Music by Hans Hansen / words by Mads Hansen Born in Denmark Music by Poul Schierbeck / words by Hans Christian Andersen Midsummer Night s Dance Music by Hugo Alfvén The Sensitive Groom Danish folk

6 Beijing, Hong Kong and Cape Town. Sydney, Los Angeles and London. Paris, New York and São Paolo. The list of prominent concert venues is long and distinguished. Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir was founded in 1924 and has during the recent years been touring with both ancient, classical and modern repertoire. In 1998 the choir could add the name Royal Chapel in its CV when Queen Margrethe II of Denmark gave her permission to this. The title enables the Choir to perform at special occasions and tours as well as accompany the Royal Danish Court like in 2004 when Copenhagen was in focus when HRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary were married. On this occasion the angel voices gave the guests in the church as well as thousands of TV viewers all over the world an intimate music experience. Both at Prince Christians christening ceremony in 2005 and Princess Isabellas in 2007 the choir added a unique atmosphere in the ceremony. Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir is unique both of its kind and size in Scandinavia and of its long traditions and the choir quickly developed into a full-time institution with the boys receiving their general education alongside a full musical and vocal training in Sankt Annae Gymnasium, the Copenhagen Municipal Boys Choir School. The chief conductor Ebbe Munk has since 1991 been the artistic leader of the choir. Ebbe Munk stresses the professional approach of the members in the choir in spite of their young age in an interview in The Sydney Morning Herald on occasion of a concert in Sydney Opera House: I don t want to make them out to be angels but they are wonderful boys who are extremely disciplined. Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir consists of between 60 and 80 boys in the age from 9-14 years. At concerts the choir performs together with 30 male voice members to give depth in the light angel sound of the boy s choir. This will also be the case in Sri Lanka & India Concerts in 2011, where Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir sets the scene for a concert of royal dimensions.

In 1998 the choir could add the name Royal Chapel in its CV when Queen Margrethe II of Denmark gave her permission to this.

7 Since 1991 Ebbe Munk has been chief conductor of the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir and choirmaster of the Copenhagen Cathedral. In 1986 he founded the Chamber Choir VOX DANICA which specialised in contemporary Nordic music and in 1991 won the first prize in Concours Internationales de Chant Chorale in France. From 1982 until 1991 he was conductor of Sankt Annæ Youth Choir. With Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir he has conducted the major choral repertoire together with leading Danish orchestras, e.g. Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra and Concerto Copenhagen as well as with baroque ensembles such as Dufay Collective (London), Oxford Philomusica and Ensemble Lascaris (Nice). Ebbe Munk has been touring with the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir in all parts of the world at leading international festivals as well as in concert halls and in cathedrals such as Sydney Opera House, Beijing Concert Hall, Cathedrale Notre Dame (Paris), Washington National Cathedral, Hong Kong Centre of the Performing arts, Sala São Paolo and Teatre Municipal in Rio de Janeiro. Ebbe Munk has been conducting and jury-member at several choir seminars in Denmark and abroad in the autumn of 1999 at Princeton University s North America Conference for Choral Conductors, and he is since 2002 artistic counsellor of the Féderation des Choeurs de l Únion in Bruxelles. Also in 2002 he received a Grammy in Danish Music Awards for his recording of Buxtehude s Cantatas together with Dufay Collective, London and the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir. Together with the CRCC Ebbe Munk was honoured in Paris by l Institut de France-Académie des Beaux-Arts with the Prix Chant choral Liliane Bettencourt.

From 1982 until 1991 he was conductor of Sankt Annæ Youth Choir. With Copenhage

8 Københavns Drengekor Sankt Annæ Gymnasium Sjælør Boulevard 135 DK 2500 Valby Denmark OTICON FONDEN, Denmark Den Obelske Familiefond Danish Arts Council OAK Foundation Denmark Københavns Drengekors Venner T [email protected] Hotel Jetwing Lighthouse, Galle Hilton Hotel Colombo Mahaweli Reach, Kandy The Sunday Times Daily Mirror TNL Radio Network Kandy Music Society Walkers Tours Ltd, Colombo Tourism Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka Promotion in Sri Lanka by: Mel Ads (Pvt) Ltd, Advertising & Marketing Consultants ETV Media Vanguard Management Services (Pvt) Limited

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