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SINGING IN HAVANA
a choral course directed by Carlos Aransay
1 to 7 April 2012 A week for singers of all ages and nationalities in the historic centre of Cuba's capital city. The course will be
directed in English and Spanish, and will end with a public performance in Havana cathedral. The general aim is to explore Cuba's musical heritage with a leading specialist conductor, in a relaxed and convivial setting. The multi-faceted programme combines Spanish music that might have been sung in Cuba in the colonial period, more recent Cuban works, and, on the the
grounds that they will almost certainly not have been heard in Cuba before, some English pieces. Carlos writes:
"Our concert will be in Havana cathedral on Holy Saturday, so we begin with Alonso Lobo's Lamentationes Sabbati
Sancti, one of the most sublime and vibrant settings of these powerful texts. The year 2012 is an important one for Cuba: the 400th anniversary of the apparition of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre, Cuba's patron saint and
dedicatee of the church where we will be rehearsing. We will commemorate the event with two hymns to the Virgin: Ave Maria by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), one of the most beautiful settings I have come across, widely performed
in Latin America; and Salve Regina by William Byrd, the five-part setting. Early English choral music is virtually unknown in Cuba, and this is just stunning with its canons and quick ascending scales. As a sheer indulgence, I also
include the madrigalian Lay a garland by Robert Pearsall (1795-1856); his use of suspensions is exquisite, developing the practices of earlier composers like such as Tallis and Lotti.
"Cuban music has its roots in three
continents: Europe (mostly Spain, of course), Africa and America itself. From Africa we will sing Siyahamba, a very short traditional African song in Zulu, and Angüé, a traditional negro song of Panamá. From Spain: Todas las
mañanitas, a habanera from the opera Don Gil de Alcalá, by Manuel Penella (1880-1939). The habaneras, based on an ostinato dotted rhythm in the bass, are one of the most important contributions of Spain to Cuban music. One of the
most famous is La Paloma, by Spanish composer Sebastián Iradier, whose El arreglito was the inspiration for Carmen's famous habanera. Todas las mañanitas is taken from an opera by Manuel Penella, a Spanish composer who died in
Cuernavaca, México. And it is gorgeous! Ninghe, ninghe, by Xavier Montsalvatge (1912-2002) was made famous by Victoria de los Ángeles; a mother sings to her son, who unlike her is born free from slavery. The son cubano
is a style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción
and Spanish guitar music with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu and Arará origin. I have chosen Negro Bembón by Eliseo Grenet and Son Mercedes by Leo Brouwer. Finally, we have Locuras by Silvio Rodríguez, who together with Pablo Milanés is Cuba's most famous songwriter: a very inspiring and tuneful piece about the madness of life and love. For some sessions we will be joined by singing students from the Instituto Superior de Arte, Havana University."
The course is intended for everyone with an enthusiasm for choral music. You should be a competent sight-reader (or a quick learner), have a straight,
blending voice with full dynamic range, be used to normal choral discipline and be able to respond quickly to direction – the aim being to combine professional pace of work with amateur enthusiasm. We invite participants of all
ages and nationalities to come by themselves, with a friend or partner, or in a group. Carlos Aransay
is experienced at working with amateur musicians and the atmosphere will be relaxed and informal. |
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