if you don’t know what this is about, read the introductory text first.

please ignore the visual part of the video.
the only other version i could find was this one.

[more...]

about 15 years ago, my dad signed me up for the innsbrucker capellknaben boys’ choir, and i quickly grew fond of singing.
in 1996, we went on a concert tour to athens, greece with the choir, and we in our repertoire was classical as well as traditional austrian music, but also some international christmas songs and carols.

i’m not sure what prompted me, but i’ve recently been looking up these christmas songs, and have been trying to find recordings/videos.
over the next few days, i’m going to post the ones that i was able to find.

[more...]

Die Wiltener Sängerknaben haben heuer am 24.12. gleich mehrere Fernsehauftritte:

Weihnachten auf Gut Aiderbichl
u.a. mit dem Konzertchor der Wiltener Sängerknaben
18:15 Das Erste (ARD, Deutschland),
19:55 ORF 2 (Österreich),
20:10 SF 1 (Schweiz)

Weihnachtsweis
u.a. mit den Männerstimmen der Wiltener Sängerknaben
14:00 ORF 2 (Österreich) und 3sat (Deutschland)

Adventskalender
mit einem musikalischen Beitrag der Wiltener Sängerknaben
09:00 und 19:55 ZDF info (Deutschland)

Möglicherweise gibt es auch Web-Streams (Online-Videos) auf der einen oder anderen Website.

Apropos: Einige Bilder von der Konzertreise nach Wien (bei der ich die Gelegenheit hatte, “richtige” Chorfotos zu machen) sind jetzt im Fotoalbum.

[view photos: Wiltener Sängerknaben in Wien]

—

in english:
on december 24th, the Wilten Boys’ Choir is featured on TV several times (see above).
web-streams might be available on the respective websites.

speaking of which – i’ve just uploaded a few photos from our concert tour to vienna, austria (where i had an opportunity to take “real” choir pictures).

[view photos: wilten boys' choir in vienna]

distantly related (youtube):

draw the mona lisa in microsoft paint
draw the mona lisa in 80 milliseconds

at the age of 76, miriam makeba died earlier this week.

South African singer Makeba dies at 76
South African anti-apartheid singer Miriam Makeba has died aged 76 after being taken ill during a concert in Italy. Makeba, known to fans worldwide as “Mama Africa”, was an international symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle. (…)
Makeba left South Africa in 1959. She lived in exile for 31 years before having an emotional homecoming in Johannesburg in 1990.

source: press association, google news

she was without doubt one of the most important and impressive south african musicians, and died during a benefit concert in southern italy.
threre’s a beautiful obituary over at the economist.

i’ve got three youtube-links that i’d like to share in her memory: [more...]

here’s a nice version of “bawo, thixo somandla” – one of my favourite traditional south african songs, sung by pro cantu:

i also found a general introduction and the translation of the xhosa lyrics: [more...]

my hobby: finding animal references where others wouldn’t look for them.

“nun seid ihr wohl geROCHEN”¹
j.s. bach’s christmas oratorio, nr. 64 (choral)