In the realm of choral music, children’s choirs may occupy a relatively small, less widely-recognized sub-genre, but it’s no less dynamic and compelling than any other in terms of performance standards, artistic value, and range of technical difficulty. And especially during the past 25 years the repertoire has grown tremendously and commands the attention both of major composers and others not as well known but who specialize in this sort of music. Children’s choirs in Toronto, Indianapolis, Seattle, and all over Europe perform music with a professionalism expected of the best professional ensembles, and often commission their own works. In Sweden, the home of the choir on this disc, there is an amazing program, known as the Adolf Fredrik Music Classes, that along with a compulsory education trains young singers to a very high musical level. The choir heard here, whose members range in age from 12 to 16, consists of the most gifted female singers from the school (there’s also a boys’ choir), and no matter how many children’s ensembles you’ve heard, you are certain to be impressed by the sheer virtuosity and lovely sound of these 46 young voices.
The repertoire ranges all over the musical and geographical map, with a focus on contemporary works. You won’t recognize most of the pieces, and that’s the idea in producing the disc–to present high quality children’s choir music and to introduce works that deserve greater attention. The 14 selections vary widely, from more traditional pieces by Holst (the vocally demanding Ave Maria) and Barber (To Be Sung on the Water) to strikingly atmospheric works such as Hotaru Koi by Japanese composer Ro Ogura, Salve Regina by Spain’s Javi Busto, and Kadrilaulud by Estonia’s Veljo Tormis, this last a real tour de force that shows the choir’s way-beyond-its-years technical mastery. Other highlights (actually everything on this disc is a highlight!) include English composer Michael Head’s Ave Maria, Canadian Imant Raminsh’s substantial and gorgeous Ave Verum Corpus, and some “cutting edge” pieces by Scandinavian composers–the wild and wonderful Jaakobin Pojat by Pekka Kostiainen (Finland) and the wonderful and wild Aglepta by Sweden’s own Arne Mellnäs, each of which relies on unusual vocal effects. The program concludes with Kodály’s Pünkösdölö, a nine-minute work that demands the utmost concentration, dexterity, and range.
All of the music is of the highest standard, and so is the artistry. Everyone who loves choral music should hear this–and so should everyone who thinks children’s choirs are just a bunch of cute kids singing nursery rhymes. The vivid and perfectly balanced recording places us in the best seat in the house, which in this case is Stockholm’s Abrahamsberg Church. My first big complaint: Although the liner notes describe each of the composers, we get virtually no information on the works–no texts, and not even a translation of the titles. We do, however, get an address in Stockholm where we can order the “printed edition of Cantemus 2.” My second big complaint: It shouldn’t be so hard to find recordings such as this one; if it weren’t for a recent visit to New York, I never would have known it existed. But then, when you find an unexpected treasure, it does make the discovery–and the listening–just a little sweeter.
