Project for a Johann Sebastian Bach and his time Festival with the best
Boys' Choirs in Europe (All Saints 2005)


Dear Friends,

In connection with my first message concerning the Bach Festival in
Brussels, I send you more information concerning principle and aims of this
Festival.


PURPOSE

The Aim is twofold:

- Bring together the very best Boys Choirs around the central theme "Bach
and his time", worked out by each choir according to its capacities , its
special colour and its own culture;
- Show a very large public, and not only the well informed melomaniacs, that
choral song doesn't deserve its reputation of being austere, even oldish and
demystify it by bringing it on stage with all modern "scenographic"
techniques for a large audience.


PRINCIPLE

It's the intention to invite six famous choirs which will perform three
times between 27 October and 3 November 2005.
The location where it will take place must still be arranged. Towns like
Antwerp, Ghent, Liège, Namur and of course Brussels will be considered. Each
day there will be concerts in two or three towns where each day two or three
choirs will perform.

These spread concerts will follow the classic scenario of choir concerts
with a baroque orchestra and soloists.

The gala concert will be performed by all the choirs together in a great
hall (probably the Sport Palace in Antwerp) where a special scenographic
setting can be developed for a very large audience.

A "Video" will be projected on a screen in progression with the development
of the concert. Priority must be given to the special musical moments, e.g.
the intervention of soloists.

Additional technical devices can be used, such as

- soft pyrotechnics
- intervention of unexpected instruments;
- coloured waterfalls in the background;
- alternated singing of the choirs,
- playing with beams of light, including the audience, with as a result a
kind of "chants et lumières"

SELECTIONS


- The central theme "Johann Sebastian Bach and his time" form a leading
thread which will be expressed in the different concerts of the Festival.
Around this skeleton each choir must make its choice for the works on its
programme.

- The names of the selected choirs:

- Germany : Windsbacher Knabenchor (Karl-Friedrich Beringer)
- Germany : Dresdner Kreuzchor (Roderich Kreile)
- Latvia: Riga Dome Boys Choir (Martins Klisans)
- Great Britain : New College Choir Oxford (Edward Higginbottom)
- France : Les Petits Chanteurs de Lyon (Jean-François Duchamp)
- Spain/Catalonia : Escolania de Montserrat (Joaquim Piqué)


We are available for further information.

Yours sincerely,

Jean-Pierre van Avermaet
EFCU/FÉCU Secretary-General