The North Island Choral Society (NICS) will be performing Carl Orff鈥檚 Carmina Burana in what is believed to be the first time this has been presented in the Comox Valley.
Carl Orff is a 20th Century German composer of a wide range of music. He specialized in operas, choral works and innovative music education for children based on a strong focus on rhythm and use of percussion instruments. However, he remains best known for Carmina Burana, a unique and beloved work still performed frequently today.
Carmina Burana is not a religious oratorio but rather a secular cantata. The text is derived from 12th and 13th century medieval poems found in a Benedictine monastery in Bavaria, Germany in 1803. These poems were written by a group of young quasi-clerics, known as the Goliards. For them, revelry, mischievousness, and having a good time were all de rigueur.
Carl Orff chose to set 24 of these poems as a five part cantata. It begins and ends with its most recognized music, O Fortuna. In between are three other sections called Springtime, In the Tavern and Courtly Love. The lyrics and music celebrate earthly life, often raucous, joyful and loud. It is in three languages 鈥� medieval Latin, medieval Bavarian high German and occasional French: sometimes the languages are intertwined.
What makes the cantata remarkable is Orff鈥檚 music. The music does not have complex harmonies but wonderful rhythms, repeated melodies, explosive percussion and at times breathtaking speed. It is the rhythms and speed that provide a major challenge to choral groups. Like his section 鈥淪pringtime鈥� Carmina Burana is a rite of passage. One鈥檚 lifetime of choral singing is not complete without singing Orff鈥檚 unique Carmina Burana.
To pull off this performance requires large music resources. Paul Colthorpe, NICS鈥檚 artistic director has assembled a large 62 voice NICS choir with our collaborative pianist, Julie Matthews. In addition, NICS have a 26 voice Comox Valley Children鈥檚 and Youth Choirs (artistic director, Sophie Simard), and the largest orchestra we have ever assembled 鈥� 30 instrumentalists. NICS is pleased to have our excellent returning professional soloists, soprano Jennifer Rasor and our imposing bass-baritone Michael McKinnon. We also welcome for the first time with NICS, local young tenor Austin Diotte-Turner. To manage this mass of musicians NICS actually have to remove four rows of church pews at our performance venue! The more limited seating capacity will mean tickets will go fast.
Carmina Burana will be performed at St. George鈥檚 United Church in Courtenay at 7:30 p.m. on Friday April 4 and at 2 p.m. on Saturday April 5. Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for youth and are available online at .
