Vox Aurea Childrens' Choir

Vox Aurea

Vox Aurea ("the golden voice" in Latin) is a children's choir of the special music classes of the City of JyvŠskylŠ, Finland, compirising 46 talented singers aged 11-17. The choir is conducted by Mr. Pekka Kostiainen, who is also a composer of contemporary music. Many of the singers have pursued music studies since they were very young, playing various instruments at the music schools. Entry to the special music classes is via a comprehensive music test, to be followed by initial choir practice in the children's choir Kolmekuutoset, under the direction of Liisa RŠsŠnen. After this, a further entrance test is required to join Vox Aurea. Vox Aurea was founded in 1968. The conductors before the present conductor, Pekka Kostiainen, were Torsten Lindfors and Kari Ala-PšllŠnen. Under Kostiainen's direction, Vox Aurea has excelled in performing demanding and versatile modern children's choir music composed by Kostiainen himself. The vocal training of the choir is done by Ms. Sanna Kivinen. Vox Aurea has made numerous tours all around the world. They have also participated in numerous festivals: In 1992 there was a great tour in Korea, Soul ( ISME!) and in Japan * In 1994 they participated in the Tolosa Choir Festival and won the third prize and the first prize of the Basque audience * In 1995 the choir won three medals in the Golden Gate Festival in USA. * In 1996 there were several concerts in Stockholm * In 1997 the choir had a two week tour in Germany (Christmas music) * In 1998 the choir participated in Freedom Festival in Stockholm * In 1999 the choir was organising it's own International Children's Choir Festival in JyvŠskylŠ * In 2000 the Kathaumixw festival (Artist in Residence) In 1993 Finnish Broadcasting Company elected Vox Aurea Youth Choir of the Year.

Discography

Tuhat Kertaa Tutat Vuotta

1000 x 1000 years (1991)
To Finland’s mothers (1998)
There was a young lady, whose nose
There was an old man with a flute
There was an old lady of France
There was an old man of Cape Horn
There was a young lady, whose chin
There was an old person of Cromer
There was an old maid of Stroud
There was an old man in a tree
The roach
An eel is no adder
The perch
The salmon
The flounder waltz
The freshest fish
Glory be to God
Teach us to create
There they all sit in total silence
Why should I not sing?
If I should sing
I still have a song to sing
Dulce est
Nihil est perpetuum
Ut ameris
Ut fl atus venti
Acta est fabula
The country cat’s secret fishy wish (2003)
Lullaby
Väinämöinen’s legacy (2006)

Pekka Kostiainen (b.1944) is perhaps not known as well as other Finnish composers outside his native land. Although he wrote mainly instrumental music early in his career, he now concentrates on choral music. Pekka Kostiainen is the present conductor and composes extensively for them. Vox Aurea have excelled in performing his demanding but inspiring music, and taking it on their world tours. Tuhat kertaa tuhat vuotta (A thousand times a thousand years) is the most substantial a capella work on this 6th disc of Alba's "Kostiainen Conducts Kostiainen" series. It is a setting of a poem by Lauri Viita, one of the central characters of post-World War II literature in Finland, and narrates the origin of the world from an empty Cosmos, the building of mountains, ocean formation and the development of life. Softly vibrating tone-clusters suggest the void, magically expanding into the warm church acoustic, and a variety of eerie vocalisations including clicks, hisses and open-mouth tapping give way to firmer melodic lines. The altos, with more robust tone than the sweet sopranos, intone the verses in a modal runic chant style which derives from the Kalevala, the Finnish National epic, very close to the narrative style used by Sibelius in Kullervo and his epic tone poems. The choir are divided into four groups, two of sopranos and two altos, and the music moves antiphonally across the sound stage, suggesting the dynamic events at hand. This really is a tour-de-force of choral pictorialism, a miniature epic in its own right.

4229 CD $15.95

LoRuLaiLee: Works for Children's Choir

Water Night
Pyhan Franciscus Assislaisen rukous
Lorulailee
Kiuren tie
Tikanpolkka
Satakieli
Menninkaisen kuutamotanssit
Hiihtojuustoa syonyt lehma tuli hieman levottomaksi
Jaakobin pojat
Revontulet
Pah' on olla paimenessa I
Pah' on olla paimenessa II

The children in the Vox Aurea choir, one of the leading Finnish choral groups, are fortunate to be under the direction of Pekka Kostianinen, one of the finest choral composers, and one who likes to test his ideas on his choir before committing them to paper. Finnish folk tradition has been an inspiration for many of these works, the language providing a rhythmic undercurrent and the sound of the words music in itself. "LoRuLaiLee" is a cross-section of Pekka's main works for children's choir. 12 tunes, some favorites: the title tune, "Kiurun tie," "Satakieli," "Jaakobin pojat," and "Pah' on olla paimenessa I and II." This is ethereal, soaring, stunning material, especially for a children's choir.

6927 CD $15.98

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