Originally, in July 2020, the choir was planning the 5th concert, but we had to give it up due to Covid-19 problem. But we are not just going to disperse. This web site "initium; auditorium" will be opened to pursue the possibility of choral music performance in a new way of expression. At this concert, which will be the first online performance in our history of vocalconsort initium, please listen to these remote recordings of a choral works by the 20th century German neo-baroque composer Hugo Distler and a contemporary German composer Burkhard Kinzler. In addition, we will also deliver one live recording which will be our first release, from the "Hokutopia International Music Festival 2019" held in last November in Tokyo. Please watch for the possibilities of choral music you have never experienced before!

Hugo Distler: Ehre sei dir, Christe (from “Das ist je gewisslich wahr”)
Hugo Distler: Honor be to Christ (from “This is a faithful saying”)

“Ehre sei dir, Christe (Honor be to Christ)” is the coda section of the motet “Das ist je gewisslich wahr (This is a faithful saying)” written by Hugo Distler (1908-1942) , a German cantor and a composer of the 20th century. The text of this piece is colored by the unique harmony progression created by the intertwined voice parts with a simple melody；praising Christ who died on the cross carrying the sins of the people. At the end of the chorale, a prayer “Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison” is sang by whole voice unison.This recording was done in June, 2020 by multi track recording.

Direction Kaoru Tani

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Maurice Ravel: Trois beaux oiseaux du paradis (from “Trois chansons”)
Maurice Ravel: Three lovely birds from Paradise (from “Three chansons”)

This piece is the second song of “Trois chansons (Three chansons) by French composer Maurice Ravel / 1875-1937. This poem is a lamentation to a loved one who has gone to the battlefield and the emotions left behind are expressed from the perspective of gazing at three heavenly birds.The word “Mon ami zil est a la guerre (my loved one has gone to the battlefield)”, which is often followed in poetry, leaves a strong impression to the audience. Soprano solo plays a very important role in this composition, and the alto, tenor, and baritone solos respond to her words. Although the chorus part has no lyrics, it is expressive and the quiet sadness changes to sorrowful tears. This is a live recording from the 4th concert of vocalconsort initium which took part in the "Hokutopia International Music Festival" held on November 2019 in Tokyo.

Soprano solo Sayuri Yamanaka
Alto solo Ayako Kosaka
Tenor solo Shuntaro Konuma
Bass solo Hiroshi Hamada

Conductor Kaoru Tani

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Burkhard Kinzler: Übermalung nach Thomas Tallis
Burkhard Kinzler: Overpainting to Thomas Tallis

This work was composed by German active composer Burkhard Kinzler /1963-, and premiered in 2007 conducted by himself. This music has a quirky word in the title "Overpainting". It is the "overpainting" work adding a semi-improvised chorus sound to the Renaissance masterpiece “Lamentations of Jeremiah” by Thomas Tallis. This composition is sung by five-voice soloists(ATTBB) and SATB chorus, and it consists of three movements that divides the “Lamentations of Jeremiah” into three sections.While the soloists sing the "original", the chorus decomposes the original song to the motif level, and then stretches it, shrinks it, and distorts it. Each singer piles it up with their own timing and individual breathing. It is an acoustic configuration that takes out a part of Tallis's original polyphony and then rapidly expands or dilutes it and sprays it throughout the space. On and after the second movement, the "original song" itself sung by soloists is also modified. For example, the soloists sing the beginning of all note values in staccatissimo, or in the third movement, the instruction is given to soloists such as "Sing with your mouth covered by your hand". And of course, the choir part does not only harmonize and agree with the original tune sung by the soloists; moreover, it represents the position of “confrontation” while the music holds a complicated color that is not affected by the time or the voice part. However, the music definitely returns to the "original music" as it approaches to the end.The unique daydream-like sensations you may experience here could be the enchantment of this music. This recording was done in June, 2020 by multi track recording.

Soloists:
Aya Kaburaki
Kaoru Tani
Hiroshi Tanaka
Kaito Kikuchi
Toshiki Kubota
Shuntaro Konuma
Taku Sato
Yasunari Tomimoto
Akira Machimura
Kenichiro Watanabe
Ryotaro Kosuge
Takahiro Nishikubo
Hiroshi Hamada

Direction: Kota Yanagishima

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vocalconsort initium (online concert members）

Soprano:
Aya Kaburaki*
Yumi Kimura
Haruka Saito
Aya Nabeshima
Masumi Nemoto
Satomi Hamabe
Sayuri Yamanaka　

Alto:
Rika Okonogi
Megumi Kambara
Ayako Kosaka
Shogo Seto
Hiroshi Tanaka*
Kasumi Yuda

Tenor:
Kaito Kikuchi*
Toshiki Kubota*
Shuntaro Konuma*
Taku Sato*
Yasunari Tomimoto*
Akira Machimura*
Kenichiro Watanabe*

Bass:
Ryotaro Kosuge*
Nobuyuki Sato
Takahiro Nishikubo*
Hiroshi Hamada*
Keita Harada
Kazuhisa Hiraka

Music Director:
Kaoru Tani
Kota Yanagishima

Recording Director:
Kota Yanagishima　

Video Director:
Kaoru Tani
Kota Yanagishima