The BYU Singers compete in the International Choral Contest of Tolosa, Spain.
Last fall the BYU Singers had the privilege of being one of 11 elite choirs to compete in the International Choral Contest of Tolosa, Spain. As the only choir to represent the United States, the Singers were honored to receive an invitation. The contest included two competitive programs: a folk set to showcase melodies native to each choir’s national culture, and a polyphony set of classically oriented music. The Singers took second in folk and third in polyphony, a feat only a handful of American university choirs have accomplished in the 52 years of the contest. BYU Singers director Andrew Crane remarked, “There was a magic in the hall that I cannot quite describe. The process of learning and perfecting our music, while intense and at times stressful, improved the choir’s standard of excellence in a way that I don’t believe anything else could have.”
Warm weather and ocean breezes will welcome several members of the Singers in April as they participate in a choral symposium on the Guadeloupe Islands in the Caribbean. As a result of their reputation for excellence in the choral community, the ensemble was invited to send a few select members of the group to the islands. While there, the Singers will conduct a choral seminar for the region’s music educators and perform several concerts.
Following their April trip, the Singers will embark on their third tour of the school year, this time to Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. For nearly a week this May, they will give concerts at churches, performing arts centers, and universities across Boise, Kennewick, Spokane, Tacoma, and Portland. Along the way, the Singers will take in the sights of the Pacific Northwest, embrace new cultural experiences, and serve the people they meet.
