Vienna Boys Choir shines on Sky Centre stage

An incredibly complicated concert repertoire was mere child’s play for the talented voices in the Vienna Boys Choir.

The 20 voice choir performed twice on the Sky Centre stage this past week, including for the second performance of the 20142015 Swift Current Allied Arts Council’s Stars for Saskatchewan concert series.

Boasting members ranging from 10 to 14, the Vienna Boys Choir is split into four touring choirs for their per- formance schedule. The talented group in Swift Current had spent four weeks touring in the United States before continuing through Canada on a 10date Western Canadian tour.

The audience was taken on a musical journey which spanned the centuries and covered the globe during a diverse evening of classical, folk, and contemporary music.

The rich alto and soprano voices of the young choir easily transitioned multiple languages including Latin, German, French and English, and the choir even performed songs from Taiwan, Pakistan, Namibia and Ukraine.

The evening had a traditional and classical start with a classical repertoire which boasted music by Francois Couperin, Claudio Monteverdi and Joseph Haydn. The choir then showcased their angelic voices on songs including the old English carol Tomor- row Shall Be My Dancing Day, to the Sound of Music by Richard Rodgers, and The Lonely Goatherd by Oscar Hammerstein. An evening highlight was Hail, Holy Queen from the movie Sister Act.

The second half of the show began with European music from Germany, Ukraine, Croatia, Bulgaria and Austria, but they seamlessly transitioned into a selection of world music from Taiwan, Japan, Pakistan, Namibia, Mexico, and USA.

Their final two numbers were the challenging Johann Strauss tunes Annen-Polka and Blue Danube.