The Gothenburg Youth Choir (Göteborgs Ungdomskör) Projects: choreography for Geographical Fugue (E. Toch),

The Song of it All (F. Fjellheim) 

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, (E. Whitacre), and performances in Den sjungande julgranen (The Singing Christmas Tree).

Movement      is      a      natural      part      of storytelling.    We    use    it    to    emphasise meaning    and    to    engage    the    listener. Balancing        movement    and    meaning requires    poise    and    tact    to    get    the desired   results   and   a   theatrical   choir   is an     excellent     example     of     how     this balancing    act    works:    by    standing    still and   singing   they   can   be   riveting.   They can   also   be   riveting   by   using   a   flourish of   hands.   A   theatrical   choir   is   one   of the    most    compelling    storytellers    and curating     movement     for     them     is     a delightful   challenge.   Each   voice   in   the score     is     carefully     listened     to,     the collective         sound         and         rhythm embraced,   the   story   or   mood   agreed upon,   and   movement   floats   seamlessly through   the   choir,   never   eclipsing   the music    and    always    strengthening    the relationship    between    the    music    and the    narrative.    An    engaged    choir,    an engaged     audience,     let     the     stories begin. Anne   Johansson,   Choir   Director   for   the Gothenburg    Youth    Choir    (Göteborgs Ungdomskör),      knows      better      than anybody      the      tremendous      capacity choirs   have   for   storytelling.      I   proposed that   we   experiment   beyond   the   usual “choir    moves    and    grooves”    and    she suggested     we     stage     Eric     Whitacre’s choral   masterwork   Leonardo   Dreams   of His      Flying      Machine .            It      was      an enlightening   learning   experience   for   all of    us    and    we    hope    that    the    result opens   more   opportunities   for   choirs   to explore   the   rich   and   powerful   world   of storytelling    and    continue    to    discover more     about     using     movement     and narrative         together         to         inspire themselves,   bring   the   score   to   life,   and captivate audiences. I    have    worked    with    a    wide    range    of choirs     over     the     past     several     years helping     them     stage     concerts,     find meaning     in     text     or     lyrics,     I     have provided       them       with       full-fledged choreography   or   have   just   been   a   fly on   the   wall   at   rehearsals.      Much   of   our success      in      working      together      has stemmed     from          understanding     the balance   between   how   much   and   how little   is   needed   to   achieve   what   we   are after   and   indeed,   agreeing   on   what   we are   after   is   often   the   most   challenging part   of   collaborative   work.   The   integrity of   a   choir   as   a   choir   is   the   nexus   of their   strength   and   provides   us   with   an ever expanding horizon. I    look    forward    to    collaborating    and finding new paths to share! - Amy Elizabeth Wheeler stage director & choreographer for theatrical choirs