Danish choirs

[kernelbogey]

I post with some trepidation here - as I'm not a huge fan, in general, of choral music - but seek an answer to a puzzle.

I've occasionally heard Danish choirs on TTN, and perceive that they have a very distinctive sound. I believe I could identify a Danish choir just from their sound.

From a few visits to Denmark, and just a little Danish so acquired, I know that Danish has several vowel sounds in addition to those in English and (say) German.

But I wonder if there's something else about their tone that I'm hearing. I made a successful identification of a Danish choir last month, listening after the announcement, when they were singing in German.

Is it anything to do with a different SATB mix from our choirs? I've heard of 'continental tone' - is that it?

I'd be very interested in any views.

BW, kb

[Chris Newman]

Here is the start of one of my favourite Choral Works Springtime in Funen (Fynsk Forår) by Carl Nielsen. Utterly delightful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxjajGJjyAg&feature=related

I think the strange language may give them an accent.

[PatrickOD]

I don't know if I can answer your question, kb, but I think I know what you mean. I've been to Denmark too, not in connection with music but I came into contact with singing all the same.They sing at parties, they sing at dinner, they sing in school assemblies. It's not 'Come on, Patrick, give us a song'. They have printed booklets with a variety of songs and they give everyone time to pick one they can sing and when your turn comes you begin. They all join in. They love it, and they take it very seriously, They have a lovely direct way with this kind of singing, and I think it crosses over into the more formal choral singing.
I have only one CD of Danish Choirs - a Christmas collection of Danish choral works and carols. It has this freshness and simplicity about it, imo. The choirs concerned are Radiopigekoret ( female voices) and Radiokammerkoret (mixed voices), conductor Michael Bojesen, in a CD called Dansk Jul.
Here is the Arhus Girls Choir in one of those carols.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dLlbZAq7OA&feature=related

[ardcarp]

But I wonder if there's something else about their tone that I'm hearing.

There are several different Danish choirs of course each with its own sound. But in the ones I've heard the ATB are quite different from the UK variety...voices generally less 'coloured' but more blending. A sweeping generalisation, I know. And the sops tend to have a warmth and depth to their voices without necessarily wobbling too much.

Years ago I went to a live concert given by a Danish girls choir (Girls Radio Choir??). These were all, how shall I put it, big girls! The concert was in a church and the first half was all unacc sacred music mainly in 3 parts. I expected more of the same after the break; but no. The conductor whipped out his double bass and a drum-set appeared from somewhere. There followed a stunning half hour of jazz arrangements...all done to perfection.

[Simon Biazeck]

Years ago I went to a live concert given by a Danish girls choir (Girls Radio Choir??). These were all, how shall I put it, big girls! The concert was in a church and the first half was all unacc sacred music mainly in 3 parts. I expected more of the same after the break; but no. The conductor whipped out his double bass and a drum-set appeared from somewhere. There followed a stunning half hour of jazz arrangements...all done to perfection.

Sounds marvellous - more of that, please! I'm trying to recall if The Choir has done a programme on Danish choirs - perhaps it was Scandinavian or solely Swedish choirs, but they certainly did something focusing on that part of the choral world. We used to do Benedic Domino by Vagn Holmboe at St. Paul's, Melbourne, years ago - a fine piece!

http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/00045875/details.html?kbid=2488

[DracoM]

I wonder if the idiosyncratic sound of Scandinavian / Baltic choirs, particularly in the top voices has to do with how the voices are produced i.e. more chest, more open sounds, less guttural language bases eg Danish which is fluid and even lilting sounding i.e a Danish / Swedish sentences seem to flow in one stream compared against edgier English / German and Russian timbres? Female altos sound darker, and could it be also that by and large many Scandinavian / Baltic choirs eg the Latvian ensembles and of course the late lamented Swedish Radio Choir etc sing with minimal vibrato which seems to facilitate more 'linearity' and focus in tone production?

Just a few idle thoughts.