HISPASONG & TH 8 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF VOICE TEACHERS 2013

QUEENSLAND CONSERVATOY BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

Griffiths University, Queensland Conservatorium, Brisbane, Australia

In July, 2013, Hispasong was internationally introduced in 8th ICVT. A team of eight people travelled to Australia to offer concerts, workshops, masterclasses and lecturers about vocal music, pronunciation, correction of accents, styles and so.

The group was integrated by three students: Laura Laurel, Mia Amat and Sonia Gargo, one professional pianist: Jos Mara Chamorro and Pilar Lirio, lecturer and director of Hispasong. A very long travel but we spent wonderful days of work and tourism. Hispasong is a platform specialized in spreading Hispanic vocal music through teaching, researching and publishing. The platform was created in 2012 but it was fruit of a long and hard work of years.

HISPASONG & SOLIDARITY CHOIR

Our first activity, a little talk about Spanish protest song. The Solidarity Choir is a vocal group in Sydney, conducted by Debra Jones. For 25 years, they have been collecting some of the world's most uplifting songs of freedom, giving them sophisticated choral arrangements, and singing them at more than 600 community events, public meetings, protests, conferences, concerts, and folk festivals large and small. On the 1st of July, we offered them a little talk and taught the famous song of the Spanish group Jarcha, Libertad sin ira. First, we had a rehearsal in a hall of St. Lukes Anglican Church. Then the talk about protest song. Two moments of the talk.

Finally, Libertad sin ira. We taught them the music and the pronunciation of the lyrics. They are going to harmonize the song for choir and sing it in their concerts. They had not a Spanish song in their repertory, well, now they can sing this marvelous song about freedom.

After the activity, we shared a wonderful dinner in a restaurant next to St. Lukes Church. A charming moment and an opportunity to socialize with Australian people.

HISPASONG & CORO AUSTRAL

On the 3rd of July, we had our second activity. On that occasion, we attended a rehearsal of Coro Austral.

Coro Austral is a group conducted by its founder, Margot McLaughlin. Performs works from the 13th to 21st centuries from many Spanishspeaking countries. Coro Austral makes accesible Iberian and Latin American choral music to Australian audience.

First, we had the opportunity to rehearse again our show, Spanish roots. Here you are a funny moment of the rehearsal with a volunteer of Coro Austral.

Consulting information of the show on the tablet: lyrics, translations and historical information of the songs.

Asking for our point of view.

And giving them some advices.

David Basden is an Australian composer that is setting some Garca Lorcas poems. In the photographs below, David Basden, Pilar Lirio and Jos Mara Chamorro, concentrated in the music. We could have a chat about music, works, projects and so.

We finished the evening sharing a light dinner with them. Everybody was very kind with us. We left there a lot of friends. We are looking forward to see them again.

HISPASONG & SYDNEY

We had time even for a city tour. Some beautiful views of Sydney. In fact, our road manager is a tourist guide.

HISPASONG & TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN

On the 6th of July we arrived in Tamborine Mountain. Tamborine Voices, the vocal group conducted by Tania Edmunds, were waiting for us to share a wonderful typical Aussie dinner. A relaxed and musical atmosphere. Warming people, friendly and generous.

They received as guests in their own homes, and on Sunday morning we woke up with this incredible views.

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HISPASONG & TAMBORINE VOICES

We had a masterclass, a workshop and a concert with Tamborine Voices. We appeared on the Tamborine newspaper, on the front page.

Tamborine Voices is a SATB choir performing a diverse repertoire, from Classical to Pop standards and Musical Theatre. Its conductor is Tania Edmunds. For this concert, along with Hispasong and in our honour, the choir learnt a Spanish song harmonized for choir, Clavelitos composed by Joaqun Valverde. And Tania learnt a zarzuela romanza that we suggested: Marinela, Marinela from La Cancin del Olvido composed by Jos Serrano.

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The class with Tania about Spanish pronunciation. Fabulous student, she has a very good level, so it was very easy to teach her. John Woods was the pianist, a reputed professional that teaches in the Queensland Conservatorium, in Griffiths University.

And the workshop with the group.

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Some photographs of the concert. The place, St. George's Anglican Church.

Tamborine Voices, conducted by Tania Edmunds.

A little lecture explaining the songs.

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HISPASONG & SPANISH CENTRE

On the 10th of July, a performance in Spanish Centre at Brisbane. Spanish Centre was founded in 1976 and is a very important meeting point of Spanish community in Brisbane. They organize a lot of parties like the Feria de Abril or San Fermn. It was a meeting with people that emigrated to Australia years ago and we listened to them and their stories about adaptation, about Australia in those years and about homesickness. It was marvellous to sing for them.

And the press again.

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HISPASONG & ICVT 2013

The 8th International Congress of Voice Teachers gathered the banner For the Love of Singing: Learning, Teaching, Performing. ICVT is a quadrennial meeting that in 2013 has been held in Australia. Four days of workshops, lecturers, performances, round tables, panel sessions, research papers and posters. The Congress allowed delegates to meet and discuss ideas, broaden their own knowledge and form connections with other professionals. The Australian National Association of Teacher of Singing (ANATS) was the organizer. ANATS. Hispasong in ANATS web:

Adele Nisbet in the opening ceremony. Australian natives had their representation too:

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The opening ceremony was very funny, energetic with references to voice teachers, classes and classical, pop, rock, jazz and musical theatre styles.

Networking in the hall of the Conservatory

People interested in vocal music in Spanish. Suzanne and Kathleen have published books about Spanish and Latin American music.

The poster of the Congress, a very popular for photographs.

place

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Some of the topics which will be presented at ICVT 2013 are: Singing styles (classical, popular culture styles, music theatre) International keynote presenters in each of these styles Teaching methods for individuals and groups Australian music Language in singing (diction in English and other languages) Repertoire and published music scores for singers Vocal health Recording and voice analysis In collaboration with the Queensland Music Festival and Opera Queensland, the organizers programmed some exciting experiences like an original workshop with the vocal group Take Six.

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On the 13th of July, Hispasong offered a lecture-concert presentation about Spanish vocal music. The examples included early music, cupl, copla, tonadilla escnica and popular folkloric song. We performed in Ian Hanger Recital Hall. 60 minutes of music and explanations of history and traditions, lyrics and translations with slides and typical dresses. This is a view of the empty hall the previous day. And the day of the presentation.

The group.

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Some photographs of the presentation.

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On the 13th of July, there was an ICVT council meeting at lunch time. We voted the 9th ICVT place and the winner was Sweden. So we will see in Stockholm in 2017. We enjoyed a lot this Congress and all the activities, the travel and Aussie people. We left in Australia good friends and maybe we can come back and see them again. Impossible to visit all the cities and all the country. The nature, the contrasts, the climate. Its true, Australia guarantees you the experience of a lifetime. See you later, Australia!

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