Concert report:

Dove Coast

Concert I: Context
I attended the concert 'Tribute to Francis Poulenc' held on Tuesday, October 1st at 7:30 PM.
hours in the parish 'La Anunciación' located in Providencia.
This work was directed by Juan Pablo Villarroel, a graduate of the University of Chile and current
director of the symphonic choir and of the vocal chamber group of the aforementioned University, who had
a great career abroad, such as his musicology studies at the University of
Colony in the year 1991 or his choral conducting studies in Berlin, along with his participation as
director and singer in various choirs.
Upon arriving in Chile, after taking on various jobs in the field, he assumed the position of choir director.
symphonic and the vocal chamber group of the University of Chile in the year 2011.
The Symphony Choir is impressive. They are all amateur singers, no one receives a dime for it.
to participate, apart from the officials who are the section leaders, plus the vocal instructors who
they are the singers that make up the Camerata Vocal." (Villarroel, 2015) the director mentions in a
interview, where the passion he feels for the choir and the pride and satisfaction of
experiencing how effort and perseverance have brought them so far.
This vocal group, founded in the year 2000, is made up of sixteen singers and is dedicated to
area of a cappella choral music.

Francis Poulenc was a French composer and pianist born in 1899 in Paris and died in the year
1963 in the same city. His musical repertoire is varied as he developed as an artist in
multiple musical genres. He was also a participant in the French music group Les Six where
experimented with different techniques and styles that broke with what music was at that time.
His mother was a pianist, so she had a great influence on her son; it was she who taught him to play.
piano, until the age of sixteen, where he received lessons from recognized artists such as Ricardo
Wines and Charles Koechlin.
Regarding his career as an artist, his first work to come to light was 'Rapsodie negrè.'
published in the year 1917, while serving in the French army during World War I.

1
Later, in the year 1920, his compositions with the group Les Six were characterized by going in
against composers like Vincent D'Indy and the recognized impressionism of the time that
various French artists were performing.
However, around the year 1936, his music took a turn towards the Catholic faith after the death of
a close friend. His new religious choral music was recognized for being more somber and
melancholic.

The concert I attended had a varied repertoire, just like the artist's life. They showcased
creations from different musical currents, a journey through the twists and changes in life
musical by the composer.
The work began, in the first act, with eight religious pieces, first of all four 'motets for
"the time of Christmas" where were presented: "O magnum misterium", "Quem vidistis pastores dicite"
“Videntes stellam” y “Hodie Christusnatusest”.
Then 4 'motets for a time of penitence' were sung, among them: 'Timor et tremor', 'Vinea'
mea electa”, “Tenebraefactaesnut” y “Tristises anima mea”.
The second act consisted of ten songs, called 'Salve Regina' (Hail Mary, Queen)
Seven of them belong to secular works and three of them to French songs.
On one side are the first seven: 'The white', 'Barely disfigured', 'By a
nuitnouvelle”, “Tous les droits”, “Belle et ressemblante”, “Marie” y “Luire”
Finally, the last three pieces of the concert were: 'Margoton va t'al'iau', 'La Belle se
siedaupied delatour" and finally "Pilons l'orge"

The concert was performed by sixteen singers, positioned from left to right they are
four sopranos first, where they sang: Hanny Briceño, Claudia Pereira, Denise Torre, and María
Soledad Mayorga. Then the four contraltos Carolina Acuña, Ana Navarro, were found.
Moses Mendoza and Fernanda Carter. In third place, the four tenors, Felipe Catalán, Leonardo
Pohl, Isaack Verdugo, and Felipe Gutiérrez. Lastly, there were the four bass players, David Gáez, Esteban.

Sepúlveda, Arturo Jiménez and Ramiro Maturana, who was replacing Felipe Caro.

Concert I: Well-founded opinion and critical analysis:

Regarding the general aspects, the concert 'Tribute to Francis Poulenc' when performed in
a church, it had unfavorable acoustics, I noticed it in the first piece, at the moment when the
2
the director took the floor to name her and explain her context. Upon arrival, the front seats
they were previously taken, there were many people at the place so I had to
position myself in the last rows, in the third run from back to front. Because of that, I
it was difficult to hear what the director was saying, where the artist's intention was clear
and a greater understanding of the work was created in relation to what one later listened to. This is
caused due to the reverberation produced inside the churches, when the sound is refracted
with the walls and ceiling of the enclosure, a 'delayed' sound is created, which ultimately leads to a
message received in a vague or incomplete manner.
When they started to sing, all the voices could be heard clearly; however, it was not the
optimal space. Likewise, the temperature and lighting of the area created a somewhat
cold and gloomy, which caused me some discomfort upon arrival, however this
the feeling then faded as the concert progressed, since the music, having
a dynamic aspect, pushed the coldness of the place to the background.
The performers were on stage at the front of the church, looking at the conductor.
who was facing away from the audience. The women positioned themselves on the left and the men on the
right, both dressed in black, the women in long dresses and the men in suit and shirt
black. This outfit generated an order among the performers and a formality that went hand in hand with
the place and the professionalism of the function.

Likewise, the fact that their uniforms were of a plain and sober color did not affect me.
distraction, which is something recurrent in me, I am a more visual than auditory person, so
I generally guide myself and focus carefully on what I see, it was something positive since
I kept my attention on what I was hearing.

The second piece refers to 'The tile that God has', here I began to notice how the third
Man, from right to left, has a large mouth opening, which produces a greater
projection and volume of the voice and consequently, an improvement at an aesthetic level, gives it more

personality to the choir member and makes him more noticeable.

Like him, the fourth woman from left to right does the same, but in a more
emphatic, significantly increases her facial expression, which stands out among her peers.
She generates an optimal projection of the voice which allows for better modulation and ultimately a
clear message.

3
On the contrary, there is a man who makes a rather slight jaw movement, which causes
in me a notion of lack of spirit, passion, and strength, which creates a great contrast in relation to the

energy presented by the rest of the choir.

My focus of distraction is on two men who are positioned next to each other in the
far right. Firstly, the one on the far left shows little professionalism.
due to his poor posture: he is not sitting up straight nor are his arms at his sides, as
holds the score with his hands. Technically, bad posture blocks the flow of air
when singing, it can put tension on certain areas of the thoracic cavity and the trachea, along with the score in
dude, it distracts the viewer quite a bit. Secondly, the last man in the row also has
a bad posture, as her neck is in a diagonal position, since she checks a lot the
the score and its chin spends most of the time touching its neck: this doesn't allow to see the
facial expression, because one concentrates (distracts) on the continuous movement of their head,
transmitting in turn a disconnection from the audience due to the lack of eye contact.

The third piece, called 'May God hear my prayers,' took the stage first.
contraltos together with the tenors and basses. At the beginning, there is a change in the melody of the
song, since the pitch changes, they start with low notes and then, when the sopranos enter, the notes
they are becoming increasingly sharp. There is an increasing harmonic complexity and the
The padding of the different strings works optimally.
Then, there is a sudden change in the song, where the voices begin to make a
frequent exchange between the voices: the sopranos and then the altos alongside the tenors and basses,
dialogue that was repeated several times. The sound intensity changed along with the change of strings,
which caused in me a heightened state of alert, as I was paying close attention to the changes
what could happen, it was a piece with a more explosive intention.

In the fourth piece, reference is made to the moment before Jesus is arrested. This piece resonates with me.

caught attention due to the agogic that is used. They started slowly, with a
soft vocal attack and then the speed was modified, accelerating for a short period of time
to then return to a slower rhythmic pulse. This generated great dynamic nuances in the
length of the piece and at the end it finished more slowly and continuously, unlike the
previous agogical changes. In my opinion, the end of the song was a kind of liberation,
due to the fact that a calm ending was given to a piece that was completely the opposite.

4
In scene number five of the first act, reference is made to the great mystery of birth.
Jesus, in this piece the tenors and basses begin, then the contraltos enter the scene and
Finally the Sopranos. I was very struck by the way it started, as it was a
vocal attack of the blowing type, started suddenly but at the same time melodious and at the moment in
that the altos attacked gently, created a pleasant blend.

In piece number six, it was performed similarly to the previous one, except that in this one
the contraltos began and then the rest of the strings started to appear.
Unlike act five, I liked the ending more because the tenors ended abruptly with a
sharp note, which broke with the scheme of the song and caused in me a kind of
uncertainty and intrigue, since I didn't know if the piece had ended or if they were going to continue, I noticed it too

with the audience's applause, which was a little more delayed than in the last pieces.

The piece number seven is called 'the star that comes from the magi'. In this, the sopranos begin,
with a quite sharp height and then the tenors and the basses, with a soft vocal attack where
first the softness. The dynamics were generated more with the appearance of the tenors, where it is altered

the intensity of the sound as the deeper voices contrasted with the higher voices, in
where his great blending stood out and the mixture of the tenors, which allows them to rise, mixing their
chest voice with a male falsetto without going off-key.

The piece number eight is called 'Today Christ is born', it has an active character from the first
moment, as they all started immediately with a harsh vocal attack, with a
quite rapid agogic change, then they sing the chorus that says: 'Hallelujah, hallelujah' and then the
"Hallelujah" everyone sings at the end, this was my favorite ending, because the four strings in
the set had an optimal and harmonious blend, in my opinion, it was one of the sharpest finales that
the tenors and basses had to perform, however their mixture benefited the entirety of the piece
considerable manner.

The last piece is called 'merciful father'; this piece is more relaxed and has a slower tempo.
weak, the speed began to decelerate to a point and then they entered into the

5
piece the sopranos. To finally finish the piece in a calm manner, with a pulse.
slowed down. The interpreters left in order and the director started the halftime.

After approximately 15 minutes, the singers returned to their positions.

positions to begin the second act.
Since the director spoke again, I started to listen to him better, he raised his tone of voice to
Through the length of the second function, what helped me listen more easily and have a better
understanding of the entirety of the piece and of the act in its completeness.

The first piece of this act is called 'the white snow'. Before the start, the director spoke about what
What was the song about 'If one imagines the angels in heaven, they will wonder why it falls.'
snow?
In this song, they all started together and then one of the contraltos sang solo, this
This instance caught my attention because throughout the concert I had not had the opportunity to
listening to a female voice so attentively. I paid attention to her posture, which fulfilled
with everything we have been taught in classes, the chin diagonal, the arms at the sides and the
shoulders slightly leaned back, this, combined with the opening of her mouth, which produces
a lower saturation in the voice and consequently a more even and harmonious sound, while
projecting his voice upward, his forehead acted as a speaker, generating that the sound does not lose a
important dissipation energy.

The second piece alludes to a man who in his bed remembers the time with his
in love, she feels sadness and resigns herself.

The song, at the first moment, shows its melancholic character, the four strings begin to
same time, with a slower rhythm, present in a softer vocal attack, which is maintained
throughout the piece, what, in addition to the deep pitch of its notes, creates a rather
couple, what it provoked in me was nostalgia and a certain sadness upon understanding the message that the artist wanted

evoke in their audience.

The third piece is about the renewal of the love of the woman who has always been by his side.
This song begins with the tenors and basses who quickly change from one rhythmic pulse to a very
accelerated, they sound like very hurried screams, which are abruptly cut off, with agogic pauses
6
of short duration to move on to the next note, like a staccato articulation, what
It generates intrigue in the viewer. Moments before listening to this piece, it had begun to
feeling a bit tired, however this song surprised me and put me on alert, it
that evokes in me a new and greater interest in the work.
Next, a female voice sung by a soprano appears, while the tenors and basses
they continue with the same melody, a contrast is created between a fast voice and a slower one.

Upon reaching room number four, called 'Beautiful and Similar', the state of alert decreases, it was one of
the pieces that generated the least interest in me due to their low intensity and dynamism, so
pay special attention to the movements of the sopranos and altos, who had a
special participation, I noticed who the women were that opened their mouths more
energetic and those who are not, and how the shape of their lips and palate block or facilitate the passage of

sound.

Act five recounts the situation of how a girl sits at the foot of the balcony and the man is at
point of being executed. At the moment the director explained the song, I imagined that I could
be quite intense and full of dynamism due to the tension and helplessness that could be experienced in
a moment like that. However, when the sopranos began and then the tenors,
they did it in a quite smooth way with a soft vocal attack, with long notes from both
parts, with a legato type articulation, without changing the intensity. This calm characterized the
song in its entirety.

At this moment in the choir, pieces six and seven display great dynamism, however, I highlighted the
the first of them due to the speed and staccatos produced in the singing. In both, the
contraltos and sopranos withdrew from the front of the stage and positioned themselves in the
bleachers that were located at the back, two bleachers on the sides, where the contraltos were separated
on one side and the sopranos on the other.

The tenors and the basses remained in piece number six, despite the fact that both strings
They started at the same time singing different verses. However, they had in common the change in
the speed at the time of singing, and a more accelerated rhythmic pulse, with a type of articulation
staccato very marked as the range increased on some notes, with a tessitura that
heard optimally.
7
As the penultimate piece, there is number eight, in which the director highlights its chorus: "a
grind the barley here, there, throw me here, there
At this moment, the sopranos and the altos are joining in, in an orderly and quick manner, part of
immediately, after positioning himself, director Villarroel names the piece and then they begin to sing,
with an accelerated speed and with notes of a high pitch, the sopranos immediately sing alone,
who, in my opinion, stand out more in this piece, as they are the ones that make the difference between
very low grades and others very high. At the end, there is a great suspense because the grade
it ended abruptly, with great height (sharp) and suddenly, however, just like in a piece
interpreted in the first act, due to the present dynamism it is unclear whether the piece was finished or if
they will unexpectedly continue with more.

As the ninth and final piece of the act and the complete exhibition, the artist wanted to tell a
history. It begins with Maria Soledad Mayorga singing, who is a soprano, with a vocal attack.
blowing. This song is a bit different from the rest, as it functions as a dialogue between
the different strings, which creates a certain tension on stage and caused an increase in me
of attention.
As I mentioned earlier, the sopranos begin, followed by the altos.
then the sopranos once more, and so consecutively.

To conclude, it is worth mentioning that the vocal ensemble, in my opinion, stands out because of the way
they have reached, through their perseverance, to where they are. I was impressed because of the
dynamism that was generated in the pieces and the way in which, when seeing everything taught previously
In classes, it is applied in a concert of performers with an extensive musical background, it is understood.
better the why of the things that happen in a choir. I had the opportunity to appreciate how important
what is the connection of the audience with the performers and of them with the director and how essential it is
posture, the concentration and the energy that they give to the viewer.
Despite the flaws or discomforts one may feel or perceive, I was able to enjoy it quite a lot.
concert and appreciate the work of the performers and the conductor of the vocal ensemble.

8
Bibliography:

- Ceacuchile.cl. (2019). Vocal Camerata of the University of Chile presents a tribute to

Francis Poulenc – CEAC Center for Artistic and Cultural Extension of the University of Chile.
Available in:https://ceacuchile.cl/camerata-vocal-de-la-universidad-de-chile-presenta
-homage-to-francis-poulenc/
- Palma, F. (2019). Juan Pablo Villarroel: Singing is a very sensitive action that fills the
spirit - University of Chile. Available at:
Juan Pablo Villarroel: Singing is a sensitive action.
na
- Corocamerata.cl. (2019). Director - Symphonic Choir and Vocal Camerata. Available at:
- http://www.corocamerata.cl/director/
- Moreno, V., Ramirez, M., De la Oliva, C. and Moreno, E. (2019). Biography of Francis
Poulenc. Available
Unable to access the provided URL.
- Ecured.cu. (2019). Francis Poulenc - EcuRed. Available at:
- Unable to access external links for translation.
- Chimènes, M. and Nichols, R. (2001). Poulenc, Francis | Grove Music. [online]
Oxfordmusiconline.com. Available at:Unable to translate a URL.
- Www7.uc.cl. (2019). glossary. Available en:
Unable to access the URL provided.