French choir enhances cultural links with France

One of France’s leading student choirs, the Maîtrise de Bretagne from Rennes, is visiting Jersey this month as part of its touring schedule.

 

The choir has appeared at some of Europe’s leading cultural events, including the Baroque festival of Versailles and music festivals at Schleswig-Holstein and Lausanne, while they also perform regularly at the Rennes Opera.

 

Under musical director Jean Michel Noel, the choir will be giving two concerts in Jersey. On Monday 8 July they will appear at the Assembly Room in the Town Hall with a programme of secular music from Offenbach to Jacques Brel.

 

The following evening, Tuesday 9 July, they will be at Trinity Church in a programme of sacred music including works by Franck and Gounod.  For the second concert, they will be joined by Jersey’s award-winning student choir, the Musical Originals Singers. 

 

 

Both concerts reflect the development of further cultural links between Jersey and Ille et Vilaine and follow the relay of La Traviata from Rennes Opera at the Jersey Opera House last month.

 

The Maîtrise de Bretagne was formed in 1989 by Jean Michel Noel with the aim of providing a complete vocal training for talented young singers.  Since then they have given hundreds of concerts, not only in France but also across Europe.

 

In addition, they have taken part in many recordings including versions of Charpentier’s Te Deum, Haydn’s Nelson Mass and, most recently, Porpora’s Vespers of the Assumption which was warmly received by Gramophone magazine.

 

Among the plaudits  received by the choir, Le Télégramme called them ‘a student choir to touch the heart’ while Ouest France wrote “the concert by the Maîtrise de Bretagne simply enchanted the public.  More than just a concert, this was a real spectacle.”

 

Both concerts – at the Town Hall and at Trinity Church – start at 7.30pm and are free, with a retiring collection.