
Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle Extract
It was at Richard Cowan's request that
the 2 main choruses of Belle-Ile were invited to take part in the Festival
in 1999, on the occasion of an evening performance dedicated to extracts
from Carmen, in the Citadelle.
Rehearsals started in July, conducted by Gilles André from the Paris Opera
chorus and within 3 weeks, the chorus, as well as secondary residents and
vacationers, included about 25 people. The group also prepared Mozart's
Laudate Dominum for an evening concert, thus performing its first
work of sacred music.
In 2000, they performed one of Gounod's Motets, an extract of Berlioz's
The Christ's Childhood and of the chorus of Verdi's Traviata,
prepared by Christine Greneau.
In 2001, the chorus comprised about 35 chorus singers. This time, it prepared
a sacred work, complete and more obscure: Saint Saëns's Requiem,
rehearsed by Christine Greneau and directed by Gilles André for two concerts
in Locmaria.
In 2002, 45 people, including 25 from Belle-Ile who sing Mozart's Requiem,
performed 4 times in the island's churches.
In 2003, the chorus singers sang Gounod's Saint Cecilia's Mass
and some of them go back on the stage to reinforce the small chorus of Puccini's
"La Bohème", in 2004 they performed Handel's The Messiah
and a few sang in the choruses of Bizet's Carmen, in 2005 Vivaldi's
Gloria and Carmina Burana, in 2006 Haydn 's Nelson
Mass, The Brahms'German Requiem in 2008 and the Rossini's
Petite Messe Solennelle in 2009.
The Chorus: Singers