Les catedrals, els orígens (Cathedrals and Origins)

Recording of our first album!

Les Catedrals, els origens (Cathedrals and Origins) is the first recording project of Cor Tessàlia, a vocal group which was formed as a group of ex-pupils of Barcelona Cathedral. Throughout its 23 years, the interpretation and the diffusion of sacred music have been its two principal objectives.

On the 19th and 20th February 2022, we would like to record our first album in a beautiful setting with great sound: the Capella de L’Esperança (Chapel of Hope) in Barcelona. We will work with highly skilledprofessionals: sound engineer Enric Giné and organist Daniel Tarrida, under the artistic lead of our musical director Xavier García Cardona.

Can you help us make this possible? Thank you!

The programme we have chosen will transport us back to the origins of the choir: works by composers (mostly Barroque) who are connected to Barcelona Cathedral, but also to other historical Catalan musical institutions.

What makes this project unique is that five of the pieces are new to sacred Catalan repertoire and have never been recorded before:

• Benedicamus Domino, by Joan Pau Pujol

• The hymn Vexilla Regis, by Pere Riquet.

• Two responses for Maundy Tursday: In Monte Oliveti and Amicus meus, by
  Pere Egidi Fontseca -a very little-known composer-

• O Crux by Joan Borgueres

These works were found amongst other scores in Manuscript 59 of the Orfeó Català (Catalan Choral Society) Documentation Centre. They were transcribed by the musicologist Bernat Cabré and were edited in 2016 by the music publisher Ficta.

To complete the album:

• The motets Adoro te devote and Regina Coeli, by Joan Cererols

• Unus ex discipulis meis, by Narcís Casanovas

• The motet Peccantem me quotidie, by Francesc Valls (a little-performed piece).

• Stella splendens, from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat ("Red Book of Maontserrat")

Alongside the recording, we would like to provide a digital programme presenting all the works, which will include inspirational photography for each piece. These images will be captured by our choir member and photographer, Ignacio Font.

In this manner, this project will unite a variety of different artistic disciplines: musicology, photography and, of course, choral arts.

We have had the opportunity of singing this repertoire, along with works by Ferran Sors, Pau Casals, Bernat Vivancos, Josep Vila or Ferran Cruixent, in various choral cycless and emblematic venues:

• The Monestary of Sant Cugat del Vallès, at the Cycle: Sacred Music at the Monastery

• The Petit Palau at the Palau de la Música Catalana (Catalan Music Palace) in Barcelona

• The Demonstration of Religious Poliphony Fernando Gigante (Damiel, Ciudad Real)

• St Llorenç Parish, Barcelona

And we plan to continue doing so in 2022:

• The Quòdlibet Cycle of Mollins del Rei

• The Monastery of Santa Clara (Medina de Pomar, Burgos)

As well as sharing this programme via different performances, we want to go even further by leaving an everlasting vocal tribute to these unique works of sacred Catalan repertoire.

WE VERY MUCH HOPE YOU WILL TAKE PART AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTRIBUTION!

Who are we?

Choir Tessàlia

The Cor Tessàlia is a choir with a solid musical foundation and a long history in the field, with a repertoire comprising of ancient music right up to the 21st Century. It was founded in 1998 under the direction of Gemma Tatay, continuing with Jordi Marín, Damiàn Moragas and Laia Santanach. Currently it is directed by Xavier Garcia Cardona, in whose hands the choir has taken on a new lease of life and new projects for the future.

Enric Giné i Guix, sound engineer

He is the founder and coordinator of Tasso Laboratori de so Within the field of musical production, he specialises in classical and contemporary music, both instrumental and choral, traditional and jazz. Since 2009 he has co-produced nearly one hundred CDs and other audiovisual formats (DVD, video).

Daniel Tarrida, organist

Born in Barcelona, he began with piano under A. Giménez Attenelle, and continued his studies with C. Valero and A. Besses. He was awarded, among others, first prize in the XXVII Young Players and Young Musicians competition. He is the founder of the BZM project and director of the festivals BACHELONA and EDINBACH (in Edinburgh). With the field of the “Lied” he has worked with F. Poyato, A. Mateu, T. Ruf and M. Shirai, and has recently formed a duet with C. Tinnet. He is also making scenic proposals connected with classical music, such as the shows Somiant el Carnaval dels Animals (Dreaming of the Carnial of Animals) and La Casa Flotant (The Floating House) at the Liceu Opera House, and El Castillo Rojo (The Red Castle) at the 58th International Fesival of Music and Dance of Grenada.

Xavier García Cardona

Director, composer, pianist and teacher, he is licenced in Orchestral Direction at the Superior Conservatoire of the Liceu. He is Director of the Choir Tessàlia and the Quòdlibet Choral Society. He has directed the Barroque Orchestra of Barcelona, the Youth Operatic project and Youth Orchestra Barcino and has been Director of the Choir Diaula, the Choir Ariadna of the Madrigal Choir Group and is the founder and c-director of the Revoice International Vocal Ensemble, with whom he has performed in Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Turkey and Poland. He is a member of the artistic team of the Federation of Youth Choirs of Catalonia. In the field of composition, he has been won various awards and his works are performed across Spain, Europe and Latin America.

What are we crowdfundng for?

To finance the costs, the complete process of the creation and redaction of the poster and digital programme, as well as the coordination and financing of the project, we will contribute half personally, through the unpaid work of the choir members. Therefore your contributions will be used to finance:

• The sound engineer

• The lease of the organ

• The organist

• Musical direction

• Other financial costs

This graph shows how much we wish to allocate to what area:

Proposed calendar

The objective is to make the recording on 19th-20th February 2022 and to publish the album and perform the presentational concert around June 2022.

+ Info

You can find more information about the choir and the project and can contact us via our email, website and social networks:

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