51³Ō¹Ļapp

51³Ō¹Ļapp

News, Publications & Research


German vocal ensemble Calmus to present Christmas carols in several languages in St. Bonaventure concert

Dec 02, 2019 The German vocal ensemble Calmus will present ā€œChristmas A-Cappella,ā€ a performance of traditional Christmas carols in several languages, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at 51³Ō¹Ļappā€™s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

This is the fourth concert in the Friends of Good Music 2019-2020 performance season.

One of the most successful vocal groups in Germany, Calmus is hailed by critics in the international press for its ā€œperfect blend of sound, precision, lightness and wit,ā€ and for ā€œforging a refined sound, which few groups achieve.ā€ Others cite their ā€œwide range of sound, the joy in performing that the musicians convey on the concert platform, and their varied and imaginative programs.ā€

The ensemble consists of Anja Poeche, soprano; Stefan Kahle, counter-tenor; Tobias Poeche, tenor; Ludwig Boehme, baritone; and Manuel Helmeke, bass.

These five Leipzig musicians have won a string of international prizes and competitions, including the ECHO Klassik and Supersonic Award. Their reach is constantly expanding, as theyā€™ve traveled throughout Europe as well as North and South America. In 2010, the quintet made its debut at Carnegie Hall, New York, followed by their first appearance in the Friends of Good Music series at St. Bonaventure.

ā€œWe are very excited about their return to the Quick Center for a performance of traditional Christmas music,ā€ said Ludwig Brunner, the centerā€™s executive director. ā€œItā€™s a great way to usher in the holiday season.ā€

With more than 10 recordings to its credit, Calmus received Germanyā€™s 2009 Echo Klassik Award for ā€œLiedgut,ā€ a disc of treasured German folk songs. The groupā€™s latest CD, ā€œHausmusik,ā€ is a collection of songs by Robert and Clara Schuman and J.S. Bach. 

ā€œChristmas Carols,ā€ the groupā€™s first CD of music for the holidays, has been received enthusiastically and was praised by Classics Today magazine as ā€œ... perfectly balanced ensemble singing, every note, every chord given exacting importance, delivered in the most vocally attractive, musically expressive style.ā€

To complement the performance, the Quick Center is showing an exhibition of the immortal song ā€œSilent Nightā€ in the Front Gallery, as well as the exhibition ā€œTidings of Joy,ā€ Nativity scenes from several continents, in the Winifred Shortell Kenney Gallery on the second floor. 

Single tickets for this performance are $20 at full price, $16 for senior citizens and St. Bonaventure employees, and $5 for students. For tickets and information, call The Quick Center at (716) 375-2494.

For each Friends of Good Music performance, The Quick Center will open its galleries one hour before the performance and keep them open throughout the intermission.

Regular gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Museum admission is free and open to the public year round. For more information, visit www.sbu.edu/quickcenter.

______________

About the University: The nationā€™s first Franciscan university, 51³Ō¹Ļapp is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. In 2019, St. Bonaventure was named the #1 regional university value in New York and #2 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.