Today we feature a visiting children’s choir from Austria: the Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen. This group came to Chicago to perform in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 at the Grant Park Music Festival, and to give some choir-only concerts at venues around town.
This was recorded as part of the Rush Hour Concerts in St. James Cathedral on August 13, 2024. The music, a mix of Austrian and American tunes, is introduced by two senior members of the choir, Sophie Fadinger and Laura Maier.
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 8:
II. Closing Scene from Goethe’s Faust:
Chorus, “Er überwächst uns schon” (Selige Knaben)
Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen; Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Recorded August 16, 2024 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Traditional Austrian: Yodels, “Holada itti” & “Dri-hod-li”
Herwig Reiter: Vogelhochzeit
Herwig Reiter: Privatermarsch
Traditional Austrian arr. Josef Wolfgang Ziegler: “O du lieber Augustin”
Johann Strauss II arr. Willy Hermann: Donauwalzer (The Blue Danube, Op. 314) *
Ludwig van Beethoven: “Freude, schöner Götterfunken” (Ode to Joy), from Symphony No. 9 *
Richard Rodgers arr. Clay Warnick: The Sound of Music Medley: *
– “The Sound of Music”
– “My Favorite Things”
– “Do-Re-Mi”
– “Climb Every Mountain”
Richard Rodgers arr. John Cacavas: Edelweiss *
Traditional Shaker arr. Elaine Hagenberg: I Will Be a Child of Peace *
George Gershwin arr. Pete King: “Clap Yo’ Hands” *
Rudolf Sieczyński: “Wien, Wien nur du allein” *
Samuel A. Ward: America the Beautiful *
Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen Children’s Chorus
Katja Kalmar, director
* Andjelko Igrec, piano
Recorded August 13, 2024 at St. James Cathedral.
