U. choir plans pre-tour concert

Under Brady Allred, the University of Utah Singers have been garnering international praise. Winning the European Grand Prix International Choral Competition in Tolosa, Spain, last year and the Florilege Vocal de Tours International Choir Competition in Tours, France, the year before has put the ensemble on the global musical map.

And now, for the third time in the four years that Allred has been the director of choral conducting at the U., the ensemble will be embarking on another European tour, this time to England and France. They'll be leaving Salt Lake City on Thursday and return a month later, on Aug. 11.

Because of its wins in France and Spain, the U. Singers have been invited to participate in three choral festivals in France. "These are important festivals," Allred said. Chief among them is the "Choralies a Coeur Joie" in Vaison. "It takes place every three years and attracts about 5,000 singers," Allred said. The U. Singers will be the featured international choir at the festival, which runs from Aug. 1-10.

As it has in the past, the choir will present a bon-voyage concert in Libby Gardner Concert Hall. The July 10 concert will consist of selections from its tour repertoire. "We have over 40 pieces in our repertoire," Allred said. "We're going to tailor the programs to fit the various venues. We won't know what we'll be singing from our repertoire until we do a sound check before each concert."

For the concert here on Tuesday, Allred will choose a representative selection from that repertoire.

He said the program spans a wide range of works and styles — movie and musical numbers, songs from the Old West, settings of texts from the Old and New Testaments, African-American spirituals, songs about nature and pieces by Canadian composers.

"My programming ideas for this tour came to me after we won the competition in Tolosa last year," said Allred. "Someone said that us winning the competition put a North American take on the victory. So I decided we should feature a repertoire from North America, including Canada."

The other two French festivals are the 12th Festival Choral International en Provence, July 21-26, and the Festival des Choeurs Laureats in Vaison, July 26-Aug. 1.

Before going to France, however, the choir will tour England from July 13-21. "The students suggested we go to England, since we've never sung there before," Allred said. "I lived in England for a while, so I have a lot of friends and connections there."