Melodia! South American Music Festival an Absolute Success!
7 Amazing Choirs from Around the World
 2008 was a great year for Melodia! Wonderful choirs traveled and performed against the fabulous backdrops of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. The choirs rehearsed and performed under the direction of the distinguished choral conductor Doreen Rao in Argentina. The choirs joined forces with the exceptional Argentinean orchestra Camerata Exaudi at the magnificent Catedral de La Plata in La Plata and in Buenos Aires at a well recognized educational institution to commemorate the 105th anniversary of their Alumni foundation. Directed by Doreen Rao, the combined choirs with orchestra performed works by Bach, Britten, Ramirez, Nuņez, Piazzolla, the South American premiere of the Bernstein Mass and the World premiere of "El Angel" by American composer, Daniel Brewbaker, a tango piece commissioned especially for Melodia! 2008 by Choral Music Experience Institute and Classical Movements.
Without a doubt, one of the most significant moments in Brazil was the cultural outreach and exchange at the a local Samba School, in which The New Zealand Secondary Students' Choir, and the Children's Chorus of Sussex County joined Brazilian students from the Samba School, as well as the Brazilian Choir. Through vibrant singing, dancing, and drumming, young people from different continents proudly shared their cultures thorough music. Another high point of the festival was the visit to a music school, where festival choirs were welcomed and hosted by Director Gilberto Figueiredo. There, they attended Brazilian instrument demonstrations by young Escola students and the festival choirs taught Maori and American pieces from their own repertoire to the Escola children's choir.
Audiences highly appreciated and applauded the individual choir's concerts, in which festival choirs conducted by their own music director, had the unique opportunity to perform at the stunning Candelaria Church in Rio de Janeiro, at the gorgeous Crystal Palace in the royal city of Petropolis and as part of the Winter Festival joined by a children's choir from the infamous shantytown "City of God". In Buenos Aires, The New Zealand Secondary Students' Choir, Children's Chorus of Sussex County, and the Oakville Children's Choir offered a special concert dedicating their own repertoires to celebrate the Independence of Argentina at the historic Teatro Roma.
World Premiere of Classical Movements Joint Commission El Angel by Daniel Brewbaker
Performed at 2008 Melodia! South American Music Festival
Classical Movements and CME co-commissioned Daniel Brewbaker to compose a piece for the 2008 Melodia! South American Music Festival. Directed by Doreen Rao, the combined choirs with orchestra had the privilege to perform the World premiere of "El Angel" by American composer, Daniel Brewbaker, a choral piece in the tango tradition. Lyrics are inspired in Jorge Luis Borges work.
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| "El Angel is a fervent prayer that mankind live according to the higher principals of its divine nature rather than being distracted by baser motives and lesser satisfactions. It invokes the Angel as a symbol or archetype of the divine love that gave birth to existence, who watches over the trajectory of human strivings with discerning clarity. It reminds the listener that no one is ever alone, and ends with a passionate plea that the speaker/singer will live in such a way that the Angel will be honored by that life." - Daniel Brewbaker, composer
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