Celebration in Rome

Francesco and his "Roman" choir will leave for Rome this evening.  

Scheduled performances are:  

Wed. June 17: Papal Audience

Thurs. June 18:  Concert at the Pantheon

Fri. June 19:  Gala concert at St. Paul Outside-the-Walls

Nielson & Young, Piano-Duo at the ICMF

On the artistic staff of the International Church Music Festival since 1985, Ovid Nielson and Stephen Young have been active church music leaders throughout their careers. Mr. Nielson was recently named to the faculty of the Cliburn Institute at Ft. Worth’s Texas Christian University. In 2007, Mr. Young was appointed Artist-in- Residence on the School of Music faculty at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois.

Individually and jointly, they are widely-published composers of music for solo and multiple keyboards, choir and orchestra. Nielson & Young’s extensive discography includes many recordings from the classical repertoire as well as from the ever-expanding output of their signature hymn tune arrangements, many settings of which are for two pianos and orchestra. 

More on the piano-duo available at their website: www.nielsonandyoung.com.

Sources:  www.festcorps.com, www.nielsonandyoung.com

Paul Leddington Wright - ICMF Artistic Director and Conductor

If you google Paul Leddington Wright, your search will invariably return a series of recordings and sheet music that bear his name.  This conductor, composer, arranger and organist is internationally known for leading choral workshops and writing commissions. Since 1986, he has worked for BBC Radio and Television as a conductor and arranger.  Some of his best known performances have been the Songs of Praise series with the BBC.

At the age of 15 he was the youngest person ever to have played the organ at London’s Royal Albert Hall in public, and two years later made his first organ recital tour to the USA, Canada, and Jamaica. At 17, Paul won an organ scholarship to St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where his tutors included Peter Hurford, Peter Le Huray, and David Willcocks. After leaving university, he spent three years working in the professional theatre in London’s West End and continued to make annual organ recital tours abroad. 

In 1984, Paul was appointed Organist and Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral, a post he held for eleven years. In this capacity, he hosted the ICMF for the first time at Coventry in 1985, and six years later became Artistic Director for the ICMF.

A full biography and links are available here.

Source:  www.festcorps.com

Sir David Willcocks - Conductor at the ICMF

Sir David Willcocks has conducted the International Church Music Festival (ICMF) since 1984. He began his musical training as a chorister at Westminster Abbey, later winning scholarships to Clifton College and King’s College, Cambridge. 

Under his direction, The Bach Choir, King’s College Choir, and the Royal College of Music Chamber Choir have made many recordings of great choral works with England’s leading orchestras. He was knighted by the Queen in 1977 and has received honorary degrees in the USA and Canada, as well as from the Universities of Bradford, Bristol, Exeter, Leicester, and Sussex in the United Kingdom. In 2005 he was awarded the prestigious Sanford Medal from Yale University in America. Read more about Sir David Willcocks here.

Source:  www.festcorps.com

When in Rome

The choirs at the International Church Music Festival will be singing a choral repertoire that includes the MESSA DI GLORIA of Puccini and TE DEUM of Haydn.  Performances include a Papal Audience on Wednesday, June 17 to sing for the pope, a concert on Thursday at the Pantheon,
and a big gala concert on Friday night at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls accompanied by a full symphony orchestra.

International Church Music Festival, Rome

500 - 1,000 musicians and friends from as many as 10 countries on 5 continents will gather at the 25th Anniversary of the International Music Festival in Rome, June 13-20 to sing and enjoy classic sacred choral literature under the leadership of world-renowned musicians:

Co-conductors Sir David Willcocks and Paul Leddington Wright and the American duo pianists, (Stephen) Nielson & (Ovid) Young.  

Limited registration is still available. Click here for Registration Information.