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Germany 2004 Highlights On Saturday, July 10th The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso travelled to Germany to participate in the 32nd International Congress of Pueri Cantores in Essen and Cologne. For the first half of this cultural visit, the choirs were hosted by the families of the Kinder und Jungenchor St Lamberti in Gladbeck. On Sunday, July 11th the choirs came together in St Lamberti Church, Gladbeck to sing Solemn Mass. The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso performed Mozart's "Spatzenmesse" (soloists: Aoife Daly, Ainle O Shea, Charles Dillon, Eoin Supple) while the St. Lamberti choirs sang the hymns and acclamations. At 5.00 p.m. that evening an International Choral Service (Solemn Vespers) took place in Essen Cathedral. Choirs from Germany, France, Poland and Ireland together performed the psalms and hymns and each choir was also invited to perform one motet by itself. Between 7.00 and 8.00 p.m the choirs gave an outdoor recital of folk song. The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso were last to perform and received a rapturous applause for their singing of Star of the County Down, Eileen Og, Danny Boy and Molly Malone. The main event of the first part of the congress took place on the evening of Tuesday, July 13th in the newly opened Essener Philharmonie. A Choral Gala Concert featuring six international choirs was presented before an audience of 2,000. Each choir sang a programme of 20 minutes duration. The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso sang motets by Lassus, Dering, Colin Mawby, Maurice Durufle and Irish song arrangements by Fintan O'Carroll (soloist: Aoife Daly) and Ite O'Donovan. In the final piece (Ite O'Donovan's arrangement of "Seinn Alleluia" with soloist Eoin Supple) the audience was invited to participate. The Irish singers, aware throughout the performance of an attentive audience, were nonetheless overwhelmed by the eruption of thunderous applause and a standing ovation at the conclusion of their programme. The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso, with their director Ite O'Donovan, had won the hearts of the German audience. On Wednesday, July 14th a farewell service was held at 2.30 p.m. in Essen Cathedral after which all choirs travelled to Cologne for the second and main part of the Pueri Cantores Congress. On their arrival in Cologne, The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso were greeted by Mrs Brigitte Wagner-Halswick, Irish Honorary Consul General in Cologne. Despite inclement weather, 6,000 singers approached Cologne Cathedral on foot from various designated points throughout the city. For the first time in 60 years all the heavy benches had been removed from the cathedral to allow standing-room for the singers during the Opening Ceremony. An outdoor ceremony the following morning was unfortunately affected by heavy rain. At 5.00 p.m. on Thursday, July 15th a group of English speaking-choirs came together to sing Mass at the church of Maria im Kapitol in Cologne. Choirs from the USA, Sweden, Sri Lanka, India and Ireland took part. Mark Keane who was also in Cologne with his Galway Boys and Girls choirs, was organist for the occasion. The music for the service was co-ordinated and conducted by Ite O'Donovan who, in addition to being director of The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso, is also Irish National President of Pueri Cantores. This Mass was attended by Mrs Brigitte Wagner-Halswick, Irish Honorary Consul General in Cologne. Friday, July 16th was a day for rehearsal (6,000 singers at the Roncalliplatz) and sightseeing. In the evening the singers were entertained at an out-door concert and a spectacular cinematic presentation of light within the cathedral. On the evening of Saturday, July 17th, The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso performed at the final Gala Choral Concert in the Cologne Philharmonie. This amazing concert hall is built underground in close proximity to the cathedral and seats an audience of 2,000. Singing the same programme of sacred music as at the Essen Gala concert, the The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso were again greeted with rapturous applause and a standing ovation. Over 35 choirs from many nations had, over three days, presented a 20 minute programme in the Cologne Philharmonie, but only the Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso received such a spontaneous and heart-felt ovation from the audience. The congress ended with an outdoor Mass at the Roncalliplatz on Sunday, July 18th at 10.00 a.m. which was broadcast live on Eurovision. Sinead Mercier, a member of Piccolo Lasso, read the second reading to an audience of 20 million. Roisin Kiberd, also a member of Piccolo Lasso read a prayer at the conclusion of the congress in Cologne Cathedral. Ite O'Donovan
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