End of Season... Is it?

Rezonans in Varna

I know that it has been a very long break!
But after all that ı've been through, I needed this pause. I needed to stop, to think and digest all that I have seen, lived and felt.
This season, this winter, spring and summer has been a fantastic time in my life. I've learned so much, grown even stronger and learned to deal with my shorthcomings as a new chorist. But the path is a long one if I am determined to stay on this course. Time will tell!

Varna Competition!
Such a great experience! A good way to test yourself on international arena. To get to know yourself better under the spotlights. And better than anything else, getting in touch with other choirs, with other traditions, with other systems.
What I've learned from this competition is hard work always pays off and amateur doesn't mean un-professional!

My friends Eren and Arda are on stage waving our flag

Rezonans Mixed Choir is on stage

I watched with great admiration two choirs from Philippines, Imusicapella Chamber Choir and The Philippines Meistersingers!

They were absolutely great, they won great prizes and I thought they absolutely deserved all prizes.


Later on, I started to read about them and found out that they sing all over Europe, in festivals, in cultural weeks etc. And not only Europe! USA, Washington DC, Kennedy Center! I wouldn't call them amatuers at all! And hey! What's the definition of amateur anyway? But still, I am happy that they were there so I, once again, realized that performing music is an amazing adventure and it can take you anywhere!

Our young and very talented maestro, Burak Onur Erdem, received a special prize. It has a long name so I'll do copy/paste:

Special prize awarded by the Bulgarian choral union for choir with brightest creative achievement of the Competition

We had our won bus thanks to our sponsor, FEST TRAVEL

After Varna, we came back to out own territory and the next weekend we sang in İzmir, at the Mozart Academy Choirs Festival to close our season. It was another delightful experience.

On our way to İzmir

At the back of our bus in İzmir, thanking our sponsor Fest Travel

And as the title for this post I wrote ''End of Season'' but I don't think that it will be a long break because fist of all, next weekend we have our general assembly to discuss about this year and about the future plans...

At the end of July, we'll go to Talinn for Europa Cantat Festival.

And our maestro said that the rehearsals are going to start at the second half of September... So surely it's not the end of anything, it's just a little break! For which I am very happy anyway!

See you soon!

Next Two Days

Today I have been thinking a lot:
What a wonderful winter and spring was this year!
Winter was a ''full time preparation'' period whereas spring has been and still is a time for sharing what we've prepared. What a joy! And an even better summer is just around the corner... With EUROPA CANTAT, the biggest choral event of Europe.

And this weekend:
Tomorrow: SANSEV International Choirs Festival. We're on stage!

After tomorrow (Sunday): Open Rehearsal... We'll host our audience in the very place where we regularly perform our rehearsals. In Istanbul Technical University's Maçka building is the center for advanced studies in music. On top floor there is Usmanbaş Hall which takes its name from İlhan Usmanbaş, one of the leading composers of our music history. And there, in that hall, we are going to perform our rehearsal, in front of an audience, interested in attending this interesting experience. I love attending rehearsals of especially orchestras.  I did it many times! It's very interesting... When I was in high school, I used to skip school and go to the rehearsal of Istanbul State Orchestra. Since then, I did this in different orchestras as well... Such as New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Symphonic Orchestra... It's such a wonderful experience... Of course I have NEVER attended ANY choir rehearsal as a listener... I think there are many affinities between the two...Choirs and orchestras...

News from my progress:
I think I memorized Zvedvi of Emil Tabakov. I think! Not sure yet... I keep forgetting some syllables in the middle part of the song. It's like a tongue twister, I swear!

6th SANSEV Istanbul Polyphonic Choirs Festival

Things are moving fast!

We are almost ready for the next adventure, 6th SANSEV Polyphonic Choirs Festival, which is going to take place in TÜRKAN SAYLAN CULTURAL CENTER, in Maltepe, next week. This is an important event for our choral world here in Turkey. Many choirs from different cities and backgrounds come on stage and sing in front of a significant audience. And sometimes this is the first ''on stage'' experience for some of them. I strongly think that, the mission of the festivals, is to give the opportunity to those new/young/amateur choirs to step on stage and sing with an audience. Because singing on stage is a whole new dimension, a way of testing yourself and your abilities, to get to know yourself better and eventually overcome your shortcomings.

If you want to learn more about the festival, here is the link:
https://sansevfest.com/istkorofest-en/


Mrs. Nursel Öncül, SANSEV Association President says:
We are joyfull, excited, hopeful and proud to carry the 6th SANSEV Istanbul Polyphonic Chorus Festival that we are organizing to an international dimension.

So I extend my congratulations and appreciation to her and to the committee...

Next weekend, we will be on stage, on Saturday 5th, at 19.45...

Our maestro is thinking about an open rehearsal on Sunday too. I'll post here when things are fixed.

Bye for now...