Chameleons vocal ensemble
| Chameleons vocal ensemble | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Seat: |
 St. Leonhard am Forst
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| Founding: | 1984 |
| Genus: | mixed choir |
| Head : | Franz "Dschi Dsche-i" Hörmann |
| Voices : | (SATB) |
| Website : | http://www.chameleons.at |
The Chameleons Vocal Ensemble is a mixed choir and comes from St. Leonhard am Forst in Lower Austria . The ensemble as a club comprises 23 active singers, 21 extraordinary members and 4 honorary members.
history
In 1984 the vocal ensemble was still called "The Youth Choir from St. Leonhard am Forst" and worked and sang under the care of the Catholic youth. The choir members often called themselves "Dschi Dsche-i and the Wishers" - so to speak, freely after the nickname of the choir director and founding member Franz "Dschi Dsche-i" Hörmann.
At that time, the songs of the youth choir from St. Leonhard am Forst were not only interpreted in a church choir, but also geared to a larger extent for private and public celebrations and concerts, although the focus of the performances was still in the church environment, such as at masses, weddings and baptisms as well as were found in community life.
The youth choir decided in 1990 to go its own way and founded its own association. Until 1994 the ensemble around Franz "Dschi Dsche-i" Hörmann called itself "The youth choir of St. Leonhard am Forst". At that time the treasure trove of songs ranged from rhythmic masses, popular music , jazz to rock; from gospel and spirituals to traditional folk music; from Gstanzln to hit parade; from German-language songs to international multilingual interpretations.
This repertoire led to the name change. The name “Chameleons” was intended to unite the urge for independence and musical flexibility on the one hand and - with the word 'leon' included in this name - to unite the geographic roots of the choir from its home parish of St. Leon'hard am Forst the spelling with two “e” autos in the word “chameleon” in contrast to the animal “chameleon” - which, by the way, has been the figurative trademark and mascot of the vocal ensemble since 1994. Since then, the abbreviation "The Chameleons" has also been used for the "Chameleons Vocal Ensemble"
The Chameleons have been invited to concerts in Hungary, Poland, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Bulgaria and Belgium. With performances and concerts at St. Stephen's Cathedral , Melk Abbey , Göttweig , Seitenstetten , Lilienfeld , Herzogenburg Abbey and St. Pölten Cathedral they performed on stages from the church environment, the roots have never left the Chameleons despite autonomy. In addition to the church mass arrangements and their own concerts, there were also supporting programs for Christmas and Advent markets such as a. in the Palais Niederösterreich - Altes Landhaus Niederösterreich in Vienna, organizes community, club and company celebrations, as well as weddings, anniversaries, funerals and baptisms with singing.
Every year the Chameleons Vocal Ensemble reaches around 8,000 to 10,000 listeners at stage appearances, concerts and recitals through their concert and singing activities.
management
musical direction
Franz Hörmann has been responsible for the vocal and musical direction of the choir since it was founded in 1984. He also composes and arranges his own songs with the Chameleons vocal ensemble. Choir director Hörmann is a music school teacher and successfully passed the teaching qualification test at the Franz Schubert Conservatory in Vienna in June 2010 and is therefore also an instrumental and vocal teacher for jazz singing, composition and arrangement.
Organizational management
Martin Neuhauser (chairman 1990–2000) Eveline Halmer (chairwoman 2000–2009) Heidemarie Zeilinger (chairwoman since 2009)
All mentioned organizational members of the board are also active singers of the ensemble.
Concert series Churchtour and Chameleons On Tour 2009–2016
The concert series "Church Tour 2009/10" took place over a year. Sunday masses were organized in the parish churches of the Mostviertel and Lower Austria, followed by a short concert in the churches. The “Church Tour” took the ensemble to Ybbs an der Donau, Loosdorf, the St. Pölten hospital chapel, Kirchberg an der Pielach, Kilb, Purgstall, Oberndorf an der Melk, Wieselburg and Weinburg. The church tour was later expanded to become a “monastery and monastery tour” and led the Chameleons to singing in the Göttweig, Seitenstetten, Herzogenburg and Lilienfeld monasteries. The songs rehearsed for this concert series were published on the CD “Church Tour 09” of the same name. Another CD "Churchtour 14" followed and concerts in the Burgarea Reinsberg in September 2016 as well as two sold out concerts in the Melk joinery in November 2016. The 2nd Christmas CD "X-Mas 2 - Merry Christmas" will also be released in 2016
In autumn 2016 they took part in the ORF show The great opportunity for choirs .
Promotion of young talent
Between 2000 and 2007 the Chameleons Vocal Ensemble organized the “Newcomer Festival” for young musicians and bands. The “Newcomer Festival” event for young people has grown since it was first held in 2000 and has become known across Europe beyond the regional borders of Lower Austria. At the last event of the “Newcomer Festival” in 2007, over 330 bands and musicians from Italy, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Belgium, Hungary, Holland and Switzerland applied with over 580 music titles. The winners of the event received studio productions and live performances at other major Austrian musical events.
The jury of the “Newcomer Festival” was made up of prominent figures from the Austrian music scene, including Thomas Rabitsch , Walter Grassmann, Luzia Nistler , Andy Baum , Peter Legat , Reinhard Theiser, Rens Newland , Ludwig “Wickerl” Adam , Richard Oesterreicher , Erwin Bros, Ines Reiger , Richard Hörmann and Rene Voak.
In addition to the “Newcomer Festival in St. Leonhard am Forst”, the Chameleons Vocal Ensemble gives up-and-coming talents, up-and-coming bands and young singers as well as young performers from music schools the opportunity to be included in the Chameleons' musical supporting program. These appearances are announced in advance under the name “Chameleons & Friends”. Since 2016 they have also been involved in the charity event at the Schallaburg "The Good Strings of Life", the net proceeds of which go to charitable institutions in the Melk district and the surrounding area.
Discography
- Merry Xmas - Merry Christmas (2008), GESA Musikproduktion, CD40263, 2008 EAN 9008798159079
- Churchtour 09 , GESA Musikproduktion, CD40266, 2009 EAN 9008798159116
- Churchtour 14 , Hörmann Records AT-F46 EAN 9008798159130
- X-Mas 2 Merry Christmas (2016) , Hörmann Records AT-F46 EAN 9008798159086
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ NÖN: Chameleons at the Chance of Choirs . Article dated October 28, 2016, accessed November 27, 2016.