Tenso CONNECT Interns

1st Day This was my first time in Ireland and my first encounter with Chamber Choir Ireland. I arrived in Dublin early in the morning on the day of rehearsal, so I was a little tired, but that did not stop me from absorbing every bit of information from the very first day. My mentor is Gabriel Crouch. Already on the first day, I realized how much I would be able to learn from him. During rehearsal breaks, we discussed the repertoire, and he asked me to conduct a few excerpts from it in front of him. Afterwards, he gave me extremely useful feedback on my conducting. I greatly enjoyed watching him work with Chamber Choir Ireland. He was very friendly, yet at the same time demanding. As we studied the scores together, I discovered that our musical perceptions were very similar, as we had independently made identical markings in our music. I am very much looking forward to tomorrow’s rehearsal.

2nd Day I have been reflecting a great deal on this week’s concert program, entitled “Forgotten Peoples.” The pieces are dedicated to people whose fate has been especially difficult—both to individuals, as in Michael Gordon’s cycle Anonymous Man, and to entire ethnic groups, such as the Finno-Ugric peoples in Veljo Tormis’s cycle “Forgotten Peoples.” Just a few days ago, Pope Francis passed away. One of the guiding principles of his ministry was to think and speak about precisely such people. I am truly glad that this concert program brings these issues to the fore. The day began with a rehearsal led by Gabriel. I watched and learned, trying to take note of all his instructions. During the break, I spoke with several singers about professional musical life in Ireland. After the break, I had the chance to work with the choir myself, which was a wonderful experience. I tried to help the choir with Tormis’s music, with which I am quite familiar. Gabriel allowed me to work and achieve the interpretation I desired without interfering in the process. After some time, he asked me to experiment with gesture and observe how the choir responded. We devoted the last few minutes specifically to the technical aspect of my gesture and how the choir reacted to it. After the rehearsal, Gabriel and I analysed my gestures, and he gave me very valuable advice on how to address my challenges.

3rd Day Today was a truly lovely day. The weather outside was sunny and warm, and the rehearsal process was very positive. Gabriel worked with the choir during the first part of the rehearsal, and things proceeded very smoothly. He allowed me to conclude the first part of the rehearsal with a piece from Tormis’s cycle. That was extremely positive for me—I achieved the desired effect and improved on my performance from the previous day. Afterwards, I received praise from Gabriel and the choir singers. Gabriel also let me close the afternoon session with another piece from the program, which I believe also went very well. Tonight is the Champions League semi-final, and some of the singers have invited me to join them at a pub to watch the match. I’ll try not to drink too much Guinness!

4th Day Today’s rehearsal took place in the National Concert Hall studio and was an open rehearsal, which anyone interested could attend. For most of the rehearsal, I sat behind the choir, observing Gabriel’s gestures and working style. Today was also my last time in front of the choir, as I worked for about fifteen minutes with Emma O’Halloran’s piece “gone,” which will be premiered at the concert. In the second half of the rehearsal, the composer herself arrived and was very pleased with the choir’s performance. Now, only a little remains until the concert.

5th Day Today is concert day. I decided not to touch the scores until the dress rehearsal and instead to explore the city. All the previous days had been so full that I had not yet seen anything of Dublin. During the day, there were rehearsals, and in the evenings, I prepared for the next day’s rehearsal as well as for my upcoming projects. I must extend my heartfelt thanks to David Darcy, who made sure that I had access to rehearsal rooms for practice after rehearsals. In the morning, I went for quite a long walk. I visited Trinity College, the castle, various churches, and the archaeology museum. Dublin is a beautiful city with a rich history. I would certainly like to return here. Afterwards came the dress rehearsal and the concert at Pepper Canister Church. The dress rehearsal was quite short—just one hour. The main goal was to clarify technical matters and ensure that all the singers felt comfortable. The concert sounded beautiful. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. I am truly happy to have had this experience, spending a week in Dublin with Chamber Choir Ireland. It has certainly broadened my professional horizons. I very much hope that one day I will be able to return to this choir! Thank you, Tenso and Chamber Choir Ireland!