Thirty years of excellence

The quality of the work done for the next generation of musicians can be seen both in the public schools, music schools and youth ensembles that form the base of the pyramid, and in the results achieved by the top ensembles, which bring together what must be called the elite of today's young generation, representing the top of the pyramid.

Thirty years after its foundation, the Swiss Youth Choir has recorded a monumental selection of three sacred a cappella works by Swiss composers of the 20th century.^ème century, and demonstrates that work at the top is assured. Its impressive quality under the direction of conductor Nicolas Fink offers not only the pleasure of listening, but also the joy of optimism about the future of state-of-the-art choral singing.

The choir's vocal substance is flawless: young, supple voices, technically highly advanced without being overworked, are ideal for merging and remaining homogeneous even in virtuoso or delicate moments; they thus retain a natural quality that costs professional choirs a lot of work. Nicolas Fink is an ideal guide to help young musicians realize their enormous potential, thanks to his broad international experience and technical sovereignty; it's fortunate that he's willing to put his talent at the service of the next generation.

Surrounded by Willy Burkhardt (whose Kleiner Psalter is "small" in name only) and by Frank Martin with his Mass for double choirwe discover an excellent new work by Cyrill Schürch, Psalm 19 Heaven in every place. This is not the first collaboration between composer and choir, and from the outset we notice a shared desire to exploit all the possibilities of this exceptional ensemble, and to push back its technical limits even further: the tessituras of all the voices are extreme, the harmonies and rhythms are complex, and the composition follows the expression of the text in its slightest nuances.

This ensemble deserves our unreserved congratulations on its thirtieth anniversary, and our best wishes for a bright and fruitful future.

Mass for double choir. A cappella works by Frank Martin, Willy Burkhard and Cyrill Schürch. Swiss Youth Choir. Zytglogge