Singing in front of a packed-out crowd at one of the most revered concert venues in the world, may seem like a pipe dream for many groups and choirs on the island.

However, that is exactly what one Manx choral group will be doing early in the new year.

The Isle of Man Choral Society have been chosen to sing at the premier of a new piece of classical music by the composer Sir Karl Jenkins at Carnegie Hall, in New York in January.

The director of the choir, Julian Power, revealed that members of the 150-strong choir will travel to New York for two days of rehearsals, followed by a performance on January 15 at the legendary music hall.

’It is astonishing,’ said Julian. ’We were invited by a group called Distinguished Concerts International to come and sing at the Carnegie Hall in January.

’The concert will be in two half. The first half will be a performance of Sir Karl Jenkins’ piece ’The Armed Man’, and the second half is the world premier of a new work by him. Our choir was selected to do the new work.

The choir will be working with a world-class professional orchestra and soloist, under the baton of conductor Jonathan Griffith.

’Unfortunately not all of my 150 members could come to New York,’ said Julian.

’We are only taking 50 members, and so our choir has had to be supplemented by other choirs for the new work.

’We will have members coming from Hawaii, from other parts of the States, and from Ireland to sing with us. Sir Karl Jenkins will also be there too.

’We are looking forward to the Carnegie Hall. It is the equivalent of the Albert Hall in New York, and a very special place to go and sing, especially for the many members of the society who have never been in there before.

’The members are very excited about going. Of course, January in new York is not a very popular time to be going. It is freezing cold there at that time.

’It is a brand new work which Sir Karl had finished writing just a few weeks before our first rehearsals. The music is all newly published, and I can’t let anyone see it, as it is very confidential.

’But it is for choir, a most interesting combination of instruments in the orchestra and it will be very exciting to listen to.

’Being a brand new work, there are no recordings of it to listen to and to say ’that’s what we have to emulate’.

’We will be making the first recording of it, right there in Carnegie Hall, so this will become the definitive recording of this particular work,’ he said.

Julian believes that the invitation to sing at Carnegie Hall is well-deserved, and that the island has generated a reputation for the quality of the performers that the island produces.

’The Isle of Man is a well-known jurisdiction these days and there is always plenty of interest in the Isle of Man,’ he said.

’The professionalism of the shows on the island today is quite astonishing, and they really are excellent.

’Certainly, when I go away to the association of British Choral Directors, they are always amazed that, from a small population of 80,000, that we have a choir of 150. And not just one choir, but there are many fabulous choirs and many excellent chorale societies in the Isle of Man. We just happen to be the largest.

The Isle of Man Choral Society was formed in 1978 by the late Alan Pickard, the former head of music on the island. Julian took over conducting the choir in 2007, something he calls ’a great privilege’.

’Alan had great ambitions and took the choir and the youth choir on many foreign trips,’ said Julian.

’They sang in many different places, like the Liverpool Cathedral, and this is really is a continuation of that. But I don’t think he ever envisaged that we would ever reach the scale of the Carnegie Hall.’

by Mike Wade

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