photo gallery - travels
Spring 2005 NHMC trip to Vietnam
In spring of 2005, Dan Perkins conducted three performances with the orchestra and chorus of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet and members of the Chorale. The concerts were part of the 30-year celebration of the end of the war in Vietnam, and took place in Hanoi and Halong Bay.
Perkins traveled to Hanoi at the invitation of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet and worked for three weeks rehearsing the combined ensembles in works by Brahms, Puccini, Vaughan Williams, Holst, and Mendelssohn. In addition, Perkins worked with a 60-voice Vietnam Children’s Choir, teaching them two American folksongs. Members of Perkins’ New Hampshire Master Chorale stayed in the homes of Vietnamese choir members, rehearsed daily with the orchestra and choir, shared meals with the musicians, and enjoyed the lush tropical climate of Vietnam. (Click here to see some of their pictures from the trip!) The rehearsal process and concerts were publicized generously in the press, and a television documentary on the project is being created.
According to Perkins, “the goodwill and understanding that came as a result of this musical collaboration matches the mission of the NH Master Chorale.” The 24-voice ensemble was established two years ago to provide an extraordinary level of choral music to the state of New Hampshire. Outreach and collaboration with other excellent ensembles is a primary goal of the organization, and “this first international collaboration is a good example of what differentiates the Master Chorale from other performing groups,” says Deborah Leonard Kosits, President of the NHMC Board.
Plans are already underway for a return trip to Vietnam, since Perkins has been named Principal Guest Conductor of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet. Bringing the experience of Vietnam back to New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Master Chorale performed several Vietnamese folksongs in their fall 2005 concert series.
Arrival, settling in, and a little sightseeing. . .
 
  
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