Over the centuries, the choir has worked with many composers including Mozart, Caldara, Salieri, Heinrich Isaac, Hofhaimer, Biber, Fux, Gluck, and Bruckner.
History
The choir is the modern-day descendant of the boys' choirs from the Viennese Court, dating back to the late Middle Ages. The choir was, for practical purposes, established by a letter written by Maximilian I of Habsburg on 7 July 1498. In the letter the Emperor instructed court officials to employ a singing master, two basses and six boys. Jurij Slatkonja became the director of the ensemble.
The role of the choir (numbering between fourteen and twenty) was to provide musical accompaniment to the church mass. The boys received a solid musical education, which in most cases had a significant impact on the rest of their lives, as many went on to become professional musicians. The composers Jacobus Gallus, Franz Schubert, and the conductors Hans Richter, Felix Mottl and Clemens Krauss were members of the choir. The Haydn brothers were members of the St. Stephen's Cathedral choir, directed at the time by Georg Reutter II who used this choir in his duties for the imperial court which at the time had no boy choristers of its own.
In 1920 the Hofkapelle (court musicians) was disbanded. However, the rector at the time, Josef Schnitt, sought a continuation of the tradition. In 1924 the "Vienna Boys' Choir" was officially founded and has evolved into a professional music group. Since 1948 the Palais Augarten has served as their rehearsal venue and boarding school which goes from kindergarten level up to middle school level. The choir adopted its now-famous blue and white sailor suits, replacing the imperial military cadet uniforms that included a dagger. The composer HK Gruber is one of the graduates of the reformed choir.
The choir is a private, not-for-profit organization. There are approximately 100 choristers between the ages of ten and fourteen. The boys are divided into four touring choirs, named for Bruckner, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert, which perform about 300 concerts each year in front of almost 500,000 people. Each group tours for about nine to eleven weeks.
After Dr. Eugen Jesser died in May 2008, Walter Nettig became the choir's president and Franz Schlosser its director. Gerald Wirth became the choir's artistic director in 2001.
Since the turn of the 21st century, the choir has come under pressure to modernise and has faced criticism of their musical standards leading to a split with the Vienna State Opera. The choir has for the first time had to advertise for recruits after a rival choir school was established by Ioan Holender, director of the opera company. He complained of both falling standards and of poor communication with the choir. He said that the State Opera sometimes trained boys for particular stage roles only to find out on the day of performance that they were unavailable as they had gone on tour with the choir. Some boys were attracted to the rival choir school by the prospect of a more relaxed atmosphere and of performance fees being paid directly to them.[4] The Vienna Boys Choir has sought to update its image, recording pop music selections and adopting an alternative uniform to the sailor suits used since the 1920s, allowing the boys to dance as they sing.
Selected discography
Christmas
* Wiener Sängerknaben Goes Christmas (2003)
* Frohe Weihnacht (Merry Christmas) (1999)
* Christmas in Vienna / Heiligste Nacht (1990)
* The Little Drummer Boy (1990)
* Merry Christmas from the Vienna Choir Boys (1982)
* Christmas with the Vienna Choir Boys (with Hermann Prey)
* Christmas with the Vienna Boys' Choir, London Symphony Orchestra (1990)
* Weihnacht mit den Wiener Sängerknaben (Gillesberger 1980)
* Die Wiener Sängerknaben und ihre Schönsten ... (1967)
* Frohe Weihnacht (1960)
* Christmas Angels (RCA Gold Seal)
Pop music
* I Am from Austria (2006)
* Wiener Sängerknaben Goes Pop (2002)
Other recordings
* Orff: Carmina Burana (with Andre Previn and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) (1994)
Deck The Halls
Vienna Boys' Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol,
See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
While I tell of Yule tide treasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
The lyrics to Vienna Boys' Choir's song "Deck The Halls" is a classic Christmas carol that manages to capture the spirit of the season in a joyful and celebratory manner. The first two lines encourage the listener to decorate with green boughs of the holly plant, which is commonly associated with Christmas festivities. The following lines speak to the essence of the season, which is to find joy in the company of loved ones and to carry merriment in our hearts. The song uses repetition, with the "Fa la la la la" refrain, to create a playful and inviting atmosphere, like an invitation to join in on the fun.
The middle verses encourage festivity and describe the custom of donning colorful clothing, as well as singing and playing music for the occasion. The carol says to "troll the ancient Yule tide," which harks back to historical celebrations of the winter solstice. The image of the Yule log, a large piece of wood traditionally burned in homes during the winter, is also woven into the song. Finally, the song acknowledges that the passing of the old year, making way for the new, is an occasion for reflection and celebration. The song ends with a resounding message of joy and togetherness.
Line by Line Meaning
Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Let's decorate the halls with beautiful holly.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Singing joyful carols and spreading holiday cheer.
Tis the season to be jolly,
It's the time of year to be happy and celebrate the holidays.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Let's wear festive and colorful clothing.
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol,
Continue the age-old tradition of singing Yuletide carols.
See the blazing Yule before us,
Look at the roaring Yule fire ahead of us.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Play the harp and sing along with everyone else.
Follow me in merry measure,
Come along and enjoy the festive mood.
While I tell of Yule tide treasure,
I will share stories of the Yuletide magic.
Fast away the old year passes,
The year is ending quickly.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Let's welcome the new year with open arms.
Sing we joyous all together,
Let's all join in and sing joyfully together.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Let's not worry about the chilly winter weather, and just enjoy the holiday spirit.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Al Stillman, Robert Allen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind