PICCFEST
Encyclopedia
The Pacific International Children's Choir Festival (PICCFEST) takes place each year in Eugene, Oregon
, United States
, in conjunction with the long-established Oregon Bach Festival
.
It is a week-long event, established in 1998 and regarded as one of the top treble choir festivals in North America. The festival's founder and Artistic Director is Peter Robb, a composer and arranger of choral music who also founded the Oregon Festival Choirs to serve as hosts for the festival.
The festival itself is non-competitive, but each year six or more choirs are admitted through an audition process that takes into account the choir's history, repertoire, and recordings. Since inception, more than ninety choirs from 30 states and provinces in the United States, Canada, Australia and Taiwan were selected and participated.
Choirs and their chaperones are housed on the University of Oregon
campus.
The collaboration between PICCFEST and the Oregon Bach Festival usually results in a performance by the PICCFEST Chorus at the opening ceremonies of the Oregon Bach Festival. In 2008, with the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials running concurrently with the festivals, the opening ceremonies performance took place on the performance venue at track's legendary Hayward Field
. In 2011, the Oregon Bach Festival had no official opening ceremony, and the entire PICCFEST chorus performed a free On-The-House concert.
PICCFEST presents one of the Oregon Bach Festival's On-The-House concerts in the Hult Center lobby. This concert may present one or two of the visiting choirs or the entire festival choir, as in 2011. Attending choirs also perform individually at various local churches on the Sunday of the Festival. The final festival event is a Gala Concert performed by the festival chorus as part of the OBF Kids concert series.
(2008, 2005), Lynne Gackle (2010), and Henry Leck
(2006). Bob Chilcott and Henry Leck are scheduled to repeat as guest conductors for 2012 and 2013.
The repertoire of the festival chorus reflects a theme selected for each year, except for 2010, which didn't have an official theme:
1998 - Our Voices Raised in Song
1999 - Color the World with a Song
2000 - Listen to the Future
2001 - Roads to the Heart
2002 - The World is Full of Poetry
2003 - Dreams of Peace
2004 - Imagine
2005 - Walk • Dance • Talk • Sing
2006 - Untraveled Worlds
2007 - Celebrate! The Tenth Anniversary
2008 - I Dream A World
2009 - Rediscovering the Americas: The Music of Two Continents
2011 - Wild About Singing
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in conjunction with the long-established Oregon Bach Festival
Oregon Bach Festival
The Oregon Bach Festival is an annual celebration of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and his musical legacy, held in Eugene, Oregon, United States, in late June and early July. The artistic director is German organist and conductor Helmuth Rilling and the Executive Director is John Evans,...
.
It is a week-long event, established in 1998 and regarded as one of the top treble choir festivals in North America. The festival's founder and Artistic Director is Peter Robb, a composer and arranger of choral music who also founded the Oregon Festival Choirs to serve as hosts for the festival.
The festival itself is non-competitive, but each year six or more choirs are admitted through an audition process that takes into account the choir's history, repertoire, and recordings. Since inception, more than ninety choirs from 30 states and provinces in the United States, Canada, Australia and Taiwan were selected and participated.
Choirs and their chaperones are housed on the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
campus.
The collaboration between PICCFEST and the Oregon Bach Festival usually results in a performance by the PICCFEST Chorus at the opening ceremonies of the Oregon Bach Festival. In 2008, with the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials running concurrently with the festivals, the opening ceremonies performance took place on the performance venue at track's legendary Hayward Field
Hayward Field
Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, is one of the best-known historic track and field stadiums in the United States. Nearly a century in age, it was the home of the University of Oregon's football team from 1919 through 1966, and has been the home to the Ducks' track and field teams since 1921...
. In 2011, the Oregon Bach Festival had no official opening ceremony, and the entire PICCFEST chorus performed a free On-The-House concert.
PICCFEST presents one of the Oregon Bach Festival's On-The-House concerts in the Hult Center lobby. This concert may present one or two of the visiting choirs or the entire festival choir, as in 2011. Attending choirs also perform individually at various local churches on the Sunday of the Festival. The final festival event is a Gala Concert performed by the festival chorus as part of the OBF Kids concert series.
Conductors and themes
Each year PICCFEST features a guest conductor of international stature. Recent guest conductors have included Sandra Snow (2009, 2007, 2011), Bob ChilcottBob Chilcott
Robert "Bob" Chilcott is a British choral composer, conductor, and singer, based in Oxford, England.Born in Plymouth, Chilcott sang in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, both as a boy and as a university student. He performed the Pie Jesu of Fauré's Requiem on the 1967 recording. In 1985 he...
(2008, 2005), Lynne Gackle (2010), and Henry Leck
Henry Leck
Henry Leck is the founder and artistic director of the Indianapolis Children's Choir and the Indianapolis Youth Chorale, and a choral clinician and specialist in voice change in boys....
(2006). Bob Chilcott and Henry Leck are scheduled to repeat as guest conductors for 2012 and 2013.
The repertoire of the festival chorus reflects a theme selected for each year, except for 2010, which didn't have an official theme:
1998 - Our Voices Raised in Song
1999 - Color the World with a Song
2000 - Listen to the Future
2001 - Roads to the Heart
2002 - The World is Full of Poetry
2003 - Dreams of Peace
2004 - Imagine
2005 - Walk • Dance • Talk • Sing
2006 - Untraveled Worlds
2007 - Celebrate! The Tenth Anniversary
2008 - I Dream A World
2009 - Rediscovering the Americas: The Music of Two Continents
2011 - Wild About Singing