The sound of angelic voices echoing through artistically and historically rich walls not only provides a privileged listening experience but also generates an extraordinary sense of well-being and shared musical wonder. This was certainly the case for the audience that filled the Palazzo Ducale di Mantova (Italy) on Wednesday afternoon to attend the concert by the ‘Copenhagen Girls Choir’—the youth girls’ choir of the Danish Royal Chapel and students from the Royal Danish Academy of Music—accompanied by the Concerto Copenhagen Ensemble.
Founded in 1973, the choir is composed of very young singers who begin intensive musical training from the third grade onward. The instrumental section was entrusted to Concerto Copenhagen, a youth orchestra specializing in Baroque music. Conducted with passionate involvement by Anne-Terese Sales, the talented Danish ensemble presented a program titled “Ospedali Grandi. The Daughters of Music, from Baroque Venice to the Present”—a refined blend of Italian Baroque masterpieces and contemporary music.
The concert opened with the majestic and intricate Gloria RV 589 by Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), historically performed in Venice at the Ospedale della Pietà—a former institution that cared for the poor and orphaned girls, and a forerunner of modern music conservatories. After a lively instrumental interlude featuring three pieces from the Ouverture des Nations anciens et modernes TWV 55 by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767), the choir’s vocal brilliance and expressive flexibility were again showcased in the interpretation of Adoramus te by Giovanni Battista Martini (1706–1784). The program concluded with the world premiere of A Mark in History, composed by Anne-Terese Sales and Christian Berg, with text by Mette Damm. Inspired by both the traditional Catholic Mass and the poetic Song of Songs, the piece flows through varied atmospheres and quotations, poetically expressing themes of friendship and shared values.
The performance was met with an extremely warm reception from an audience moved by the choir’s spontaneous enthusiasm, high level of preparation, and fresh approach. These young talents are sure to benefit from their ongoing tour across Germany, Italy, and Denmark, where they continue to shine.
