Vienna Boys Choir to Perform in Spencer

(Photo submitted) The Vienna Boys Choir will appear in Spencer at the old Spencer High School Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 14.

The world-famous Vienna Boys Choir will appear in Spencer, as part of their Spring 2009 U.S. tour -- one of only two Iowa performances during this tour. (The other, in Iowa City, is sold out.) The concert, which will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Old High School Auditorium, is sure to warm the hearts of those fortunate enough to hear it on a cold Valentine's night. Martin Arthur, director of the Spencer Conert Association, called the opportunity to see this show a "once in a lifetime opportunity."

"It's a chance to be part of a historic event. Footage is going to be seen all over the state. They are probably one of the most beloved choirs in the world. One of the most famous. One of the oldest. "It's a great thing to take your valentine to. It's a great thing even if you don't have anybody to go with you because you'll be surrounded by people and great music."

All seats for the single performance are reserved. Arthur said that tickets can be purchased at Arts on Grand or by calling 262-4307. He cautioned concertgoers, "If they wait until they get to the box office, it' going to be pandemonium. I'd love to see the auditorium as full as it was for 'Buddy' the other night. It's a rare opportunity for us to have two major events like this take place in Spencer within a week of one another." The Spencer concert will feature the Schubertchor, named for the composer Franz Schubert (who, as a boy, was a member of the choir). They will be led by composer and conductor Andy Icochea Icochea, who has been the Schubertchor's choirmaster since 2005. In addition to their traditional fare, which combines classical, popular, and folk songs, their Spencer concert will include songs from the Vienna Boys Choir's first feature film in nearly half a century, Silk Road--Songs Along the Road and Time.

The Vienna Boys Choir presents timeless music with universal popular appeal. With its broad repertoire, a Vienna Boys Choir performance is never just a concert for classical aficionados or season ticket regulars. This is a musical event for music lovers of all ages and from all walks of life.

So how did Spencer land this world renowned performing group?

According to Arthur, director of the Spencer Concert Association, Marta Bernard, the former director at Arts on Grand was approached when she was still here in November 2007 on behalf of the Spencer Arts Council. Knowing that the Arts Council wouldn't normally be involved in a project like the Vienna Boys Choir, Barnard forwarded the e-mail to Arthur.Marta forwarded the e-mail to me, "I thought it's probably not even realistic bringing them here, but I didn't want to say no right away either," Arthur said. "I asked if they had contacted the Orpheum Theater (in Sioux City) or the Sami Bedell Center (in Spirit Lake) because I thought they would be more likely able to afford this.

"They said, 'No, we want to bring them to Spencer.' Well if they wanted to bring them to Spencer, I wanted to do what I could to make it happen."

He continued, "I knew that the Concert Association couldn't afford to do this on its own. I asked if they would be able to foot the bill for the down payment." In the mean time, those in charge of scheduling the show agreed to wait until Arthur could seek out some additional funding sources. On his list, the Clay County Community Foundation which came through with a $5,000 grant. That allowed for the show to be booked.

The announcement came on Valentine's Day in 2008, as the Foundation announced its grant awards prior to a scheduled Eggs & Issues session in Spencer City Council chambers. "There was a lot of commotion after the announcement was mad...Legislators were excited, everybody in the room seemed excited about it," Arthur remembered.

"It's quite a feather in our cap." Arthur said he is regularly asked why the Concert Association doesn't bring in acts that "they have heard of."

"With the budget, we have, we would barely be able to pay the fee for one concert. "The fact that they wanted to come to Spencer probably says something good about the community," said Arthur. No group of child musicians has won more renown than the incomparable Wiener Sängerknaben, founded by Emperor Maximilian I in 1498. Six centuries later, the famed Vienna Boys Choir continues to delight music lovers across the globe with their purity of tone, distinctive charm, and a diverse, crowd-pleasing repertoire that encompasses Austrian folk songs and waltzes, classical masterpieces, and medieval chant. Gifted musicians with voices of unforgettable beauty, they carry on the Vienna Boys Choir's illustrious tradition as the world's preeminent--and best-loved -- boys choir. Today, there are around 100 choristers between the ages of 10 and 14, divided into four touring choirs. The four choirs, each named for a composer, give around 300 concerts and performances each year, appearing before almost half a million people. Each group spends 9 to 11 weeks of the school year on tour, visiting virtually all European countries, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. The scheduled performance also caught the attention of Iowa Public Television. IPTV was in Spencer recently, taping a segment for a show about the statewide performing arts opportunity. The focus was on SCT Playhouse. Once the broadcast team arrived in Spencer, the focus expanded. "They learned about the fact that Vienna Boys Choir was coming. They were impressed by some of the things we're doing her in Spencer. They expanded the piece on Spencer to include plans for the old middle school auditorium renovation and the Vienna Boys Choir visit," Arthur said.

Spencer may now be a show itself, and IPTV is planning on bringing a crew back for the Vienna Boys Choir performance.

"They were intrigued how a little town in the middle of nowhere could bring in the Vienna Boys Choir," said Arthur, who pointed out the fact that Spencer is about 100-plus miles away from everything is part of the reason that the citizens work so hard to bring arts and culture here.

"It's a lot of grass roots things. They were really quite impressed I think with what is going on up here." As with the regular series concerts this season, free transportation is available for Spencer members who need it, thanks to the Regional Transit Authority (Rides) and Spencer Municipal Utilities. To arrange for transportation, phone 262-4307 by noon Friday, Feb. 13.

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INFO BOX

Adult tickets for the Vienna Boys Choir are priced at $20 for SACA season ticket holders, or $30 for the general public. Student tickets are priced at $10 and $15. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more. Tickets are available at Arts on Grand, 408 N. Grand Ave., Spencer, IA 51301. For more information or to make reservations, phone 262-4307.