• CHOIR The choir is composed by 20/25 voices accompanied by a

• CHOIR
The choir is composed by 20/25 voices accompanied by a drummer voice (beat boxer).
The duration of the concert could last from 1 to 1:30 hour and can be divided into 2 parts:
The first part consists of songs taken from the repertoire (prog rock and world choral music)
and the second part in which we work around improvisation including elaborated ways to involve
the public. The mixture of the repertoire allows to adapt the concert depending on the indications: it
could be focused on prog rock, or world music or again on experimental music.
• REQUIREMENTS
Given the repertoire and the use of voices churches with great reverb or gyms are not
recommended. Best chose are auditoriums, theaters or multipurpose rooms with a fairly dry
acoustic, or churches / chapels with a maximum capacity of around 300 seats. It helps to have two
rooms for changing clothes (male / female) with toilet. 6 bottles of not sparkling water with glasses.
• AUDIO / AMPLIFICATION
We propose three structures:
1. AMPLIFIED: supply and installation of all is needed to grant a great sound under the
supervision of our trusted technician (microphones, monitor, etc for the stage and speakers for the
room). This structure is also recommended for outdoor locations, large rooms or problematic
acoustics.
2. DEMI AMPLIFIED: where the acoustics allows the choir to sing in acoustic, aided only by a
small amplifier (300watt) used for the drummer voice (beat boxer), the solo parts and other special
vocal effects.
3. ACOUSTIC: Subject to prior inspection to verify the acoustics. Without beat boxer.
• LIGHTS
Where possible we furnish a concert program with lights planning. In any case the choir repertoire
could be effective using color games lights . Neon lights should be avoided. Our service does not
provide the lights.
• SPACE STAGE
Minimum 5.50 meters wide and 3 meters deep, we bring some portable platforms.
• STAGE SET-UP, SOUND CHECK AND REHERSAL (with AMPLIFIED setting)
Set-up and sound check 2 hours / 2,30 hours. Dismantling 1 hour.
A repertoire of various genres, with no rules and patterns
Joyful and captivating improvisations will take you to surprising
musical environments
The idea for the Ancore d'Aria choir comes from Oskar Boldre's vocal workshop
experience, from which he has developed a personal project of composition, adaptation
and improvisation for a cappella choir.
Above and beyond any boundaries of music, or language or nation, Ancore d'Aria captures
the audience and takes it far away to new sound atmospheres, leading listeners into hectic
tribal rhythms, mystic harmonies and astonishing imitations of musical instruments.
The unceasing metamorphosis of musical environments takes one on a journey up to a
final improvisation, where the audience becomes unconsciously part of a spontaneous
vocal game which breaks down the barriers between performers and listeners.
Oskar Boldre : direction, arrangements and overtones
BASS
Fabio Maccioni, Giovanni Dighera, Tommaso Correale Santacroce
TENOR
Corrado Primier, Domenico Vena, Lapo Attardo, Walter Grandi
ALTO
Francesca Bertucci, Flavia Chiacchella, Gabriella de Mango, Giulia Polifroni, Gloria
Frappietri, Laura Albertini, Liz Carlson, Tatiana Barone
SOPRANO
Clara Tadini, Deborah Seccafieno, Eleonora Aliverti, Giulia Faggioni, Helen Ibry, Luisella
d’Agostini, Rosaria Indelicato, Valentina Gallotti
Marco Sambataro : vocal percussions
Massimo Carozzi: sound engineer
•
A Brief History
Ancore d'Aria’s project, conceived by Oskar Boldre, starts in 1997 as a polyphonic choir and vocal
research workshop. It’s currently operating in the Insubric Region (an area situated in between
Lombardy- Italy- and Canton Ticino- Switzerland) while its main location is in Milan-Italy.
The choir has taken part in various concerts, festivals and vocal contests in Italy, Switzerland,
France and Germany.
Ancore d'Aria was awarded second prize in the following international vocal contests: 2001
Caronno Pertusella-MI “New frontiers of Vocal Polyphony”, 2002 TIM European contest; 2010
Varese “Sole Voci”, achieving special acknowledgements for its originality and innovation.
Ancore d'Aria counts various Cds in various vocal ensembles: 1999 “Ancore d'Aria live” RSILugano CH as a choral ensemble with ethnic percussions, 2002 “TeTe Timbe” in quintet, 2004
“Quadruple Live” in septet, 2005 “Acoustic Coro” in choral group with ethnic percussions, and in
2009 “Teptalidum” in choral ensemble.
•
The Voices
Ancore d'Aria is currently composed by 25 Italian and Swiss singers, selected by Oskar Boldre,
many of whom are working with music.
Let’s say that it is not so easy to find singers like these, able to venture beyond traditional and well
known musical genres and vocal styles.
The choir is accompanied by the beat boxer Marco Sambataro, who adds colors and supports the
vocal interactions.
•
The Repertoire
Ancore d'aria breaks rules and patterns, travels and searches for musical genres through any
possible frontier. Oskar Boldre’s musical arrangements increase the qualities of the choir in terms
of stylistic and timbre flexibility. Many songs don't use real words but a special language which
goes beyond speech, an idiom made of vocal colors coming from a strong, primordial kind of
sounds seeming much more ancient than language itself. Thanks to this artistic and vocal training,
Oskar Boldre and his vocal orchestra emotionally involve the audience and take it beyond
predefined styles and musical boundaries. Within Ancore's vast repertoire, we can identify two
different musical streams which lead to two different concert playlists:
PROG ROCK: unusual reinterpretations of songs by Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Quintorigo, as
well as songs composed by Oskar Boldre.
WORLD CHORAL MUSIC: innovative reinterpretations of songs by Manu Dibango, Zap Mama,
Tamia, Bobby McFerrin, Jan Garbarek, David Torn, Arto Tuncboyacian as well as songs composed
by Oskar Boldre.
• Improvisations
Ancore d’Aria concerts combine repertoire songs with improvisations. Both Oskar Boldre
and Ancore d’Aria are extremely grateful to the immense work done by Bobby McFerrin
and his choir Voicestra. The form of improvisation they brought to light, called
"Circlesongs", is the expression of the most ancient state that could exist in man and his
natural need to gather around a fire to tell and share stories. For over ten years Oskar
Boldre is in constant contact with some of the founding members of the Voicestra
(Rhiannon, Joey Blake, David Worm: WeBe3) and got to know closer and closer this art of
conducting vocal improvisations. With Ancore d’Aria Oskar Boldre has then further
developed some techniques and possible connections that could be produced within a
Circlesong: an articulate use of gestures combined with the great harmony of the group
allows to "take off" creating amazing improvisations and dynamics with contrasts and
different habitats involving the public in several sophisticated ways. Ancore d’Aria decided
not to record any impro on cd because to really appreciate and fully understand them it is
necessary to actively participate in the concerts.
•
Oskar Boldre
He is an eclectic composer and an atypical director. His artistic / professional career is
unusual and certainly not academic. Self-taught, he approached music in 1984 as a guitar
player and singer in progressive rock bands in Milan.
He then goes through free / folk and afro / jazz experiences, also as percussionist. In the
five years he spent as a farmer in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines he discovers, in the
silence of the chestnut woods, the power of the voice as an instrument. In 1995 he began
to work on vocal polyphony thanks to the school of folk music of Forlimpopoli (Forlì). In
1997 he founded the choir Goccia di Voci, still fervently active. Since 2004 he has been
the artistic director of the International Festival " Voci audaci " Locarno-Ch, promoted by
the association “osa!” www.organicoscenaartistica.ch. Oskar Boldre is a vocalist active
both in solo projects and in duo with bass clarinetist Simone Mauri and with saxophonist
and singer Thomas Achermann, he keeps going deeper in experimental techniques of
voice emission such as overtones singing, vocal percussion, inhaled overtones.... Since
2000 he has taught vocal improvisation having also written a method of improvisation,
"GiocandoLaVoce", in 2009. www.oskarboldre.com