Join the global singers of Choir of the Earth from Monday 4 November 2024 to learn, sing, and record Mahler’s Eighth Symphony alongside our wonderful partners at the Bergen Philharmonic, taught by our marvellous Musical Director, Ben England.
Gustav Mahler composed his mighty Symphony No. 8 in 1906, and it was first performed on 12 September 1910 in Munich. Dubbed the “Symphony of a Thousand”, the piece calls for immense forces, including soloists, multiple choirs, and two orchestras. The symphony's two parts consist of a setting of Veni Creator Spiritus and the closing scene from Goethe’s Faust, celebrating themes of divine grace and redemption.
On 4 June 2024, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus gave an epic live performance of Mahler’s Eighth, in a performance that has received great acclaim from critics around the world and been nominated for awards. Using around 100 microphones placed throughout the Grieghallen concert hall, the performance was painstakingly recorded in the highest quality.
Working closely with Choir of the Earth, our partners in Bergen also captured individual choral parts through headset mics worn by 16 professional singers during the performance. These recordings will now form the foundation of our teaching resources for a truly extraordinary musical event, as we ask you to join hundreds of global singers to learn, sing, and record Mahler’s Eighth Symphony with Musical Director, Ben England.
At Choir of the Earth, we offer unparalleled resources and world-class teaching. Ben will guide you through Mahler’s complex choral lines with incredible detail and precision, using the latest techniques and technology developed over 4+ years of intensive online choral teaching.
From expertly prepared vocal learning tracks, to innovative tools that allow us to focus closely on the most difficult sections of a line you’ll benefit from the most in-depth and effective teaching of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony available anywhere.
From 4 November 2024, we will embark on this unique journey, using these live recordings to learn, sing, and record Mahler’s Eighth Symphony. Singers from around the world will add their voices to the performances of the 450 musicians involved in the original concert, creating something truly special that transcends space, time, and media.
Choir of the Earth's singers will retrospectively join the chorus, enhancing the original performance with our international voices, blending the grandeur of the live concert with the richness of a global choral community.
This course will begin on 4 November 2024 and end on 16 January 2025, with a Christmas break between 20 December - 5 January inclusive.
Become a Choir of the Earth member to take part in this one-of-a-kind choral experience and be a part of history.