An Austrian Christmas in Lisbon

We want to bring the two greatest composers of the classical period to you in four magnificent concerts, and we need the help of all lovers of choral and symphonic music to make Christmas 2024 even more beautiful.

Do you know that moment when, close to Christmas, you enter a church in Lisbon, and the music brings you the beauty and support of a time of communion?

It's us - the Choir of Friends of the National Conservatory (CACN) - singing for you.

For this December, we will put on a choral-symphonic concert with works written by two of the greatest figures in musical classicism: Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From Haydn we will assemble the Missa brevis Sancti Ioannis de Deo, the fifth and last mass brevis composed by Haydn. It was immensely popular during the composer's lifetime, but it was only recently that it entered the concert circuit and its status as a masterpiece was recognized. It has the particularity of being dedicated to a Portuguese saint, S. João de Deus.

The piece we chose by Mozart is the Solemn Vespers of the Confessor. It is a work of greater scope, both from an instrumental point of view and in terms of vocal soloists. It is a multifaceted work, firmly rooted in the tradition of the Vespers genre, and it is precisely within the framework of the restrictions imposed by tradition that Mozart displays his genius as a composer, with one foot in the baroque tradition and the other already moving towards romanticism.

Why is your help essential?

The Coro dos Amigos do Conservatório Nacional (CACN) needs partial funding to hire instrumentalists and soloists, so that we can offer these works to the city of Lisbon next Christmas. We are a choir entirely supported by the choristers' monthly fees and, without this contribution, we will not be able to perform these four concerts.

The motivation that brings together amateur singers around a project is the desire and pleasure of singing works that they would not otherwise be able to sing individually. We want to provide the public with close contact, in the neighborhood, and free of charge, with works accessible only through paid concerts in large concert halls.

The motivation of CACN and its Maestro Luís Lopes Cardoso is to bring to the public the result of many months of work by around 60 choristers - and, at a later stage, the work with orchestra and soloists -, so that classical music lovers can also can enjoy concerts in their parish and church. The rehearsed and meticulously prepared works are offered to the city of Lisbon, helping to foster a spirit of community and conviviality during one of the most festive times of the year - in this case, Christmas 2024.

This is where your small contribution comes in. In order for us to take these two pieces to the stage in four majestic concerts, we need to hire instrumentalists for an orchestra of sixteen members and four soloists. Your help is essential so that we can create this program and bring it to you.

It's going to be a wonderful Christmas with Haydn and Mozart, opening the doors free of charge to anyone who wants to listen to us, giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy this experience.

About the author

Since 2014, the Coro dos Amigos do Conservatório Nacional (CACN), directed by maestro Luís Lopes Cardoso, has offered its choral and symphonic repertoire to the city of Lisbon, performing during periods of celebration in the various churches that host us - including (but not only) the Church of NSª da Conceição ao Rato, the Basílica da Estrela, the Church of Santa Catarina, the Church of Campolide, the Church of São Domingos, the Capela do Rato, the Church of São Francisco Xavier, the Lisbon Cathedral. Our concerts are free for the public who fill the spaces where we perform, gratifying us with their presence, attention and applause.

Over the years, we have played Byrd, Buxtehude, Schütz, Michael Haydn, Rheinberger, Vivaldi, Händel, among others. CACN includes choristers of various nationalities and has an eclectic repertoire, which includes classical, religious, traditional, popular and modern works.

This year, we want to bring you Joseph Haydn and Mozart in a unique party and four concerts that, to be held, require your small contribution.

All choristers - around sixty singers, distributed across four sections - contribute their monthly fees so that the choir remains alive throughout the year, however, hiring sixteen musicians and four soloists, as well as renting instruments, incurs charges. which, at this moment, we can only support with your contribution. Help us bring music to you and make everyone's Christmas more beautiful, friendly and supportive.

Our conductor: Luís Lopes Cardoso has a degree in Composition from the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa (ESML), where he studied with Professors Luís Tinoco, Christopher Bochmann, and António Pinho Vargas, and a Master in Choral Conducting at ESML, under the guidance of Professor Paulo Vassalo Lourenço. He studied with Professor João Lourenço and Eurico Carrapatoso. He also attended the Choral Conducting Course at the Aveiro International Vocal Music Course, and the Évora Choral Conducting Course, all guided by Maestro Paulo Lourenço. He was a conductor in the re:canto, choral group, and since 2014 he has directed the Coro Amigos do National Conservatory, of which he is musical director and principal conductor and at the head of which he regularly performs in concert directing the a cappella repertoire, with small instrumental groups and with orchestra.

Budget and due dates

The concerts will be free to enter, as are all CACN concerts, since our objective is to disseminate so-called classical music to a wide audience.

The concerts will take place on the 7th, 8th, 14th and 15th of December in four churches in Lisbon.

We need 4410 euros in partial financing , which will be used to pay for an Orchestra of sixteen musicians and four Soloists, which includes:

Bassoon; 2 trumpets; eardrums; 3 trombones; 6 violins; cello; contrabass; harpsichord/organ

And four soloists:

1 Soprano / 1 Alto / 1 Tenor / 1 Bass

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