Success of the Uniss Choir in Germany

The Choir of the University of Sassari has returned to Sardinia after a short tour in Germany which saw it engaged in the performance of the Solemn Mass in Honor of Santa Cecilia, by Charles Gounod, together with the chamber ensemble, the choir and the Symphony Orchestra of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Bavaria. On the evening of July 3rd, in the packed Schutzengelkirche in Eichstätt, over 150 choristers and instrumentalists were masterfully directed by Maestro Uwe Sochaczewsky in this work dedicated to the Saint, patron saint of music. The Mass, composed in 1855 for three solo voices (soprano, tenor and bass), choir and orchestra, requires a decidedly lush instrumental accompaniment and therefore a powerful choir. For this reason, the initial collaboration proposal carried out by the president of the Choir, Serenella Medici, and Maestro Sochaczewsky, also involved the two choirs of the German University in a very ambitious project.

“Our collaboration with the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt dates back to 2019, the year in which we held two grandiose concerts here in Sassari and Porto Torres in which Joseph's Mass in C major was performed for the first time in Sardinia Gabriel Rheinberger, together with Coro Polifonico Turritano and with the support of the Coro Santa Croce di Sorso. A strong friendship and understanding with Maestro Uwe Sochaczewsky was immediately born, so we parted ways with the agreement to meet again the following year to perform Gounod's Mass together. Unfortunately, the project had to stop due to the pandemic, and 2024 seemed to both of us to be the favorable year to finally bring it to completion, despite the inevitable difficulties. But the collaboration doesn't end here: new musical adventures await us in the future" says the President. “We are a small and relatively young reality compared to the strong choral tradition of our city, but we are very committed to promoting culture in general, and musical culture in particular, with great attention to integration and internationalisation, in the spirit that characterizes the our University. From which there is no lack of strong support, in support of these activities which fall within the so-called Third Mission. We are also part of the National Network of University Choirs, which took us to Bergamo last year together with twenty other choirs from Italian universities, and we look to Europe through this bridge with Germany. We certainly don't want to stop here." The Choir was prepared for this event by Maestro Ciro Cau.