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Affabre Concinui
men's a cappella ensemble
08/09 Season Tour Periods:
2008: October 9 through 26
2009: February 27 through March 15
""Six excellent and gracious singers. The program was delightful and the performance wonderful. The audience really enjoyed them." (Bill Tindall, Bishop Community Concert Association, California, presenter)
"Incredibly good...superb singing. It was a wonderful treat. We had a full house, and I had the impression that the crowd was close to erupting with joy every time they began a piece. They even got applause when they entered to room for the reception!" (Margaret Evans, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Medford, Oregon, presenter)
"POLISH SINGERS IN TUNE WITH FUNNY BONE: The group blended song with comedy for an entertaining evening enjoyed by all....The six singers are considered by many to be the toast of Europe....Their voices were crystal clear as well as distinctive [but also] the men like to have a little fun while on stage...The highlight of the evening was their instrumental [imitation] renditions of winter from Vivaldi's the Four Seasons and Ravel's Bolero....two standing ovations." (The Barrie Examiner, Ontario, Canada, February 2008)
"Affabre Concinui gave a wonderful concert and captivated us all!
Their vocal gymnastics were amazing!"
(Peggy Dettwiler, Mansfield University PA, presenter)
Affabre Concinui (Latin for "ideally harmonized," the ensemble's artistic credo) was formed in 1983 by alumni of two famous men's choirs in the city of Poznan and made its debut at a Christmas concert in Gdansk. Since then the ensemble has performed in all the cities of Poland as well as in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Lebanon, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the Ukraine, USA, and the Vatican at major concert halls and important music festivals.
The ensemble, also known as the Polish Chamber Singers, has won a number of top prizes at international vocal competitions, including those in Gorizia, Italy, in 1988, and Arezzo, Italy, in 1994. The singers have frequently represented their homeland at
international events such as the 1992 World Exposition in Seville, the 1995 Festival of Polish Culture in Taiwan, the 1996 World Economic Forum in Switzerland, and the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Affabre Concinui has recorded numerous CDs for Harmonia Mundi and are regulars on Polish radio and television. Their repertoire consists of well over 300 works ranging from Renaissance to contemporary, including many pop musical standards.
"Affabre Concinui was absolutely fabulous last night. Having presented Cantus last season and Amarcord twice before, I figured it would be hard for Affabre to come up to the standard of the other groups, but they were at least the equal. Our audience was thrilled and we would love to have them back again." (James Johnson, Patrons and Friends of the Arts, Columbia SC, presenter 2007)
"In the first part of the program they sang mostly songs of the British
renaissance-wonderfully sung pieces by John Dowland, Thomas Morley, and others, including infectiously sung works by Vivaldi and Bach. In the second part, more modern hits like "Yesterday," "Danny Boy," "What a Wonderful world," and Che sera" by José Feliciano were performed with marvelous and unconventional arrangements." (Nordbayerischer Kurier, Wuerzburg, Germany)
"These guys are simply fantastic! Each individual's singing is amazing-beautifully nuanced and technically compelling-and their ability to use such great voices for such exquisite ensemble singing makes them the top flight group they clearly are. Their program was wonderfully balanced: the sacred music and slower madrigals served to invite the audience in, and when they launched into their lighter pieces, they had our concert-goers absolutely enthralled." (Don Horisberger, Music in the Nave, Lake Forest IL, presenter)
"No musician working in a studio with a mixing console could make more
perfect sound using technical means. Affabre Concinui can do it without showing-off. The gentlemen on stage look like bankers, but they certainly don't act like that.
In the second part of the concert they showed their comic talent, to the great pleasure of the audience." (Heider Anzeiger, Heide, Germany)
"A standing ovation has never happened before in the history of the
Kultur in Thurnau Festival, despite the many superior performances we have experienced. But these six gentlemen managed to get the audience to jump from their chairs and cheer!" (Heider Anzeiger, Heide, Germany)
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