Concert des Coeurs 2017

Founded in 1974, the Pastoureaux boys’ choir is composed of more than 60 boys aged 7 to 14 years, whose voices vary soprano into alto. About 20 young adults and adult singers add to the choir for tenor and bass vocal range. Among the Pastoureaux, about 20 children take part in the Cantate Group: they are even more hard working children who develop additional skills to address more complex or special musical works.

With more than 1000 concerts given in Belgium, Europe and around the world (North and South America, Japan), the Pastoureaux boys’ choir has gained a lot of experience and an international reputation. The enthusiastic meeting with the audience is the best way for the choir’s members to train and improve their know-how.

The musical work and group solidarity are at the very heart of the Pastoureaux project. Choir members meet every week, in separate voice groups or sub-groups for two rehearsals. The complete choir, boys and adults, meet to rehearse a month.



Repertory and performances:

With orchestra

Mozart : Requiem, Coronation mass, Solemn Vespers for a Confessor, Credo-Mass…

Haydn : The Creation, Nelson mass…

Fauré : Requiem…

Haendel : extracts of the “Messiah”…

Bach : Cantata 131, 182, extracts of the “Magnificat”, St Matthew Passion (cantus firmus)…

Schubert : Mass in G Major…

Pergolèse : Stabat Mater…

Buxtehude : Cantata „Nichts soll uns scheiden“, „Das Neugeborne Kindelein“…

Anonymous : Livre Vermeil de Montserrat, Messe des Fous…



also Gershwin, Poulenc, Britten, Lloyd Webber, Mendelssohn,

da Vittoria, Purcel, Schütz…



Operas

La Bohème – Puccini

Carmen – Bizet

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Britten

The little sweep – Britten

The magic flute – Mozart

Thyeste – van Vlijmen / H.Claus



Some notable events

Transition to the Euro in 2001 (Brussels – Europe), concerts at the Palace and for the Royal Family and other prestigious concerts at the Palais des Beaux-Arts and at the Cathedral of Brussels… Concerts with renowned soloists:

José Van Dam, Werner van Mechelen, Marie-Noëlle de Callataÿ, Janet Thompson…Creation of the « Magnificat » of Leonardo San Juan… Creation of the « Mass of Popayan » of Isabelle Rigaux, at Popayan in Colombia… Participation in productions of the Monnaie Opera House in Belgium, in the Netherlands, in New York… in the operas, in the open air at La Hulpe, Liege, Ooidonk…Creation of the « Cantates des Oiseaux » of Robert De Pauw… and numerous concert tours…

Festivals

Les Pastoureaux are regularly invited to take part in musical festivals in Belgium. They did a concert tour for the Flanders’s Festival, produced the opera “The Little Chimney Sweep” of Benjamin Britten and recorded the “Libre Vermeil de Montserrat” for the Festival of Wallonia. They also performed the Stabat Mater of Pergolesi at the Musicales de Beloeil.

Abroad, they joined several children choirs’ festivals in Poznan (Poland), Lago di Como (Italy), and World Peace Festival in Vienna (Austria) where they had the honor to share the stage of the legendary Musikverein with the Vienna Boys’Choir.



Television and movies

Since several years, the choir is regularly invited to take part in TV shows and film making. In 2009, they shot a scene with Kad Merad for the film “Protéger et Servir” and took part in a studio recording with Lara Fabian. In 2010, they sang “Oh Happy Day” with Natascha St-Pier and performed the Ave Maria (Schubert) in a RTL-TVI television show for the guest of honor, Jean-Claude Van Damme. In 2012, Les Pastoureaux shot several scenes with Robin Renucci in the telefilm “Le Silence des églises” broadcasted on France 2 and RTBF. A child of the choir even played one of the main roles. In 2013, our young soloists sang the Allegri’s Miserere in the film “La Marque des Anges” with Gerard Depardieu and Joey Starr.


Concert tours

1980 Baden Würtemberg

1982 Alsace, Bavaria, Valais

1984 France

1985 Quebec, USA

1986 Bordelais

1987 Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany

1988 Jura, Alsace, Normandie

1989 France, Germany, Switzerland

1990 France

1991 Quebec, New-Brunswick

1992 Poland, France

1993 Japan, France

1994 Quebec, Ontario

1995 Colombia, France, Germany

1996 Spain, Germany, France, Luxembourg

1997 Manitoba, France

1998 Czech Rep., France, Switzerland, Germany

1999 USA, Canada, France

2000 Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, France

2001 Portugal, Spain, France

2002 Switzerland, France, Germany

2003 Canada, France

2004 France

2005 Switzerland, France

2006 France

2007 Slovenia, Italy, France

2008 Brazil, Argentina

2009 France, Germany, Luxembourg

2010 Switzerland

2011 USA, Quebec

2012 France

2003 France

2014 Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria

2015 France

2016 France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany



Recordings

12 recordings (LP, CD) « Pastoureaux »

Participation in the CD of « Livre Vermeil de Montserrat ».

Participation in CDs of performances « l’Enfant des Etoiles… »

Singer, choir leader and educator, Philippe Favette devotes all his energy to music, his passion since childhood. At ten years of age, he entered the solfège class at the Royal Conservatory of Liege, his place of birth. At fourteen, he was already singing as a baritone in the “Maîtrise” programme. Later he attended the Symphonic Chorus of the Conservatory, followed by The Chorus of the Royal Opera of Wallonia where he obtained his first contract as a professional chorus-singer, a profession soon shared with the teaching of music.

Having been awarded the « Diplômes Supérieurs en Chant et en Musique de Chambre » from the Royal Conservatory of Liege, he became a member of the « Collegium Vocale Gent » and now sings under the direction of Philippe Herreweghe.

At present, he works with different ensembles in France (Arsys Bourgogne, Akadêmia), The Netherlands (Nederlandse Bach Vereniging, Amsterdam baroque) and in Belgium, mainly with the “Choeur de Chambre de Namur,”with whom he collaborates regularly.

As soloist, from vocal quartets to chamber choirs, he participates in numerous concerts and recordings under the direction of conductors such as Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, Ton Koopman, Sigiswald Kuijken, Louis Langrée, Jean-Claude Malgoire, Marc Minkowski, Peter Phillips, Christophe Rousset, Jordi Savall, Jos Van Immerseel, Guy Van Waas ....

At the same time, he directs several choral groups and is studying the conducting of choirs and orchestras, notably under the direction of Pierre

Cao and Denis Menier at the “Ecole internationale de Direction de Choeur de Namur”. He is also pursuing Master Classes with Freider Bernius and Volker Hempfling.

In September 2006, Philippe Favette was named Musical Director of the Pastoureaux. With the help of a devoted team of volunteers, he is

striving to develop a long-term and wide-ranging artistic and educational programme for this boys’ choir.