Annelies, a Choral Work Based on the Text of The Diary of Anne Frank

Colla Voce presents Annelies, a choral work based on the text of The Diary of Anne Frank
The special performance takes place in Columbia one night only on Feb. 22

Colla Voce presents Annelies, a work based on the text of The Diary of Anne Frank set to music by British composer James Whitbourn. Described as “woundingly beautiful” by The Daily Telegraph (London), Annelies is the first major choral setting of The Diary of Anne Frank and takes the teenager’s powerful and perceptive observations as the basis of its libretto.

The concert takes place on Sunday, February 22 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church (1529 Assembly St., Columbia, S.C. 29202). Tickets are, adults $10 in advance or $15 the day of the concert; and students $5. For tickets, call 803-777-5369.

Performing the concert are Colla Voce, a Columbia community chamber choir led by Larry Wyatt, director of choral studies at USC; soprano Ariana Wyatt, recent graduate of the Juilliard Opera Center; Joseph Eller, principal clarinetist of the South Carolina Philharmonic and USC clarinet professor; and the acclaimed musicians of the Avanti Trio: David Ehrlich, violin; Ben Wyatt, cello; Teresa Ehrlich, piano.

The libretto is compiled from the diary written by the young Jewish girl Anne Frank between 1942 and 1944, when she and her family hid in the back of an Amsterdam warehouse in a secret annex. Whitbourn’s music reflects the sounds she would have heard while hiding – the Westerkerk bells and the tunes heard on the radio in the annex along with representations of the Frank family’s Jewish and German heritage – details that, according to The Times (London), add to a score “whose respectful understatement is its greatest strength.”

Several movements from Annelies were first performed at the National UK Holocaust Memorial Day in Westminster Hall, London in January 2005, performed for 500 survivors of the Holocaust, their families, leading politicians, and Queen Elizabeth II, whose picture Anne kept on the wall of her annex room.

The world premiere of the full work followed in April 2005 at the Cadogan Hall, London, conducted by Leonard Slatkin with the Choir of Clare College Cambridge and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

A January 2015 performance presented in Blacksburg, Virginia, by the Avanti Trio and Colla Voce was met with accolades from audience members:

“I wanted to let you know that I was at the Annelies concert, and felt it was amazing. So powerful, and lovely–truly a unique experience. I am so glad you performed this piece, and that I was able to hear it!” — Audience member from Blacksburg performance

“There are just no words to express the emotional and artistic impact of Sunday's performance. Thank you for it.” — Audience member from Blacksburg performance