CITY OF OZIERI CHOIR

About us

CONSTITUTION AND ARTISTIC DIRECTION

The 'Città di Ozieri' Choir was officially established as a Cultural Association in 1977, although it proudly claims the heritage of the Ozieresi 'a Cuncordu' singers who had been performing since the 1950s and some of whom were among the first members of the Choir.

In 1976 the choir acquired its current vocal structure with the arrival of Mario Coloru, who led the ensemble in its early years, passing on to the choir the experience gained above all in Nuoro, where for several years he served in the Guardia di Finanza and frequented the great masters of Nuoro choral music.

Over the last 40 years the Ozieri Choir has been directed by five different maestros (Antonio Deiara, Salvina Sanna, Giovanni Marongiu and Peppino Farina) and in recent years has returned under the artistic direction of Mario Coloru, who in the meantime has led numerous choirs in the province of Sassari (to name but a few: Benetutti, Buddusò, Muros, Tula, Giave etc.).

MISSION

The main aim of the association is to research and enhance the town's traditional songs and to harmonise poetic pieces from Ozieri, but it does not disdain, in the name of socialising among the choristers and purely for the sake of singing fun, to encroach on other musical experiences that are foreign to our culture.

EXECUTIONS

The Ozieri Choir has performed at all the main festivals in Sardinia (Redentore, La Cavalcata, Sa Ferula, Sciampitta, Ittiri FolkFest, Settimana Santa Alghero, to name but a few) and in Italy (Festival dei due mondi di Spoleto, 10 hours in song in Bassano del Grappa, Milan, Macerata, Novara, Soave, Asiago, Roncegno Terme Trentino, Maranello, Fiorano, Gattinara, Castelletto Ticino, Borgo Manero, Ghemme, Florence, Bassano Romano, etc.).).

He took part in the island's television programmes 'Sardegna Canta' and 'Buonasera Sardegna' and twice in 'Uno mattina' in Rome on RAI uno. He had the honour of singing "Deus ti Salvet Maria" in front of His Holiness Benedict XVI at the Vatican.

Abroad, the Ozieri Choir has participated in international festivals in Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, France, Switzerland and Hungary, and in August 2017 in Poland.

In 2016 he came third in the competition "Nuoro patria dei cori" and in February 2017 Mario Coloru was awarded the "Premio Ortobene" in Nuoro on the occasion of "Canti dall'Ortobene".

DISCOGRAPHY

He has four musical productions to his credit (S'abba 'e Cantareddu MC 1987 - Cantende a Othieri MC 1997, Ojos de ammaju CD 2008 and Sabore 'e Sardigna CD 2017) and a book entitled "Othieri in coro - il coro e la sua città".

OTHER

It organises numerous cultural exchanges with Italian and foreign choirs and groups and for several years has organised the choral festival "Tra sacro e profano - incontri di cori di scuola Logudorese e Nuorese" and the traditional Christmas concert "Nadale in coro".

It takes part punctually and free of charge in the traditional events of Ozieri such as "Sos tres rese" at the Epiphany, on "30 'e Sant'Andria" for the festival of new wines etc. and in solidarity initiatives for charity such as 30 hours for life, Teleton, ADVS, Centro Anziani etc..

He performs in the traditional costume of Ozieri in two variants: the oldest one in "ragas" and the one dating back to the second half of the 19th century in "calzones" of orbace or black cloth like the coat, with a "Corittu" of green velvet.