Grupos corais em Portugal: Perfis e dinâmicas no início do século XXI

Abstract

Formally-established choral activity within the framework of musical associations is very significant in Portugal, as demonstrated by the several hundred groups that regularly mobilize thousands of individuals to perform distinct repertoires. This article aims to contribute towards an understanding of the dynamics and complexities of this activity in Portugal, based on the analysis of data produced through an extensive survey of choral groups (n = 503), conducted in 2013, as part of the research project ‘“Music in-between”: The ‘orfeonismo’ movement and choral singing in Portugal (1880-2012)’ and ‘“Our music, our world”: Musical associations, wind bands, and local communities (1880-2018)’, at the branch of INET-md at the University of Aveiro. The survey enabled an understanding of the dimensions of this movement in Portugal, indicating the profiles of the institutions and the individual involved, in addition to a diverse range of activities (both public and private), the musical repertoires performed, performance contexts and the performative spaces used. This study concludes that this is a multifaceted, dynamic reality that is clearly growing, and which has a strong impact on local social life, although it remains heavily dependent on the support of local institutions (particularly local governments).