7 HILLS GOSPEL CHOIR
Rome
Conductor
Gianluca Buratti
President
Antonella Lavalle
Membership Code
FCI261/21
City
Rome
Italy
Type of choir
mixed voices
Repertory
Gospel
Site / Email
info@hillsgospel.it
Biography
The 7 Hills Gospel Choir was born in Rome in June 2010 at the end of a three-year Gospel choral singing workshop, held by Maestro Gianluca Buratti. It is immediately joined by some elements from the Gospel Choir Voci nel Borgo, previously directed by the same Maestro, thus adding to an already rich formation of singers from individual singing schools also a component of concert experience of all respect.
He already has to his credit several participations on television, in a Reality Show aired on Italia 1, guests of the Transmission “La canzone di noi” live on Tv Sat 2000, guests of Community (Rai International) and “On the way to Damascus” on RAI 2, and a surprise entrance into the house of Big Brother 13 during a “freeze” on Channel 5, and has participated in two editions of the Format MilleVoci broadcast on BOM Channel and other national and local broadcasters. The choir was also a guest of the Voice Anatomy broadcast conducted by Pino Insegno on Radio 24, participated in several concerts in support of charitable activities for the Red Cross of Anguillara, and the Telethon marathon in the Basilica of S. Pancrazio. For two years he was at the side of the AMFOP (Motorcyclist Police Forces) in the event “Bring a gift to a child”, singing in the pediatric oncology departments and in the Aula Magna of the Policlinico di Roma. He supported UNICEF at the Nuovo Teatro Gassman in Civitavecchia and the Caprifoglio Onlus at the Billions. He held the closing concert of the Christmas Festival in Rome at the Church of La Maddalena, he participated in the Esquiline Christmas with a Concert in the Church of S. Alfonso, in collaboration with the Castellum Association (the same that organizes the review “In the shadow of the Colosseum”). He held a Christmas Concert at the Sala Mappamondi of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He performed in an exciting Concert at the Teatro Valle Occupato together with the choirs All Over and Tibur Gospel Singers (with whom he already boasts a close collaboration). Called by the XII Municipality of Rome for christmas greetings at Spazio 900, he was chosen by Roma Capitale to represent the Gospel in the event “Roma Città Natale d’Europa 2011”, performing on the prestigious steps of Piazza di Spagna, in Castel S. Angelo and forlanini. In 2011 he performed in one of the times of Roman live music: the FONCLEA, and at the control room of the Municipality of Viterbo; worthy of mention, is the exhibition held on the occasion of the visit of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima at the parish of St. John the Baptist in Cesano (RM). He participated with the Community of S. Egidio, Max Giusti and Gigi Proietti at the Cities for life 2012 at the Colosseum ten-year appointment for the fight against the death penalty, an appointment then confirmed also from 2013 to 2016. In December 2012 some choristers participated in the Gospel Lab at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome held by Chantel Wright performing in the Sala Sinopoli accompanied on the piano by Maestro Gianluca Buratti. In May 2013 he distinguished himself in the organization of a great charity event in favor of the “Locanda dei Girasoli”, at the “Don Bosco” Theater of Cinecittà, with the participation of Margherita Buy and the comedian Maurizio Battista. Thanks again to the collaboration with Castellum he supported 4 concerts at the monumental Auditorium Mecenate, two of which alongside a great American interpreter: Charlie Cannon, making the sold out. Of particular importance is the animation of the Mass in Suffrage by Lucio Dalla on the second anniversary of his death held at the Church of S. Domenico in Bologna. Of note is the singing and narrative show, created together with the well-known voice actor Angelo Maggi, at the Teatro Vittoria, in December 2014. The participation of the Gospel Choir in the World Day of the Rejection of Poverty celebrated in the Basilica of St. John Lateran on October 17, 2015, culminated with the Holy Mass officiated by His Excellency R. Enrico del Covolo, was significant. On the Thanksgiving day of the years 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the 7 Hills Gospel Choir animated the evening at the prestigious “Hard Rock Cafè” in Via Veneto. At the end of May 2016, and in 2017 he performed a cappella inside the Pantheon. He participates in the Concerto S. Stefano at the Teatro Flavio Vespasiano in Rieti organized by the presenter Massimo Massari in favor of the populations of Central Italy affected by the earthquake of 2016 and in 2018 in Spello, church of San Lorenzo martyr, both concerts broadcast on Canale Italia 84. On 24 November 2018 he performed, together with the Blubordó choir of Padua, the anthem of New Zealand at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on the occasion of the rugby match against Italy.
In the summer of 2019 they recorded a revisited version of the song “Tutti i colori del mondo” together with “Milk & Coffee”. Meanwhile, the willingness of the choir to animate religious weddings and civil rites, has led him to perform in the most important Churches and Basilicas of the Capital and surroundings, well adapting traditional contemporary spirituals and gospel to wedding music. Participation, involvement, feeling and passion are the fundamental ingredients of the 7 Hills Gospel Choir. He joined the FederGospelChoirs project until 2017. During the summer of 2014 they recorded and produced and released their first album, entitled “First”. The friendship established with the Norwegian musician and composer Tore W. Aas, director of the Oslo Gospel Choir, then led them to the preparation of the new Musical “Messiah”, written by the same, which they represented, for the first time in Italy, during the month of March 2018 at the Teatro Viganó in Rome.
In 2020, during the pandemic, despite the difficulties related to choral singing, he still had the opportunity to perform live in a charity event organized by the Embassy of Belize at the Holy Headquarters in Castel S. Angelo and, during the Christmas period, performing a cappella songs along the shopping streets (Via del Babuino and Via Margutta) and recording a streaming video-concert. He has also published some videos produced at a distance including that of the song “Merry Christmas” by Michele Maisano.
The 7 Hills Gospel Choir, accompanied by a four-piece band, the “7 Hills Gospel Band”, is directed by Maestro Gianluca Buratti, who, after obtaining a diploma in music theory and the 8th year in Piano at the Royal School of music, has embarked on a modern path performing both as a keyboardist in bands and as an accompanist of singers (opera and pop), and also working in recording studios as a MIDI programmer, continuing his studies both in jazz piano and harmony and in singing. After having followed his father for a long time, lyric tenor and chorister in various polyphonic choirs, he began his experience in choral conducting with a parish choir, Subsequently he founded first the gospel choir Voci nel Borgo together with M. G. Trovajoli and later the 7 Hills Gospel Choir, continuing his intense activity as a piano-bar (in Italy and abroad) and concert as the voice of the RJB (Roma Jazz Band) with which he recorded 2 CDs (ReLoVution and Colours of Mediterranean jazz) whose proceeds were entirely donated to the Telethon Foundation.
