Choral music
Format: CD
Code: 112089
EAN: 3838898112089
Music is very important at The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium in Ljubljana and for this reason there are no less than five choirs in school and their singers remain active in various Slovenian choirs even after finishing secondary education. The most talented and gifted girls sing in St. Stanislav's Girls' Choir, which is run by Helena Fojkar Zupančič. Each year about 40 girls, aged between 15 and 18,
sing in the choir and each year about a third of them leave the choir after finishing school and the work begins all over again. On this record you can find singers of four different generations and an overview of their repertoires.
Their highly ambitious goals are revealed in their choice of programme, which includes numerous premiere performances of works by Slovenian and foreign composers, such as Damijan Močnik’s Godec pred peklom (Fiddler in front of Hell) and the Slovenian premiere of Missa Nona for Women’s Choir and Piano by the Hungarian composer György Orban. St Stanislav's Girls’ Choir energetically performs arrangements of folk music as well as vocal and instrumental works, such as
Missa Sancti Aloysii by Michael Haydn and Messe des pęcheurs de Villerville (Mass of the Fishermen of Villerville) by Gabriel Fauré and his pupil André Massager. Classical masterpieces, arrangements of evergreen melodies and popular hits also find place in their programme.
The collection of awards and prizes bestowed upon St. Stanislav's Girls' Choir is astounding, however, the Silver Rose Bowl from the Euroradio competition of choral recordings “Let the Peoples Sing” surely shines the most. As the representative of Radio Slovenia the choir won the 2009 competition in Oslo. The first four pieces of this CD were recorded at this competition. The choir was awarded the first prize at national youth choral review in Zagorje (Slovenia) in
the years 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008, as well as at the international youth choral festival in Celje (Slovenia) in 2001 and again in 2007.
Different occasions, both in and outside school, offer numerous chances to perform; aside from the performances above, the girls have appeared on stages in Germany, Austria, Italy, Great Britain, Croatia, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.
This agile singing group has been invited to different workshops – in 2009 they participated in a workshop on vocal pop with Fred Sjřberg. In the same year they were one of the five laboratory choirs (and the only one from a secondary school) at the European Competition for Young Choral Conductors in Ljubljana. This ensemble records pieces for Radio Slovenia and are then kept on their archival database.
St. Stanislav's Girls' Choir is one of the most promising Slovenian choirs and if you had a chance to get to listen to them, you would certainly agree that they are pleasant to the ear – as well as the eye.
Helena Fojkar Zupančič has a perfect education for choral conducting – she is both a solo singer and a music teacher. Her knowledge of the human voice and a refined approach to singers are reflected in sophisticated vocal techniques and the extremely cultivated sound of the choirs she conducts: St. Stanislav's Girls' Choir, St. Nicholas Choir Litija and Women’s Choir Mens Sonora. Furthermore, she collaborates and
records with
the RTV Slovenia Chamber Choir.
Helena Fojkar Zupančič has received several awards at different competitions for the best conductor, namely at the International Choral Competition in Riva del Garda, Italy in 2009 and at the national youth choral review in Zagorje, Slovenia in 2002. She also won the title of the best debutant conductor at the Competition
of Slovenian Choirs held in Maribor (Slovenia) in 2003. She has also received various awards for the best performances of Gregorian chants, Renaissance, Romantic and contemporary choral literature, as well as folk songs.
Helena Fojkar Zupančič has achieved the following most significant accomplishments with St. Stanislav's Girls' Choir: the first prize at the Euroradio competition of choral recordings, Let the Peoples Sing in Oslo (2009), the overall winner at national youth choral review in Zagorje, Slovenia (2008) and international
youth choral festival in Celje, Slovenia (2001 and 2007). She achieved the greatest success with St Nicholas Choir Litija at the Slovenian National Choral Competition Naša pesem (Our Song) in 2003 and 2005, which was followed by success with the Litija Gymnasium Choir at national youth choral review in Zagorje, Slovenia (2006) and at the International Choral Competition in Riva del Garda, Italy (2009). She was the choirmaster
of the Slovenian Children’s Choir in 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009. She has recorded several CDs.
Helena Fojkar Zupančič offers in her interpretations the experience of music’s eloquence – the one that used to exist with fusion of words and music and is often neglected by conductors.
Because of her success, knowledge, skills and rich experience, Helena Fojkar Zupančič is very popular amongst singers and a sought-after jury member for choral competitions. She also runs seminars for school choir conductors and courses for church musicians.
Brigita Rovšek
translated by Aljoša Vrščaj
Songs:
1. Da lipa ma! Ke bëj na jë? (live)
slovenska ljudska
2. Ave Maria (live)
Ambrož Čopi (1973)
3. Lauda Sion (live)
György Orbán (1947)
4. Ne óuri, ne sejaj (live) (listen!)
slovenska ljudska
Solo: Mirjam Strmole, Sara Bitenc, Laura Bohinc
5. Bog daj, Bog daj
slovenske ljudske melodije iz Bele Krajine
Solo: Katarina Lotrič
6. Igraj kolce
slovenska ljudska iz Bele Krajine
Solo: Nada Kavčič, Katarina Lotrič, Marija Erjavec, Manca Oberstar
7. Traw nč so žie zalien
slovenska ljudska
8. Och, jungfrun hon gĺ i ringen
švedska ljudska
Robert Sund (1929)
9. Värmlandsvisan
švedska ljudska
10. Las Amarillas živo/live
mehiška
11. Der Wassermann (Justinus Kerner)
(iz Romanzen II, op. 91, št 3) (live)
Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)
12. Kyrie
Hugo Hammarström (1891 – 1974)
13. Salve Regina
Javier Busto (1949)
14. Kralj (Lara Simona Taufer)
Damijan Močnik (1967)
15. Vihar (Srečko Kosovel)
Marijan Lipovšek (1910 - 1995)
16. Čas (Jakob Šešerko)
Lojze Lebič (1934)
Solo: Maja Škufca, Sara Bitenc, Maja Horvat
17. V Ljubljano (Svetlana Makarovič)
Ati Soss (1930 – 1986),
18. Čez tisoč let (Gregor Strniša) (listen!)
Jure Robežnik (1933)
