These words by Helena F. Zupančič, the conductor of St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium, rounded off the Gala Concert that took place on 19th April 2017 in St. Stanislav’s Institution. The house was full; almost 800 listeners enjoyed every minute of it, awarding the choir and the prominent guests with standing ovations. No wonder – all performers showed an enviable level of artistry, taking the audience on a music trip from classics to rock, from vocal to instrumental, from Slovene to foreign, from well-established pieces to novelties. Among these, the following songs need to be mentioned: Chilcott’s God of the Open Air, Močnik’s Jerusalem/Yerushalayim and Lebič’ Nekaj je v zraku /Something is in the air/. The concert featured the following guests: WildArt, the winners of the show Slovenia’s Got Talent 2016; internationally renowned vocal ensemble Ingenium Ensemble; (Re)Mixed Choir of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium and the programme host Carmen L. Oven.

The event was much more than a fundraising concert for St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir to travel to Barcelona and participate in the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in July 2017. The concert marvellously mirrored youth’s beauty, energy and commitment to a common goal. This was a topmost event in terms of content, music and technical qualities. One of the girls from St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir posted the following impressions after the concert:” We all feel contented and thankful. I am still overwhelmed by tonight’s beautiful melodies, incredible energy and heavenly feelings, that still resound inside me. /…/ We feel grateful to all those who came to the concert and support our endeavours, helping our dreams come true. /…/ “.

Helena Fojkar Zupančič says St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir will definitely make a remarkable difference in Barcelona. The goal of the concert was helping the choir to get there. I cannot find more appropriate words to top off this writing than by using the verses of Freddie Mercury’s Barcelona. We had the pleasure of listening to it in the interpretation of (Re)Mixed Choir of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium with two splendid soloists, Marta Močnik and Miha Klemenc:

»Let the songs begin
Let the music play
Make the voices sing
Start the celebration
And cry – Come alive
And shake the foundations from the skies
Ah, Ah, Shaking all our lives …«

/Lily Schweiger Kotar/

 

Warmly welcome to the gala concert which will be presented  in the sports hall of The Alojzij Šuštar Primary School in St. Stanislav’s Institution /Štula 23, Ljubljana/ on 18th April 2017 commencing at 7.30 pm. The concert will feature St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir  of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium anf its conductor Helena Fojkar Zupančič and the prominent guests: WildArt, the winners of the show Slovenia’s got talent 2016, the top internationally renown vocal ensemble Ingenium Ensemble, (Re)Mixed Choir of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium, including two soloist Marta Močnik Pirc and Miha Klemenc with a band and the programme host Carmen L. Oven.

This a fundraising concert in aid of St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium, who is participating in the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in July 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. World Symposium on Choral Music is the biggest event of the type in the world, taking place every three years, each time on the different continent. The girls have been chosen among 146 applied choirs from all over the world to join the 24 performing choirs in Barcelona. St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir is besides Carmina Slovenica Choir from Maribor, Slovenia the second Slovene choir ever to take part in this prestigious choral event. Tickets  (to buy call Tina Tandler at +386(0)1 58 22 245) are limited due to the capacity of the venue, and are expected to sell out – so book early to avoid disappointment! Please consider attending the Gala Concert when forming your itinerary.

Make a plan to be with us and support St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir of the DCG in their artistic endeavours. /Lily Schweiger Kotar/

St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir of the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium gave a successful season ticket concert on 29th March 2017 in a full house in Sokol Hall in the ancient town of Škofja Loka.

The choir presented fourteen songs, among which three were premiered, namely: Jerusalem by Damijan Močnik, My First Angel by Ambrož Čopi and God of the Open Air by Bob Chilcott. The evening was spectacular, the performance mature and convincing.  D. Močnik, who had the pleasure of listening to his premiere live,  was enthusiastic about the interpretation and congratulated warmly the choir for the ecxellent job. The audience aplauded loudly, thus thanking the choir for such an outstanding choral event.

The conductor of St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir Helena Fojkar Zupančič took part in the American Choral Directors Association convention, which was held from 8th – 11th March 2107 in Minneapolis, USA. There she met the British composer Bob Chilcott, who wrote the song God of the Open Air especially for St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir. The world premiere of the song will take place in July 2017 at the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona, Spain.

 

We are happy to announce that a new website  of St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium, Ljubljana has been launched. Here you will learn more about the choir, its history, achievements, concerts, including the details about the latest news on the choir’s concerts and in particular the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona, where the choir is to perform in July. We hope you enjoy browsing the new site!

https://en.stanislav.si/11th-world-symposium-in-barcelona/

St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir performed on Wednesday, 25^th January 2017, on the occasion of presenting Gallus awards in the field of amateur cultural activities. The event took place on Ljubljana Castle hill. The Slovenian Public Fund of Cultural Activities annually awards the deserving musicians. The piece was the song premiere by Lojze Lebič, a contemporary Slovene composer. The composition entitled “Something is in the air” is based on a poem by Tone Pavček, one of the most renown Slovene contemporary poets. The composition is said to be wonderful and inspiring with full of positive vibe. It has brought about so much optimism!

Breaking news: we are thrilled about the brand new piece composed by Bob Chilcott, British choral composer, conductor and singer. It is dedicated exclusively to St. Stanislav’s Girls’s Choir and its conductor Helena Fojkar Zupančič. It bears title God of the Open Air and is based on a heartwarming ode to nature – a poem by Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933), an American author, educator and clergyman.

And what is the conductor’s first reaction? »The piece is exactly up my street! It is wonderful, soft, melodious, lively and airy. I believe this compostition will enable the girls to show all the attributes of their singing and interpreting. What a lovely challenge!«

We cannot wait for the first performance to take place in July at the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona!

Voila! The video presentation of St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir on the occasion of their visit to Barcelona is out! The girls have it all: subtle interpretation, colourful sonorities, fascinating creative and vivacious performances, youthful passion with incredible concentration and sound accuracy. So they say. Check it yourselves and simply enjoy!

St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium has been invited to participate in the 11th IFCM /International Federation for Choral Music/ world symposium on choral music, which will take place from 22nd – 29th July, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. As mentioned on the official website, the event will follow the theme of the Colours of Peace, and bring together the world’s choirs, choral musicians, composers and publishers.

Symposium in brief

The World Choral Symposium is the most esteemed non-competing choral meeting organized by IFCM. Such events have been organised since 1987 every third year in various parts of the world. The upcoming 11th symposium will host 24 selected choirs from Spain, USA, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Germany, South Africa, Argentina, the Netherlands, Denmark, Korea, Ireland, Moldovia, the Philippines, Latvia and Slovenia. Some of them are to sing premieres of sixteen renowned composers such as Ēriks Ešenvalds, Bob Chilcott, Jocelyn Hagen, Hideki Chihara and others.

Who will be there?

The symposium’s organizers expect 3000 conductors, singers, composers and other music experts. The programme consists of concerts in the central auditorium and some other venues of exceptional architectural beauty, such as Palace of Catalan Music and the Sagrada Familia, lectures given by experts from different countries, master classes led by Elisenda Carrasco, Helmuth Rilling, Rollo Dilworth and Simon Halsey and other events. Among others, Choral EXPO needs to be mentioned where music editors, producers, festival organizers, and providers of music business will meet and highlight their services. It is an important platform for promotion of music events and activities and above all for presentation and purchase of music and professional literature.

St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir Cannot Wait to Go

St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir of the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium will perform in the second part of the symposium from 26th – 29th July. The girls under the leadership of the conductor Helena Fojkar Zupančič are looking forward to meeting and listening to some world famous choirs. The preparations are in full swing and they are proud to present Slovenia and St. Stanislav’s Institution with the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium at such a prominent choral event.

The conductor of the choir Helena Fojkar Zupančič commented on the upcoming event with the following words: “A year and a half ago we were invited to apply for the selection of performing choirs. The board of experts have chosen our choir along with 24 others from all over the world on the basis of a weighty programme, video and audio recordings as well as strong references. Now we are happy to embrace this unique possibility and perform in such outstanding music event.”