Singing – Language Exchange 2017 in Krakow, Poland with Students From Slovakia and Slovenia

FB_IMG_1490131548752
The closing concert of all three Slavic gymnasiums

The traditional exchange with three Slavic Gymnasiums is taking place from 15th – 20th March, 2017. This year Piarist Lyceum from Krakow hosted students of the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium Piarist Gymnasium from Trenčín, Slovakia and The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium from Ljubljana, Slovenia. Traditionally, students exchange their knowledge of singing as well as of all three Slavic mother tongues, namely Slovak, Polish and Slovene. This year the meeting honoured the 1050th anniversary of Poland’s baptism and thus the students dug into the beginnings of Christianity in their homelands.

On their way to Krakow, the students had the opportunity to visit the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz – the tragic remainder of human evil. The journey continued to Częstochowa, which is today a symbol of hope, due to the mid-17th century resistance against the Swedish invaders who attempted to capture the local Jasna Góra monastery.  The choirs performed individually, however, the visit ended with a joint concert of all three choirs in the Krakow Philharmonic, where the singing event was marvellously rounded up by Handel’s Alleluia. Five members of the language group also presented their research work on the beginning of Christianity in Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. /Marko Kunavar, year 3/