LET’S HELP MAGDALENA’S
DREAM COME THROUGH
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is
Magdaléna Tunegová, I am seventeen years old. I live in Bratislava where
I attend second year of Catholic High school. Since beginning of my
elementary school at age six I am involved with music. At that age I was
accepted to a girls choir CANENS and as a little child I started
to train in secrets of choir singing. Today I am in the choir eleventh
year. During this time with the choir I had many pleasant experiences. I
found girl friends with same interest for music as mine; I got to known
a lot of great singers and musicians with whom our choir was performing,
I participated in many beautiful concert performances. Through the
singing in the CANENS choir I had lots of opportunities to visit
many European countries and learn about different cultures and I believe
this otherwise would be impossible for me.
Now I would like to
officially introduce our choir.
Photo: Štefan Húska © 2007
The CANENS choir was founded on
September 1, 1990. Its founding formation was made up of a number of
girls with choir singing experience. The formation quickly took on
concerting and right from the beginning presented child and youth
musical art on national and international concert stages which led to an
increase in the quality of its members.
The demands on interpretation of musical works were increasingly rising
and that’s why we strived to deal with this situation by increasing the
quality of musical education for children. The CANENS choir was
the basis for the foundation of the 1st private art school in Slovakia
that in the year 1991 changed the traditional style of art schools and
began to educate solo and choir singers under a new study plan.
In present the concert formation is made up of 35 girls aged 12 to 18.
Photo: Štefan Húska © 2007
Since 1991 we have performed more than 500 concerts and recordings and
55% of these concert performances took part abroad. We have traveled on
35 foreign concert tours (France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, England,
the Netherlands, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Sweden, Ukraine,
Poland, Finland and Latvia). In Bratislava we hosted and arranged
concert performances for nearly 950 foreign singers, students and
teachers.
We are the first choir from Eastern Europe that was granted the
opportunity to perform in Windsor-the Royal summer residence of the
British Queen. Another significant recognition of the high quality of
the CANENS choir was the opportunity to perform in the concert hall of
Obecní dom in the famous Rudolfín in Prague or in the Cathedral of St.
Wenceslaus at the Prague castle. We have also fond memories of our
concerts in France-in Paris and its castles in the surroundings of the
Loire River.
The choir’s repertoire is broad. We interpret holy and secular music,
spirituals, musical melodies and also popular music edited by renowned
musical composers.
Photo: Štefan Húska © 2007
At present the choir presents itself significantly by concert activities
within the cooperation with the American agency CIRCLE TRAVEL.
From 2005 we annually perform 40 to 50 concerts on board of ships
cruising the Danube River from Budapest to Bratislava and Vienna for
American citizens on vacation. We also regularly cooperate and perform
with youth symphonic and chamber orchestras form Prague, Czech Republic.
In 2006 the school and the choir celebrated the 15th anniversary of its
existence. The choir’s ambition is to celebrate this anniversary by
accepting the invitation and giving concerts in CAPE TOWN, SOUTH
AFRICA.
Photo: Štefan Húska © 2007
A number of years of the choir’s concert activities were enhanced by
experience with renowned Slovak musical personas. The choir occasionally
cooperates with P. Zajáček’s orchestra and G.Brom’s big band within its
concerts activities and
recordings.
The piano accompaniment, composing
and musical piece arrangements were until 2001 carried out by the
musical composer and teacher Mr. Igor Bázlik with whom the choir
released a CD entitled CANENS with Igor BÁZLIK. In present these
activities are carried out by the young musical composer and teacher Mr.
Peter Hochel. The choir is conducted from its foundation by Mr. Gabriel
ROVŇÁK.
Our choir is also performing in different programs of the Slovak
Television stations. We have many concerts during Christmas season, when
we are invited to perform at different activities as for instance the
Swedish embassy on the day of St. Lucie December 13.
There is a big concert tour if front of
CANENS CHOIR, as it was mentioned above the coir accepted an
invitation for a concert tour to CAPE TOWN in SOUTH AFRICA. I
would really like to participate in this concert tour. It would
be first time in my life to go beyond the borders of Europe. It is my
dream to perform in such a far away country and also represent myself
our choir and the country I live. To fulfill my dream I am trying to do
a lot. Working on me, responsible preparing for the practices of the
choir, simply improving musically all the time.
Profile of our repertoire is on our CD,
which as was mentioned above we recorded with pianist and musical
composer Igor Bázlik.
If you would consider buying the CD, you
would help in a great way to fulfill my dream-participation in the South
Africa tour-would change into reality.
Many thanks in advance for your support,
Magdaléna Tunegová
Gercenova 27
85101 Bratislava
Slovakia
Editor’s note:
Songs on the CD are: J. Mysliveček-NOTTURNO I, C. Franck-PANIS ANGELICUS,
F.Chopin-A MINUTE’S WALTZ, I. Bázlik-PERHAPS BY PURE CHANCE, F.
Chopin-LOVE SONG, F. Chopin-MAZURKA B-dur Op.7 #1, arr. T. Popov-DEEP
RIVER, arr. B. Trout THE BATTLE OF JERICHO, spiritual-MARY HAD A BABY,
I. Bázlik-SLOVAK TANGO, I. Bázlik-A BREATH OF FROST, R. Ortolani/N.
Oliver-MORE, A. L. Weber-MEMORY, arr. I. Bázlik-MY BONNIE, R.
Rodgers-DO-RE-MI, J. Kander-CABARET, A. C. Jobin-THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA,
W. Hawkins- I’M GOING UP A YONDER, E. John-CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE
TONIGHT.
The CANENS CHOIR CD WITH IGOR BÁZLIK
is available for US$ 11.99 each all inclusive and it will be
shipped from Canada to save on mailing costs. All proceeds will be given
to MAGDALÉNA TUNEGOVÁ to make her dream come through.
WITH YOUR PURCHASE YOU WILL ALSO
GET A ONE YEAR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
TO THE SLOVAK HERITAGE LIVE NEWSLETTER
Our goal is to sell 200 CD’s. However
donations above the CD cost are graciously accepted and will be
forwarded to Magdaléna as well.
Please mail a personal check for US$11.99
per CD to:
Vladimir Linder
3804 Yale St.
Burnaby BC, V5C 1P6
You can also order by phoning:1-604-291-8065
or 1-604-889-4616