http://www.kuhnchoir.cz/en/Sing

Kühnův smíšený sbor

http://www.kuhnchoir.cz/en/Home

Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl

The project Let´s sing! seeks to create a unique platform for contemporary choral music and for the singing at the most diverse levels and for different target groups.

The Let´s sing! is an umbrella term for a series of diverse activities which will provide innovative support for the development of contemporary professional music with a view to its influence and impact on the public, and especially its functioning as a social link.

The Let´s sing! is also conceived as a pilot project which may serve as an example for future projects in the field of contemporary music (or contemporary art in general) or the involvement of art in broad social debate. Moreover, the project offers the chance for valuable bilateral Czech-Norwegian collaboration in the cultural sphere, since a strong choral tradition is typical for the Czech Republic as well as for Norway.

The project’s innovation lies in its endeavour to bring together musical styles, composers from different generations, and various national traditions, in addition to introducing a significant social element and an awareness of the importance of audience interaction. At all times, emphasis will be placed on achieving the highest artistic standards in the given disciplines (singing, choral conducting, conducting in general, composition).

The project applicant is one of the Czech Republic’s foremost choirs, the Kühn Choir of Prague (hereafter KCP). With its many years of tradition, its outstanding performances and significance in Czech music circles, the KCP is the chief guarantor of the artistic quality and success of the entire project. The project will connect this professional choir with two smaller amateur choir led by a long-time member of the KCP, the singer Radka Dimitrovová. These two choirs are: the 30 members of the Blue School Choir (School for Children with Special Needs, Prague 4) with the half participation of the Roma minority and the Blue Band Choir (Special School for Disabled, Prague 4), consisting of members with combined defects and mental disabilities. The project demonstrates the importance of choral singing as an incredibly powerful phenomenon that can break any boundaries through the direct participation of minorities, socially excluded and disabled. The partner of the project is the distinguished Norwegian conductor, pedagogue and choirmaster Tone Bianca Sparre Dahl, since 2002 choirmaster of the celebrated Norwegian choir Schola Cantorum.

During the project Let´s sing! four concerts for the general public will be performed. Onebased on the cultural expression of minorities. This concert will be preceded by several months of work with the choirs.

The next three concerts (Broumov, Olomouc, Prague) will be rehearsed and performed by the KCP under the leading of a Czech and Norwegian choirmaster (partner). The project aims also to promote high-quality professional contemporary music and encourage brand new works, therefore the repertoire of these three concerts will consist of 6 compositions by contemporary composers from different generations (three Czech and three from Norway) working in different music genres. Two works will be written expressly for the project. The largest of these concerts will be the gala concert of the KCP in Prague to support the two school-choirs the Blue School and the Blue Band. The members of these choirs will attend a gala concert as listeners (this will be their first experience with professional art) and they will also perform one song.

The concert will be hosted and will demonstrate the importance of supporting choral singing to the public. This unique concert, which will present the highest choral art (contemporary Czech and Norwegian pieces) in addition to a strong social message, will be recorded by the Czech Radio and broadcast throughout Europe within the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). An integral part of the project are complementary activities that present both to professionals and to the general public the work with choirs and singing in general, including its social potential: 3 interactive workshops will present working with a professional choir and will be led by Czech and Norwegian renowned conductors. The other two activities - one creative workshop and one seminar are targeted on the youth musicians, music therapists and music teachers working with socially excluded.

On all these additional activities the Norwegian partner will participate and transfer the knowhow, because Norway's involvement in music and the social role of singing is very much developed. Cooperation with the Norwegian partner will actively work also after the project.

2 272 149 CZK