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John Rutter: Božična luč - CD

The first CD of the Zbor sv. Nikolaja (Saint Nicholas Choir), Božična Luč (The Christmas Light), came out in December 2003. It contains selected compositions of John Rutter. The wonderful music and rich text are brought to us by some of Slovenia's best artists - thirty members of the orchestra Simfonija Luwigana, the soloist Marcos Fink, forty members of the Zbor sv. Nikolaja and thirty members of the Nikolajev otroški zbor (Saint Nicholas Children's Choir) - all conducted by Helena Fojkar Zupančič. This CD is a unique example of such music in Slovenia.

It is the text of the compositions that, according to traditional Christmas values, brings peace and optimism to mankind in these troubled times. Further value to this project was contributed by prof. Irma Močnik, who translated the text into Slovenian language.



"How difficult it is to capture the joy arising from this music work of the Zbor sv. Nikolaja in a couple of sentances! Especially when we best know ourselves what it means to forty young people to manage to sing in four and more voices after only a couple of years in one and two voices. Even more, to win gold at a national choir competition. It is difficult to express what happens inside of somebody to dedicate all spare time to the creation of something beautiful. And share this beauty with others. All because of the strong faith that we can make our common dreams a new reality ..."


John Rutter, England:
Dear Helena
The Christmas CD is really lovely: your performers have a beautiful feeling for the right way to perform my music, and it is all a time delight to listen to. Bravo! Please give everyone my congratulations and thanks. At Christmas I shall play the CD many times!
THANK YOU!

Malcolm Goldring, England:
Dear Helena
I just wanted to write to say how much I am enjoying your CD of the Rutter pieces. You have a fabulous choir, and your conductung is so very sensitive! I love the words in Slovenian - they sound so right for the music!! It was a great joy to meet you and to work with you at the Singing Week. I do hope we will meet again soon.
With warmest wishes.


John Rutter is the most recognized living English composer, whose work is based on tradition. As a soprano singer in a school choir, he came across vocal and vocally instrumental music, to which he dedicates the majority of his creative opus today. He composes for various ensembles. His works thus include choir miniatures as well as large vocally instrumental works, various orchestra works, two children's operas, television music etc. His most famous major vocally instrumental works Gloria (1974), Requiem (1985), Magnificat (1990) and Psalmfest (1993) are frequently performed in England, the US and numerous other countries. He is the founder and conductor of an excellent professional choir the Cambridge singers, with which he mainly makes records. He is invited to all around the world as a conductor and a lecturer and, besides' numerous awards and honorary titles, he was also conferred a Lambeth doctorate by the Canterbury Archbishop for his contribution to spiritual music. Rutter's music is published by the Oxford University Press and Hinshaw Music Inc. as well as by the Astrum publishing house in Slovenia.


Irma Močnik, a music pedagogue, teaches and conducts the children's choir of the elementary school Cerklje in Gorenjska. She has been translating from European languages for ten years and writing lyrics for even longer. Her translations of lyrics are true to originals since she also considers rhythmical and vocal technical features of lyrics besides its contents.


Marcos Fink, a solo singer, is currently one of the most appreciated bass-baritonists in Europe. He is a regular guest of the biggest European opera houses and big concert stages (in Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, Basel, Bordeax, Strasbourg, Frankfurt, Catania, Ljubljana etc). He makes records for various European publishing houses, mostly in France, where he also received the prestigious Golden Orpheus, and, in Slovenia, the Prešeren Fund Award.


Simfonija Luwigana is a recently founded orchestra which can nevertheless be proud of its excellent acrhievements. The present orchestra cast dedicates its work to the archive recording for the Radio-television Slovenia. The orchestra consist of the most prominent musicians, soloists of the RTV Slovenia Symphonic Orchestra. The artistic director is Marko Fabiani, the first violinist of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra.


We have also received a letter from the copyright owner - the Oxford University Press publishing house, containing the composer's personal expression of enthusiasm and profound support for this unique Slovenian project.

The project, supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, has encountered numerous approvals and expectations already in the preparation period.

The recording of the CD took place in the Zavod sv. Stanislava in Šentvid in November 2003.

The compositions are recorded on the CD Božična luč (SAZAS NOKUL CD 01). The CD's edition is 6000 copies.

The information on the note sheets translated to Slovenian can be obtained at www.astrum.si.

Nova kultura Litija, Valvazorjev trg 1, SI-1270 Litija, Slovenija | e-mail: info@litija.org