Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir in PE next month

Woodridge College & Preparatory School will be hosting the Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir in Port Elizabeth on 11 October.

The concert takes place in St Mary’s Cathedral at 7.30 pm.

  This internationally esteemed choir, which has performed in New York’s famed Carnegie Hall, was established in 1932.  Consisting of the most talented singers from a 500 pupil strong school for vocal development, with which it is closely affiliated, this choir was the proud recipient of the European Grand Prix Award in 1998.

Some of its other top accolades include a first prize in its category at the international choral competition of the European Broadcast Union in Wuppertal (2008), and first prizes at prestigious choral competitions in Tolosa (2008) and Arezzo (2010).  The choir’s discography includes over 50 long playing records and compact discs.

Professor Jiří Chvála has been at the head of the Prague Philharmonic Choir since 1967, undertaking several dozen international tours with the choir.  This respected educator, who teaches conducting and choral disciplines at Prague’s Academy of Performing Arts, regularly sits on international choral competition juries and has lectured at international choral seminars in Vienna, Tokyo, Grasse, Helsinki, Singapore, Princeton and Tolosa.

In 2003 Professor Chvála received the Award of Merit for lifelong cultural endeavor from the Czech Minister of Education and in 2009 he was awarded the Bedrich Smetana Prize from the Czech Choral Union and the Association of Choir Masters.

Works from composers as diverse as Palestrina, Faure, Schubert, Smetana, Málek and Mozart will be performed at the choir’s much anticipated concert in St Mary’s.  Tickets are priced at    R50 for adults and R25 for students, scholars and members of the St Mary’s Congregation.  Bookings may be done through Tanya Schenk at Woodridge College (Tel. 041-956 6200).