Carnival concert | Choir-Masterpiece!

Performers: Jacek Sykulski — conductor

Jarosław Wolanin — choir preparation

Silesian Philharmonic Choir

Program: Gustav Holst — I Love My Love

Benjamin Britten — The Ballad of Green Broom

George Gershwin, op. Christopher Clapham — I Got Rhythm

Astor Piazzolla, op. Nick Zadoff — Buenos Aires Zero Hour

Eric Whitacre — Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine

Cole Porter, op. Andrew Carter — Night and Day

Gioachino Rossini, op. John Eschliman as William Tell Overture

Astor Piazzolla, op. Roberto Goldar — Primavera Porteña

Jacek Sykulski — Ice Stands on Request

Jacek Sykulski — Zbójnicki

British folklore, American jazz, Argentine tango and Polish folk music will meet during the carnival concert of the Silesian Philharmonic Choir conducted by Jacek Sykulski. A program full of rhythm, dance energy and musical contrasts will guide listeners through different corners of the world, showing the extraordinary versatility of the choral sound.

The evening will be opened with songs inspired by British folk tradition. Gustav Holst's I Love My Love and Benjamin Britten's The Ballad of Green Broom show how old songs and stories can become a source of inspiration for 20th century composers. Their music impresses with its melodiousness, narrative and characteristic British color.

There will also be American rhythms in the program. Audiences will hear George Gershwin's energetic I Got Rhythm and Cole Porter's timeless Night and Day standard — songs that have been part of the pop and jazz canon for decades. In turn, Rossini's brilliant choral elaboration of Gioachin Rossini's overture to Wilhelm Tell will show how great opera works can take on a whole new face thanks to the possibilities of the human voice.

A special place will be occupied by compositions by Astor Piazzolla — Buenos Aires Hora Cero and Primavera Porteña. The creator of tango nuevo has combined traditional Argentine rhythms with elements of jazz and classical music, creating a style full of emotion, contrasts and unique energy. Thanks to choral arrangements, listeners will be able to discover these works from a new perspective.

The highlight of the first part of the concert will be Eric Whitacre's Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine — one of the most impressive works of contemporary choral literature. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, the piece impresses with its richness of sounds, extraordinary sound imagination and vocal effects that have fascinated audiences around the world for years.

The finale of the evening will belong to Jacek Sykulski — composer, conductor and one of the most outstanding contemporary creators of choral music in Poland. Stoi Iec na Prosznie and Zbójnicki draw inspiration from Polish folk music, using distinctive vocal techniques and elements of white voice. The composer creatively combines tradition with modernity, creating music full of authenticity, vibrancy and stage energy.

This carnival concert will show the choir at its most versatile. From British folk songs, to jazz standards and Argentine tango, to contemporary inspirations from Polish folklore, the program will prove that the human voice can transcend the boundaries of styles, cultures and eras, while preserving the joy of making music together.

CONCERT INFORMANT