Performer: VUS Ondráš
Conductor: Jiří Slavík
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Supraphon
Catalogue: SU43212
Release: 2022
Size: 546 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Nesem vám noviny
02. Byla cesta, byla ušlapaná
03. Mariin chvalozpěv
04. Jak zpívali andělé
05. Oči narozeného Ježíše
06. Narodil se Kristus Pán
07. Jak jsi krásné neviňátko
08. Chtíc, aby spal
09. Kristus Pán se narodil
10. Dej nám Pán Bůh své požehnání
11. Koleda je na Vánoce
12. Sedí pantáta
13. Dva kapuni
14. Štědrej večer nastal
15. Sláva na výsostech Bohu
16. Dej Bůh štěstí
17. Veselé vánoční hody
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not”. John the Evangelist’s words inspired the title of a remarkable Christmas cycle, rendering its profound message, diverting our attention from glittering decorations and refocusing on the very reason for celebrating Christmas – commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Many a time with a breath-taking directness, traditional carols clearly capture the poetics of the Nativity and the story of those who were there.
Such carols were precisely that which resounded in the mind of Jiří Slavík, a seasoned young jazz musician and composer with a penchant for folklore, in the spring of 2020, when a pandemic locked us down in our homes. “No one had the slightest inkling as to when we would again be able to play and sing together”. The songs immediately became a source of hope, hope that light would begin shining soon. The carols acquired their shape, sometimes soft and intimate, at others bolder, symphonically opulent. Interludes and songs inspired by the Biblical story came to life, ultimately engendering a whole cycle.
From the beginning, it was intended to be performed by The Ondráš Military Art Ensemble – an orchestra and choir specialising in folk music, yet willing to cross the genre’s borders. As interpreted by the singers and instrumentalists, the Bohemian and Moravian carols sound absolutely natural, often in unconventional colour arrangements. This type of music – just like any music retelling a powerful story – requires quietening. When we let tranquillity take over our minds, we may touch upon a secret.