The boys' choir
Pueri Cantores Sancti Nicolai, Honorary Ambassador of the Royal Town of Bochnia, is a group of amateur singers promoting musical culture and liturgical singing. It was founded at
St. Mary's Sanctuary - St. Nicolaus' Basilica in Bochnia in the year 1987 on the initiative of Father
Stanisław Adamczyk and comprises more than a hundred members, mainly children and young people aged 10 20 years. Apart from singing, they learn self-discipline, the ability of concentrating, responsibility and precision indispensable for working in a team, self-criticism, but above all they experience the joy of creation as well as the beauty of serving God and people.
The choir performs a comprehensive
repertoire of sacred songs, embracing
a cappella songs dating from 16
th-21
th centuries, which include compositions for two choirs and several voices, and bigger vocal and instrumental forms, as well as
Negro Spirituals and standard songs of contemporary light music.
The choir has been
performing in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Spain, Holland, Luxemburg, Germany, Slovakia and Italy; it participated in a number of international competitions and festivals, including:
VIIth European Choir Festival »Giusseppe Zelioli«
recognized the best choir of the festival
(2003 Lecco/Italy)
XXVIIIth International Polyphonic Festival of Choirs »Citta di Nuoro«
invited to perform concerts of choral music
(2003 Sardinia/Italy)
37th International Festival »Wratislavia Cantans«
invited to perform Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, op. 66
(2002 Wrocław/Poland)
XXth International Musical Festival in Cantonigròs
Laureate of the 3rd award in the category of mixed choirs
(2002 Catalogne/Spain)
XXVIIth International Festival »Music in the Old Cracow«
invited to perform a concert of sacred music
(2002 Kraków/Poland)
XIIth International Festival of Sacred Music »Gaude Mater«
invited to perform Hector Berlioz's Te Deum as well as a concert of sacred music
(2002 Częstochowa/Poland)
XXXVIth International Festival of Choral Songs in Międzyzdroje
Laureate of the Golden Diploma and the Amber Aureole - first prizes of the Festival
(2001 Międzyzdroje/Poland)
XLVIIth International Polyphonic Competition »Guido D'Arezzo«
Laureate of the 4th award in the category of mixed choirs
(1999 Arezzo/Italy)
International Choir Competition »Legnica Cantat 30«
Laureate of the award Grand Prix - the Jerzy Liban of Legnica Golden Lute
(1999 Legnica/Poland)
as well as several main
first prizes in other competitions and festivals.
The choir sang for the pope John Paul II, as well as at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, St Mary's Sanctuary in Lourdes and St Peter's Cathedral in Trier.
The President and Conductor of the Choir is Father
Stanisław Adamczyk (Laureate of
the Jerzy Kurczewski Award), specialist in the field of voice emission. Since the year 1990 an accompanist
Krzysztof Kościółek has been co-operating with the choir, a graduate of
the Musical Academy in Cracow in the class of organs, pedagogue of
the First Degree State Music School and organist for
St Nicolaus' Basilica in Bochnia; while since the year 1997 the second conductor of the choir -
Bożena Wojciechowska, a graduate of the Fourth Department of
the Music Academy in Cracow, master of callisthenics and audition development as well as conductor of the String Orchestra in
the First Degree State Music School in Bochnia.
The choir is a member of the National and World Federation Pueri Cantores.
Tłumaczyła Joanna Pobiedacz
