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Szczecin Boy´s Choir "Nightingales"
Conductor Bozena Derwich 
The Szczecin Boy´s Choir "Nightingales" was founded in december 1960.
Jan Szyrocki, one of the founders used to lead the choir for the next 14 years. From 1974 to
1992 Elzbieta Berczynska-Kus was the conductor of the choir - this was a significant period
in the history of the "Nightingales". In 1991 the choir was invited by the American Music
Society "Blue Lake" from Michigan for its first America tournee.
In April 1992 Bozena Derwich, a graduate from the Warsaw Music Academy, was chosen as the conductor and music director of the choir. The choir has been on tour to almost all countries in Europe as well as to America, Asia and Africa. In October 1992 the choir was invited by Ramon Santos, a phillippenean composer, to take part in the first World Festival of Children´s Choirs Manila 92. There, Bozena Derwich was leading workshops for conductors from Indonesia, Australia, Japan, India and the Philippines. The choir opened 1993 with "The Golden Harp of Eol" - Grand Prix of the XV Competition of Polish Pupils´Groups of the old music "Schola Cantorum 93" in Kalisz, Poland, and the prize established by the Kalisz mayor. Bozena Derwich received an individual prize in the category "The Best Conductor". At the beginning of 1994 the choir won the 4th prize at the International Choral Festival in Tolosa/Spain. Later, in November the choir performed together with the orchestra and the choir of the Plovdiv Opera the 9th Symphony by L. van Beethoven and the Hallelujah from "Messiah" by G.F. Händel for an audience of 15 000 people in Athens/Greece. In October 1995 the "Nightingales" won the top award at the International Music Festival Eisteddfod 95 in Roodepoort near Johannesburg/South Africa. In the same month, Bozena Derwich received a prize from the Szczecin mayor for outstanding results in didactic work. 
In January 1996 the "Nightingales" were performing christmas songs and carols in Germany and France. In July 1996 the choir won the 2nd prize at the International Music Festival in Cantonigros/Spain and in October 1996 the 1st prize and the "Gold Diploma" at the International Music Festival in Netanya/Israel. The next succes for the "Nightingales" was to win the 2nd place and a silver medal at the International Festival and Competition for Children Choirs "Golden Gate" in San Francisco/USA. A concert in the famous Davies Symphony Hall followed due to that success. The beginning of 1999 brought a concert tour through several asian countries: Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan. The "Nightingales" were taking part in the International Choral Festival in Djakarta/Indonesia, where Bozena Derwich was leading workshops and seminars for musicians and conductors from several countries, wherein the "Nightingales" served for demonstration purposes. Similar workshops were held in Singapore and Bangkok. Additionally, the choir was giving many concerts in all four countries. The significant year 2000 began for the "Nightingales" in Rome, where they were taking part in the XXX International Congress Pueri Cantores; a private invitation from pope Ioannis Paulus II marked an additional highlight of that journey. In December 2000 the ensemble has celebrated its 40th birthday. "The Nightingales" sang in Szczecin Philharmonic both with their a cappella program and the first polish performance of "Mass of the Angels" by Charles Heimermann one of modern American composers. Joined choirs of Szczecin Technical University and "The Nightingales", and Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra were conducted by prof. Jan Szyrocki . Charles Heimermann was present as the honours guest of the anniversary. "The Nightingales" were done honour to with prestige statuette of "ASTRA". In the course of the first six months of 2001 "The Nightingales" acted in front of Szczecin audience and additionally performed in cities placed in South-Eastern Poland also - among others- as a special guest on St. Mary International Festival of Songs in Sandomierz and staged a concert in the famous baroque - basilica of Bernardine in Leżajsk . In Autumn a five-weeks tournee to South America took place. "The Nightingales" performed in Chile , Argentina , Uruguay and Brazil for publicity of many towns and cities during 24 concerts with great success . By the way the most attractive places on the continent were visited by choir members - Andes , Iguassu waterfalls , capital cities like Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. "The Nightingales" participated in The Fifth Children's Choir Biennial Festival in Vina del Mar ( Chile )-as a special guest and in Choir Festival in Tandil ( Argentina ). In March 2002 "The Nightingales" with their concert added the splendour to annual celebration of the Chamber of Commerce called "Jahresempfang" in Neubrandenburg in Germany. The next activities of the choir were taking a part in the "Pueri Cantores" congress in Lyon in July 2002 and in the international festival "Touch the Future" in Ludwigshafen, where choreographic workshops were led by famous american choreographer John Jacobson. In May 2003 the ensemble took a part in the Festival of Zygmunt Stojowski's Music in Warsaw. Szczecin Boys' Choir Nightingales performed with orchestra and soloists two cantatas: "Prayer for Poland" Op. 40 (the first performance in Poland) and "Le printemps" Op. 7. In June 2003 the choir took a part in the 11th edition of German-Polish Music Days in Gartz (Germany) and in the "Pueri Cantores" congress in Poznan. The latest activities of the choir is concert tour in December 2003 during which Nightingales were performing in Paris, Hannover, Dortmund and Lessines (Belgium). The "Nightingales" participate in many concerts in Szczecin: they sing during festivities, jubilees, cooperating with the Szczecin Opera in "Carmen" by Bizet, "La Boheme" and "Tosca" by Puccini. Their repertoire includes great music works, such as "Stabat Mater" by Pergolesi, "Chichester Psalms" by Bernstein, "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff. The "Nightingales'" artistic activity is very intensive. The choir regularly participates in opera performances, such as: "Carmen" by G.Bizet, "La Boheme" and "Tosca" by G.Puccini, and in great vocal-instrumental works, such as "Stabat Mater" by G.B. Pergolesi, "Chichester Psalm's" by L.Bernstein, "Carmina Burana" by C.Orff. In 2004, the "Nightingales" participated in the International Children's Choir Festival: "Little Musical Dialogues" in Turin, Italy, and in a festival of children's choirs and dance groups in Pribram, Czech Republic. As a form of cooperation with border towns' choirs, the "Nightingales" participated in Christmas carols concert in "Konzerthalle" in Frankfurt (Oder), where they, together with the choir "Singakademie Frankfurt", performed Polish and German carols. In July 2005, the "Nightingales" participated in the concert "The River's Flow, the Years' Flow" in Summer Theatre, on the 60th anniversary of Polish Szczecin. The concert was broadcast on the Polish Television TVP3. In December 2005, the Szczecin Boys' Choir, "Nightingales" ceremonially celebrated their 45th anniversary of artistic activity. The anniversary concerts took place in Szczecin Concert Hall and in the Dukes of Pomerania Castle. Two other choirs, one from Warsaw and one from Prague, Czech Republic, and also the Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra, participated in the concerts together with the "Nightingales." In January 2006, the "Szczecin Nightingales" performed, together with the Academic Choir of the Szczecin Technical University, a concert of carols and pastorals in the St. Jacob's Cathedral in Szczecin. In April 2006, the choir, together with actors from Szczecin theatres, participated in "The Mystery of Christ's Passion." The performance was broadcast on the TVP3 Szczecin. In June 2006, the "Nightingales" performed two concerts a cappella in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, on the 25th anniversary of the Knabenchor der Singakademie Frankfurt choir's artistic activity. The choir was strongly applauded in the concert hall, we were recognized in the city streets, and the conductor, Ms Bożena Derwich was congratulated for the quality of the choir's sound. In December 2006 the choir was on an artistic tour in Germany and France. The concerts were held in: Dresden - a concert with Heinrich Schütz Akademie Dresden Boys' and Men's Choir held in Schifferstadt - we were guests of the ecumenical choir of the city of Schifferstadt; in Ludwigshafen the Nightingales gave a charity concert in a nursing home; in France Polish carols were sang in Fuveau/Marseille and La Gaude/ Nice. Towards the end of our tour we also caroled in Besancon in France. The trip lasted two weeks. The choir was warmly welcomed by wonderful audiences, which is documented in reviews published by German and French newspapers. After returning to the country the choir gave carol concerts in Szczecin: in the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle as a part of weekly Sunday noon concerts and in the Holy Family Church. Carols were also sang at the Szczecin University during the "Everyone can sing" concert organised for students. In May 2007 the Nightingales were invited to honour the Jubilee of the French Charity Institution in Nantes. The choir gave three a`capella concerts in Nantes and neighbouring cities. During this artistic tour we also visited Arlon in Belgium and were guests of a choir in Osnabrück (Germany). In June 2007 Szczecin's Nightingales performed Passion according to Saint Luke by K. Penderecki in cooperation with Polish choirs ("Camerata Nova" Pomeranian Dukes' Castle), German choirs as well as a Norwegian choir and a mixed Polish-German orchestra. The concerts were held in Greifswald and Szczecin in St. Jacob's Cathedral. The conductor was Jochen Modess from Germany. In October 2007 the Nightingales performed Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein in Germany at the Anniversary of the Unification of the Two German States. The concert was held in the cathedral in Pasewalk. The conductor was Falk Schneppat from Germany. October 2007 was also rich in events organised in Szczecin. Our concerts added splendour to the "Unveiling of the Educational Mast" in the "Cuma" youth centre, with the participation of the city authorities, the "Unvailing of Pope John Paul II's Monument" in the church located in the Bukowe housing estate. The mass, in which the Nightingales also took part, was honoured by the presence of cardinal Józef Glemp. The Nightingales also gave a concert in the Pomeranian Library in Szczecin during the third death anniversary of a conductor and composer Walerian Pawłowski. In December 2007 Szczecin's Nightingales conducted by Bożena Derwich went on a tour of European countries. Concerts were held in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Bratislava in Slovakia. The concert in Luxembourg was a very special event for Poles living there permanently. The musical interpretation of Polish carols performed by the choir conducted by Bożena Derwich truly touched the audience. In March and May 2008 the Nightingales participated in the performances of Bizet's Carmen in the Szczecin Opera in the castle. In May we also gave concerts in Lubeck (Germany) during the 60th anniversary of the founding of Lubecker Knabenkantorei choir June 2008 are concerts organised in Szczecin. We participated in two events: "A Picnic on Oder" - a family touristic-leisure event and the "Sea Parade" organised to celebrate the Days of the Sea. |