Beautiful Friendship with Children from Vavrečka in Orava Region
The Bratislava Boys' Choir is preparing to visit Vavrečka, a village near Námestovo. The concert at this beautiful place will take place on May 30th 2025. A beautiful friendship has developed between our singers and the children from the local primary school, which began six years ago.
"Many schools follow the concerts of the Music Story series on interactive boards in their schools. We were very pleased that schools participated in the competition for the chance to attend a live concert in Bratislava. The condition was to send photographs, drawings, or statements from the children about the concert they watched online. The boys from our choir then evaluated the individual submissions, and Vavrečka was clearly the top!" recalls choir director Magdaléna Rovňáková.
The boys from the Bratislava Boys' Choir voted using candies. The principal of the Vavrečka Primary School with Kindergarten, Dana Serdelová, adds with a smile that when her children saw the video showing that their creations received 33 candies out of a possible 50, the friendship was sealed: "Our children, when they saw it, the emotion was so strong that it immediately created a bond. Since then, we have not missed a single online concert of the Music Story. And by winning this competition, our school got the opportunity to travel to Bratislava for the first time."
Since then, the Bratislava Boys' Choir has met with the children from Vavrečka in person three times.
"After the concert at the Slovak Radio, we also met backstage. Our children could hardly breathe when the boys sang one more encore just for them. It was also inspiring for our students to see how the older singers from the choir approached the younger ones with such respectful care, like older brothers."
For conductor Gabriel Rovňák, the school's principal's enthusiasm was an impetus for developing the friendship. "Mrs. Principal sent us a photo of the children watching the online Music Story concert. I must say, that photo took our breath away. All the children were dressed as if they were sitting in a concert hall. They wore black pants, white shirts, and truly enjoyed our concert from afar."
"Many schools follow the concerts of the Music Story series on interactive boards in their schools. We were very pleased that schools participated in the competition for the chance to attend a live concert in Bratislava. The condition was to send photographs, drawings, or statements from the children about the concert they watched online. The boys from our choir then evaluated the individual submissions, and Vavrečka was clearly the top!" recalls choir director Magdaléna Rovňáková.
The boys from the Bratislava Boys' Choir voted using candies. The principal of the Vavrečka Primary School with Kindergarten, Dana Serdelová, adds with a smile that when her children saw the video showing that their creations received 33 candies out of a possible 50, the friendship was sealed: "Our children, when they saw it, the emotion was so strong that it immediately created a bond. Since then, we have not missed a single online concert of the Music Story. And by winning this competition, our school got the opportunity to travel to Bratislava for the first time."
Since then, the Bratislava Boys' Choir has met with the children from Vavrečka in person three times.
"After the concert at the Slovak Radio, we also met backstage. Our children could hardly breathe when the boys sang one more encore just for them. It was also inspiring for our students to see how the older singers from the choir approached the younger ones with such respectful care, like older brothers."
For conductor Gabriel Rovňák, the school's principal's enthusiasm was an impetus for developing the friendship. "Mrs. Principal sent us a photo of the children watching the online Music Story concert. I must say, that photo took our breath away. All the children were dressed as if they were sitting in a concert hall. They wore black pants, white shirts, and truly enjoyed our concert from afar."
According to Dana Serdelová, teachers in Orava Region have a rare opportunity to show this kind of art to their students. Yet, it can be crucial for encouraging children to express interest in learning to play a musical instrument or engage in singing. The Music Story project is, in her opinion, immensely enriching for the children:
"When conductor Gabriel Rovňák called us in Vavrečka to say that it would happen and that the Bratislava Boys' Choir would come to us, everyone in the faculty room had goosebumps. A choir of such world-class quality is coming to our small village in Orava. And it is purely out of sincere friendship. It is not profit-driven, nothing showy. We appreciate it all the more."
The director of the Bratislava Boys' Choir recalls that the children from Vavrečka brought "her boys" a lovely gift each time in the form of baked gingerbread or handmade creations. She kept in mind that she would want to reciprocate their effort and immense enthusiasm one day. "That day is just around the corner. We received a grant from the Arts Support Fund for this trip, and we can't wait to delight our friends in Vavrečka with a concert of the Music Story on the road."
The primary school in Vavrečka is a beautiful example of how to lead children to perceive art, discover new worlds, and cultivate values that foster a love for music and build new friendships. The dedication of Mrs. Principal Dana Serdelová and her entire team is admirable - and we are very much looking forward to the time spent together in Vavrečka.
"When conductor Gabriel Rovňák called us in Vavrečka to say that it would happen and that the Bratislava Boys' Choir would come to us, everyone in the faculty room had goosebumps. A choir of such world-class quality is coming to our small village in Orava. And it is purely out of sincere friendship. It is not profit-driven, nothing showy. We appreciate it all the more."
The director of the Bratislava Boys' Choir recalls that the children from Vavrečka brought "her boys" a lovely gift each time in the form of baked gingerbread or handmade creations. She kept in mind that she would want to reciprocate their effort and immense enthusiasm one day. "That day is just around the corner. We received a grant from the Arts Support Fund for this trip, and we can't wait to delight our friends in Vavrečka with a concert of the Music Story on the road."
The primary school in Vavrečka is a beautiful example of how to lead children to perceive art, discover new worlds, and cultivate values that foster a love for music and build new friendships. The dedication of Mrs. Principal Dana Serdelová and her entire team is admirable - and we are very much looking forward to the time spent together in Vavrečka.
