2018
Annual celebration of Maypole Setting on the last day of April took place at the Family Square in Záhorská Bystrica. The weather was favourfable, The kiosks were offering their specialties and the drinks, among which the beer and wine were most appreciated. So, the mood was great and the people anxciously awaited the arrival of the Maypole.
The decorated, 25 metres long Maypole was brought to the square by horses at 6 p.m. being accompanied by the local voluntary firemen as well, as the Bystričan choir singing folk songs. After setting the May pole with the help of the hydraulics, the cultural programe could begin by the speech of Mr. Jozef Krúpa, the mayor of Záhorská Bystrica.
Next, the Bystričan choir performed on the stage and sang the folk songs from the Záhorie region.
The following performers were the folk music group CIFRA, together with the senior folk dancers from the DEVÍN folk choir.
The last performer was the brass-band ČASTOVANKA from the village Častá. They played popular songs, most of which were well known, so the people could sing and dance. The merriment last untill 10 p.m. It was a very pronounced evening thanks not only to the performers, but also the organizers, the local voluntary firemen,k asw well as the DECOS company, who transported the Maypole from the forest down to the Family Square.
The Festival of Slovak national song took part on May 19.-20. in Bratislava – Devínska Nová Ves.
The Bystričan choir was a part of the program in both days. On Saturday, 19th of May, Bystričan sang Slovak national songs in the Museum of the Croatian culture in Slovakia, at the festive meeting dedicated to the memorial of the Slovak writer Rudolf Sloboda with the academic sculptor Alexander Ilečko, the author of his monument. The performance of Bystričan was warmly accepted by the attendants. After the official part, the attendants of the meeting asked for some more songs and the singers gladly added some. They were accompanied by the accordion played by the choirmaster Štefan Martinkovič.
The main program took place on Sunday. May 20, in Istrocentrum. For this appereance,
The Bystricans prepared 6 songs from the region of Zahorie. Some of them were sung a´capella, some with the accordion of Štefan Martinkovič. The choirmaster, together with the singers were pleased by the warm acceptance of their appearance, inspite of the participation of the other well known choirs, like Rodokmeň or Kytica.
The successful performance during the Festival is for the choir a great encouragement to their further set up of the new CD, but also for building up their further appearances they plan in the near future.
On Sunday, July 1, the Small Feast in Záhorská Bystrica took place at the main Square of the Family. The program was opened by the singing choir Bystričan, who offered the feast audience severall songs from their new CD having been in preparing. Extra capturing were the a´ capella songs „Zaspívali sebje“, „Ket já smutný pújdem“ and the vintage song „U Hochštetna“ sang glee with the conduction of the choirmaster Štefan Martinkovič. Also the other three songs, conducted by the accordion of Štefan Martinkovič, „Za hory, za doly“, „V síni dolinečka“, and cheerfull wedding song „Veselú mamičko“ pleased the audience.
The Festival of senior singing choirs in Dúbravka took place on Saturday, July 14 2018 in Dúbravka´s Palace of culture. There were 10 choirs attending the Festival. The singing choir Bystričan from Záhorská Bystrica could not be missing.The singers offered their audience in a sound and elated effort severall songs from the 3rd CD in preparing, but also some older songs being conducted by the choirmaster Štefan Martinkovič playing the accordion. Especially attractive were the a´capella songs
„Zaspívali sebje“ and a vintage song „U Hochštetna“, but also two duetts „Ráno, ráno“ and „Na cichém Dunaji“ presented by Viera Klčová, Eva Frťalová and Martin Besedič. The appearance of the choir Bystričan ranked among the top ones at the Festival, which is a good sign of the systematic work not only the choirmaster Martinkovič, but also the singers, which fact will cerftainly reflect on the quality of the new CD in preparing.
The Constitution Day Festival at „Placek“
On August 31, the citizens of Zahorska Bystrica recorded the 26th anniversary of the Slovak Republic Constitution enactment, as well as the 74th anniversary of The Slovak National Uprising at the festival organized by Matica slovenská at the bonfire on Placek. Martin Besedič, the vice-mayor of Zahorska Bystrica opened the festival and then, the festive intercessions were held by Ing. Jozef Krupa, the Mayor of Zahorska Bystrica, JUDr. Miroslav Rac, the chairman of the local division of the Slovak Antifascist Campaigners Union in Zahorska Bystrica and the chairman of the local division of Matica Slovenska in Zahorska Bystrica JUDr. Štefan Martinkovič. Finally, the local choir Bystričan sang the Slovak National Anthem, as well as the Matica Slovenska Anthem „Kto za pravdu horí, together with severall folk songs from Zahorie region. After the official part followed the rustic entertainment with a good goulash, washed down by a glass of beer, vine or non-alkoholic drink. The singers of Bystričan assisted with nice songs.
The Bystrican choir performed in Galanta. It represented the Bratislava county at the gala program dedicated to the 85th anniversary of Matica Slovenska division in Galanta and the 25th anniversary of the Matica Slovenska House in Galanta, which took place on October 26 in the Galanta Courthouse. It was the 10th annual gala program of the Slovak ethnic choirs associated within Matica Slovenska all over Slovakia. In the 15 minutes program Bystrican sang several lovely folksongs coming from the Zahorie (West Slovakia) region, as well as a national song Slovensko moje, being led by the choirmaster Štefan Martinkovič playing accordion. The manager of the Matica Slovenska House in Galanta Bc. Zlatica Gažová awarded each choir a memorandum and invited the participants to a „glass of wine“ reception. At the end of the official program all the participants sang together the anthem of Matica Slovenska.
Author of videos: Peter Horňák
On November 18, The Local Division of Matica Slovenska in Rybnik in cooperation with the Parish Ministry organized a festive concert on the occasion of „The Year 2018“, which has been taken for the Year of The Slovak Nationhood. This is due to the 8 important anniversaries coming on force in 2018. The festive concert took place in The Sacrosanct Trinity church in Rybnik. The reverend Štefan Kováč opened the concert mentioning in his speech also all, for the Slovak Nation significant anniversaries in 2018, having been done down in history of the Slovak Nation.
The gravity of the event underlined the performance of Bystričan singing choir, which, beeing directed by the choirmaster Štefan Martinkovič interpreted seven impressive sacral compositions: Laudate Dominum, Vezmi Pane život môj, O Cor Jesu, Stabat Mater, Veni Jesu, Dona Nobis Pacem, Tebe pojem and the Toast song from the Ukrainian composer Bortňansky. The performance was a great success. The other performers were well accepted, as well: Mrs. Anna Dubovcová from Žilina declaimed verses from famous Slovak bards. Andrea Harmadyová and Jozef Polc from Rybnik sang duetos beeing accompanyied by the guitar of Jozef Polc.
The Bystričan singers, satisfied and encouraged by the applause of Mr. Martinkovič, which is, in his case a very rare occurence, sang all the way back to Bratislava.
On 8. and 9. December our choir has realized the recording of the 3rd CD within the framework of the Project named „Spevavé Záhorie“ (Singing Záhorie) and grant-aided by the County of Bratislava. Beautifull songs, known and unknown ones were taken from the numerous songbooks of Mr. Janko Blaho. We have studied them being guided by the choirmaster Štefan Martinkovič, all in his dramaturgy. We have resolved to present the folklore supporters with the beautifull songs from Záhorie, as we thing they are not given an equal spacescape either in media or on festival stages to the songs of Middle or Eastern Slovakia.
We wish to present our audience with our new CD within the first half of January 2019 at the festive koncert connected with it´s christening.
