Atlantic Boychoir achieves harmony with an album of music by Mozart
Have a First Listen to Tutto Mozart by the Atlantic Boychoir
Jakub Martinec founded the Atlantic Boychoir in 2016 for just one project.
Four years later, the group is a thriving musical community of more than a hundred boys and young men, and a team of music educators from all across Newfoundland and Labrador.
"I am so pleased that the boys are becoming really great musicians," said Martinec.
Choir boy himself
Martinec grew up in the Czech Republic, and sang with a boys' choir as a child and a young man.
He later became the artistic director of the Czech Boys' Choir.
When Martinec moved to St. John's for a position at Memorial University's school of music, he decided to bring that European tradition of male choral singing to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Province-wide group
Martinec and his wife, Jennifer Beynon-Martinec, founded the Atlantic Boychoir in August 2016.
The choir has members ranging in age from four to 22, living all across Newfoundland, and one member from Labrador.
The Martinecs have also enlisted music educators from around the province to be part of the choir's team.
The local teachers work with small groups of singers, Martinec travels frequently to each centre, and the entire choir gathers every month or two to work on concerts or recording projects.
We have reached a lovely level of music making, and I'd like to sustain it.- Jakub Martinec
The Atlantic Boychoir's new album is Tutto Mozart, an album of classical choral music written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
"Boys are very competitive," said Martinec. "They knew this was challenging repertoire."
"Because of that competitiveness and the nature of the boys they took this [music] as their own and they wanted to try this challenge."
"We spent the entire summer [choir] retreat at Killdevil last year for eight days, singing Mozart from morning till evening."
Harmony
Martinec said he's happy with what the Atlantic Boychoir has become. He said the five choral centres across the province are thriving, and the choir members and their families are excited about future projects.
"We have reached a lovely level of music making, and I'd like to sustain it."
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