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BONI PUERI - Toronto concert review

Metropolitan United Church, Nov. 6, 2006

Boni Pueri (Latin for “Good Boys”) is a choir that possesses integrity and flexibility of tone, stylistic versatility, and a masterful command in the moment of performance. Under the assured and creative direction of Jakub Martinec, the twenty-eight voice ensemble presented a magnificent and kaleidoscopic program at Metropolitan United Church on Monday evening.

The choir was mature in all aspects of  performance aplomb.  Its visual presentation spanned from traditional to well-considered spontaneity in its gestures and segues. There was engaging and humorous banter between the two concert hosts: ll-year old Dominik Klapka and his “big brother” Karl Kincl.

The repertoire choices were just right, transcending the feeling of requisite choral concert choices from various eras and styles. All of those areas were covered, but the progression was so seamless, it was more a tour of emotional states, harmonic intensities, and rhythmic palettes. All were equally provocative – from the calming Gregorian Chant processional “Pueri Herbraeorum” to the French-Canadian (and a fascinatingly Czech-accented)“Ah si mon moine voulait danser!”, to Czech works by Martinu and Dvorák. The much-loved “Panis Angelicus” was fervently performed by 10-year old treble Josef Sedlacek and the choir.

It was not that this is a fine choir, and certainly not the typical ambassadorial boys choir– it offered us a performance that requires superlatives. The refreshing vocalism and imaginative sense of this choir transported its audience at will. It brought us to the spiritual centre of the music, and gave us an invitation to the dance of universal expressions and emotions.

You’ll need a plane ticket to catch their other Canadian performances, which are continuing in Western Canada until mid-November.

Dr. Darryl Edwards
Associate Professor of Voice
Faculty of Music, University of Toronto (10. 11. 2006)