On June 11th at 8pm songs, hymns and prayers will be sung in eight languages. Apart from folk and religious pieces works of Bartók and Ligeti will also be performed and Bea Palya will present some of her newest songs too.

The concert opens with Balázs Dongó Szokolay’s improvisational bagpipe tunes, reminiscent of Pentecostal songs. Saint Ephraim will first perform Béla Bartók’s post-romantic, philosophical, eight-part male choral piece written in his younger years, followed by Barnabás Dukay’s motet piece written for the leader of the choir, Tamás Bubnó.

Later they will sing a piece from Sándor Szokolay, titled Gloria, written for male choir taken from Missa Brevis. This mass was written in 1985 for the Sophia Male Choir by the much respected master, who only recently passed away. The piece has never before been performed in Hungary.

Another world premier will also be presented: Bea Palya’s Tág a világ (The World is Expanse) is a prayer asking the creator for forgiveness, sung over a Hungarian folk-like melody and rearranged by Mark Bubnó. Palya Bea will also sing a Jiddish-Hungarian song and some pieces of the magically rich and deep tradition of the Bulgarian folk music.

At the end of the concert as always, the respected audience will be invited to join the choir in singing. The resonance of all the 1000 people of the audience reverberating through the majestic dome of the Saint Stephen’s Basilica is quite uplifting.

Tickets: 3500 Ft, Student and pensioner 2500 Ft.

Available on the premises and on www.jegymester.hu

Further information: www.szentefrem.hu