CONSONANCE 2011
Consonance: International Festival of Advent and Christmas Traditions, Carols, and Handicrafts
is held during the last Advent weekend at several places of the Moravian-Silesian Region. From Thursday to Sunday, its rich program offers in this pre-Christmas time not only concerts and performances in attractive settings such as churches, concert halls and open-air stages, but also exhibitions, handicrafts, films, and a festive Holy Mass. A favourite part of the event is a Christmas Fair in the village of Kozlovice, followed by a program on Advent and Christmas folk customs including an extended offer of regional culinary specialities.
An opening concert will be held again in St. Venceslas church in Václavovice on 15 December where popular singer and guitarist Lenka Filipová will perform with Sean Barry (harp, keyboard) and Jindřich Koníř (keyboard).
A new stage will be inaugurated this year in the church in Frýdek-Místek on 16 December. Ensemble Collegium Marianum (John Semerádová - artistic director, Hana Blazikova - soprano, Thomas King - bass) will present work Rorate Coeli, whose central theme is Christmas music from the Baroque churches in Prague.
Saturday, the 17th December is reserved for a favorite Christmas Fair in the village of Kozlovice with a rich offer and sale of domestic and international culinary specialties. Selling the products of folk artists, including examples of their work (hand-painted jars, gingerbread decorating, carving wooden figures, commercial and decorative ceramics, straw ornaments, embroidery portrait, etc.) will be provided. The music component will be ensured by Ivana Dohnalova ( harpist), string quartet of the chamber ensemble Cameraty Janáček and we can look forward to dulcimer music and folk ensembles - Bejatka, Ondřejnica, Valášek, Valašský Vojvoda or a live nativity scene and the arrival of Three kings presented by the Theatre Company and the other performers from Kozlovice.
The festival will culminate on Sunday 18 December with final gala concert at the House of Culture in Ostrava, where Roma folk music Pokošovci from Šumiac (SK), folk ensembles Ondřejnica from Stará Ves nad Ondřejnicí and Valašský Vojoda from Kozlovice with soloists and the best child folk singers 2011 will perform. The main guest is Iva Bittová with the band Čikori. At the same time there will be a meeting of folk artists and craftsmen. Nativity scenes, straw ornaments, hand-made jewelry, hand-knitted socks, etc. will be poised as well as tasting and sale of regional cheese specialities or honey liquor.
This project is supported by Moravian-OKD Foundation, Foundation ČEZ, Czech Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic, City of Ostrava, Statutory City of Frýdek-Místek, Kozlovice and Václavovice municipalities, Folklore Association of the Czech Republic and all of our important partners.