The Eragiyok choir from Astigarraga has achieved a significant award at the 15th International Coral Festival held in Krakow, Poland, specifically in the bass voices category. The Gipuzkoan ensemble received the accolade last Sunday at the Philharmonic Hall auditorium in Krakow.
Last Saturday, the choir from Astigarraga performed four pieces at the Santa Catalina Church, two of which were in Basque. The performance by the Gipuzkoan group surpassed choirs from Norway, Poland, and Denmark.
The program consisted of four musical works, blending various elements. The first two pieces were dedicated to sacred music, though distinct from each other: Vicente Goicochea's Ave, verum corpus on one hand, and Piotr Janczak's Kyrie on the other.
Following this, they presented two classics of Basque folklore. The first, Kitolis, narrated and sung with emotion by a soloist, depicts the tragic story of the work's namesake. After a quiet opening, the piece dramatically shifts with the liveliness of a zortziko and the ezpatadantza dance.
To conclude, they performed Joan nintzen Ainoara. Singing in six parts, the formation showcased strength and vibrancy, along with a beautiful interplay between the different voices.
