Gorizia, 19 February 2025 – The concert The Singing Echo of Ljubka’s Trail took place in the Large Hall of the Lojze Bratuž Cultural Centre which delighted the audience and in a remarkable way revived the memory of Ljubka Šorli on her birthday. The concert brought together more than 200 young singers, and the audience rewarded them with enthusiastic applause.
The children’s and youth choirs from Slovenia and Italy: the Children and Youth Choirs Emil Komel from Gorizia, the Children and Youth Choirs of the France Bevk Primary School from Tolmin, the Children Choirs of the Danilo Lokar Primary School from Ajdovščina, of the Šempas Primary School, of the Ljubka Šorli Primary School in Vermegliano, and the Youth Choir of the Dušan Munh Primary Schoolfrom Most na Soči, made for an exceptional musical experience. They were led by chori directors Barbara Kovačič, Petra Habjanič Gregorc, Lucia Lavrenčič, Damijana Čevdek, Mojca Maver Podbersič, Erika Bizjak and Mateja Černic. Young singers were accompanied by professional musicians Elia Vigolo (violin), Luca Bregant (cello), Tatiana Donis (harp), Alessandro Mauri, Pierluigi Corvaglia, Giorgio Fritsch (percussions) and Ingrid Mačus (piano). Especially for this event, composer Patrick Quaggiato set Ljubka Šorli’s poems to music, giving the audience a unique experience of poetic and musical art. “Ljubka Šorli’s children’s poems are full of joy, but at the same time they are also gently asking questions about the world around us. In their simplicity, they hide a deep emotion and playfulness…” wrote Dr David Bandelj, who thoughtfully chose the poems for the concert.
The concert is part of the cross-border project Ljubka’s Trail, which highlights the rich cultural heritage of the Slovenian poet and her contemporaries in Goriška region. “The project aims to raise awareness of belonging to an environment that has not been spared by history. From the very beginning, our aim has been to strengthen cooperation between two countries and many generations, and to bring the lives and literature of women writers closer to young people. It would be hard to find a more beautiful way than to have the poetry of Ljubka Šorli, who lovingly pursued her profession as a teacher and also wrote for children, sung by children and young people from both sides of the border on her birthday,” said Dr Andreja Rihter, Director of the FSK, in her opening remarks.
The event took place as part of the European Capital of Culture programme GO! 2025 and demonstrated, with its artistic excellence, how great the cross-border cooperation can sound.
The project is funded by the Small Project Fund GO! 2025 of the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia 2021-2027 programme, managed by the EGTC GO.
