Oratorio Choir of the St. Mark’s Church “Cantores sancti Marci”
Zagreb, Croatia
Jurica Petar Petrac - conductor
Competition Section
| Title | Composer | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|
|
Sicut cervus, prima pars (As a hart longs, first part) |
G. P. da Palestrina (1525-1594) | Psalm 42 |
| Hear my prayer, o Lord |
Henry Purcell (1659-1695) | Psalm 102 |
|
Crn bel (Black white) |
Igor Kuljeric (1938-2006) | Fran Galovic (1887-1914) |
|
Makedonska humoreska (Macedonian humoresque) |
Todor Skalovski (1909-2004) | Traditional Macedonian |
Sacred Section
| Title | Composer | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|
|
Zdrava Devica (Hail Virgin) |
Mato Lescan (arr.) (1936-1991) | Tune and text from the old Croatian liturgical miscellany “Cithara octochorda” |
|
Abendlied (Evensong) |
Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901) | From the Gospel of Luke |
| Precious Lord | Thomas A. Dorsey - Arnold Sevier (arr.) (1899-1993) |
Thomas A. Dorsey (1899-1993) |
The Oratorio Choir of the St. Mark’s Church "Cantores sancti Marci," is a distinguished Croatian choir from Zagreb and was founded in 1998. The choir is comprised of thirty vocalists and has been led by notable Croatian conductors, such as Vladimir Kranjčević and Tomislav Fačini. In 2011, the choir was taken over by Jurica Petar Petrac. Along with singing in liturgical services and regular cherishing of sacred music, the choir places significant emphasis on performing pieces by Croatian composers. The choir has been awarded first and second place awards at various national,and international competitions. More recently, in 2013, the choir was awarded two golden bands from the International Choir Festival Bratislava Cantat in Slovakia.
After finishing music high school, Jurica Petar Petrac, the director of the choir, studied Music Theory at the Music Academy in Zagreb. After completing his degree in 2009, he enrolled in Choral Conducting in 2015. During the last four years, he has performed at many festivals and concerts alongside "Cantores sancti Marci," and two other choirs: Cappela juris and Capella miércoles. Last year he attended the Sarteano Chamber Choral Conducting Workshop. He teaches music theory in the Music school Blagoje Bersa in Zagreb.
The “Cantores sancti Marci” has the priveledge of singing every Sunday in the oldest parish church in Zagreb, St. Mark’s Church. The church is situated in the middle of St. Mark’s Square between the Croatian Government and Parliament. The church is the symbol of the capital city with its colorful rooftop displaying the coat of arms of Croatia’s historical lands and the City of Zagreb. Each year the church attracts many visitors who marvel at its medieval appearance and interior furnished with artworks by Croatia’s most notable artists of the 20th century.
-GG
