Czech choir checks out Newport-Mesa

Elia Powers

More than a month into its whirlwind North American tour, the Boni

Pueri choir from the Czech Republic got a taste of life in Southern

California.

Packed into a Greyhound bus on Thursday, the group of 28 young men

rode past rolling hills in Irvine, onto a 50-mile stretch of the

Santa Ana (5) Freeway and were dropped off near the waterfront in

Santa Monica.

Their day ended back in Orange County, with a 90-minute concert at

St. James Church in Newport Beach.

Zach Halop, St. James’ chorale leader and Northwood High School’s

vocal music director, arranged for the group to perform a range of

classical pieces in front of his morning chorale classes.

Halop also was involved in planning the group’s evening session at

his church.

Boni Pueri’s St. James performance included two segments. The

first was filled with European classical music by such composers as

Wolfgang Mozart and Georg Handel, according to group choirmaster

Jakub Martinec.

The second half included mostly native Czech music and pieces from

contemporary composers.

“They were very animated and have an exuberance in their sound,”

said Halop, who heard Boni Pueri perform live for the first time

Thursday. “They are very technically sound.”

California is one of 12 states the group is visiting on its almost

seven-week North American tour, which began Jan. 15 and concludes March 3 in Phoenix.

Martinec said the choir is scheduled to make another trip this

December. That would be the sixth North American tour for the choir,

which includes students 9 to 20.

Karel Kincl, 19, is one of the oldest members in the group. A

tenor vocalist, he attends a university in Prague and is visiting the

United States for the third time.

He said the trip has been rewarding but tiring.

“You have to like singing, because it’s a lot or work,” he said.

“We are studying all the time on the bus, and we still have to catch

up with schoolwork at home.”

Sixty students out of the 350-person choir program are selected to

participate in one of two traveling circuits. Boni Pueri is an

afternoon commitment for students, who come from all over the Czech

Republic.

“It’s very competitive,” Martinec said. “The kids begin training

to make the choir when they are 4 years old by learning technique. By

the time they are 8 or 9, they are well prepared.”

Founded in 1982, the choir has recorded seven albums and has made

more than 1,500 concert appearances in Europe, Japan and North

America.

Kincl said Southern California is one of his favorite tour stops.

“It’s beautiful here,” he said. “It’s like coming to another

world.”

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

elia.powers@latimes.com.