Russian folk choirs. H

Artistic image piece of music in the choir, it is created and revealed through the melody and the word. Therefore, the main technical requirements of choral sonority are, firstly, the accuracy of the high-pitched intonation of sound by each singer in a separate part and each part in the overall choral sound; secondly, the timbre unity and dynamic balance of individual voices within each part and all parts in the general choral ensemble; thirdly, a clear pronunciation of words.
But a harmonious, intonationally pure, balanced in strength, united in timbre choral sonority is only a prerequisite for creating an artistic image that conveys the content of the work. Therefore, before starting to learn a song, the leader must, by analyzing the work, understand its content and the means by which it is revealed by the composer. As a result of acquaintance with the literary text, one can understand the theme and idea of ​​the work and its character: either heroic, or lyrical, or comic, etc. Depending on the general nature of the song, the tempo, dynamics, timbre coloring of the sound, the nature of the movement of the melody are determined , artistic semantic selection of phrases.

After such an analysis of the work, a performance plan is drawn up, to which the entire subsequent vocal and choral work. The leader determines the difficulties in mastering the work, outlines ways to overcome them, develops certain exercises and draws up a detailed rehearsal plan.
Work with the choir new song usually begins with rough learning - memorizing the melody, building intervals, consonances, working out the rhythmic side of the work and diction.
As the technical elements are mastered, the director begins to pay more attention to the artistic finishing of the work. There comes a time when bare notes begin to acquire artistic flesh.
We give as an example an artistic analysis and a performance plan for working with the choir on the song “Polyushko Kolkhoznoe”, words and melody by G. Savitsky, arranged for female composition folk choir I. Ivanova. (The song is printed in this issue of the collection on page 13).

The literary text of the song reveals a picture of a wide, divided collective farm field.

Oh, you are my darling
Polyushko collective farm,
You are my broad
You are my expanse.
Rye dense waves
The wind sways.
annual polyushko
The harvest is famous.
Oh, you are my darling
Polyushko collective farm,
You are my broad.
You are my expanse.

The poem is distinguished by its extraordinary conciseness and at the same time expressiveness of the image. Despite the fact that it consists of only three quatrains, and the third is a literal repetition of the first, the image of the "kolkhoz polyushka" stands out convexly and strongly. What a great and broad in its thematic scope the meaning the author puts into the words "collective-farm field"! There is a deep subtext in them. In this “polyushka” is the whole life of a working person, a new, happy life, like a “polyushka”, wide and spacious.
This inner meaning, or idea, of the poem is outlined already in the first quatrain, where the majestic image of the “polyushka” begins to unfold through a deeply emotional, loving appeal: “Oh, you are my pole”.

If in the first quatrain the image of the “kolkhoz pole” is revealed in a lyrical-epic character, then in the second quatrain the heroic sound of the image comes to the fore, which acquires an ever greater dynamic content. So, the energetic beginning of the second quatrain -

Rye dense waves
The wind sways.

conveys the impetuous movement, the dynamics in the development of the image of the “collective-farm field”. It is no longer only “wide and spacious”, but also “famous for the harvest”. Here comes the further disclosure of the subtext of the poem. The swaying sea of ​​rye is the fruits of creative labor Soviet man- the creator of all earthly blessings. Therefore, in the third quatrain, which is a literal repetition of the first, the appeal to the “polushka” sounds with renewed vigor: no longer as a reflection, but as a hymn to its fertility, as a hymn to the creative work of Soviet people.
So, the image of the "collective farm pole" in the poem is revealed in dynamic development from lyrical-epic majesty to a powerful heroic sound. The framing technique gives the poem a thematic integrity and at the same time opens up space for the creativity of the composer and the author of choral arrangements.

Analyzing the music of the song " Polyushko collective farm”, it is easy to note that intonation it is very accurate, in a folk-song manner conveys the character literary image. The melody of the song is wide, melodious and, thanks to the diverse meter-rhythmic organization, creates an atmosphere of emotional excitement and inner movement. Each verse of the song, conveying the mood of the corresponding quatrain, is, as it were, a certain stage in the development of the musical image of the song.
In the music of the first verse, there is a soft, loving appeal to the "kolkhoz pole". But at the same time, this is not a conversation in the literal sense, but rather a deep reflection, where the “collective-farm field” and the fate of a person, his whole life merge into a single concept. From here comes the defining mood of the first verse - softness, sincerity and significance.

The tempo is slow, the movement of the melody is smooth, the overall tone is pianissimo (very quiet).
All elements of artistic expression (melody, metro-rhythm, texture, phrasing) are in constant motion, as if revealing more and more new aspects of the image, thanks to which the work becomes a fertile material for artistic performance.

The first verse, as well as subsequent verses, consists of four phrases, each of which has its own dynamic top. The sounds that follow up to the top are played with increased sonority, and the sounds that follow after the top are played with weakening. Thus, the peak is dynamically emphasized and organizes the previous and subsequent sounds around itself. In the song being analyzed, the top of each phrase is the first beat of the second measure. But the phrases are not equivalent in their meaning. IN this case the main, vertex phrase is the third one. Emotional growth ascends to it, the melody expands the range, the internal movement accelerates by reducing the number of measures in the second phrase, the texture is saturated: at first one singer sings, in the second phrase the second joins her, and in the third phrase already a polyphonic choir sounds. In the fourth phrase, on the contrary, there is already a weakening of the emotional tension, dynamically it sounds weaker than the third, its rhythmic pattern changes, the range is shortened and the texture is simplified: the unison comes to replace the quadruple.
Such a distinction between phrases artistic value called phrasing. (Example No. 1) If the general tone of the verse is pianissimo, then at the top of the phrases the sound may increase somewhat, reaching the piano, and by the end of the phrase return to the original tone.

The third phrase (top) sounds a little stronger than all the others (within the piano).

The development of the musical image in the second and third verses follows the path of dynamic growth - from piano to forte, textural complication, variant development of voices, changes in timbre, the nature of the movement of the melody and the pronunciation of words. All these changes are based on the principle of injection - a gradual and continuous increase, expansion. In support of what has been said, let's consider the dynamic plan and textural changes of the song.

dynamic plan
The first verse is pianissimo.
The second verse is piano.
The third verse is from mezzo forte to fortissimo.

Changes in dynamics are closely related to textural complication: the first verse is sung by one singer, the second by two, and the third verse begins with the whole choir. Here we see not only an increase in the number of leads, but also an increase in the number of voice parts, as well as variation in the melodic line of the lead itself. (Example #2)

The song reaches its climactic sound in the last verse with the words: “You are my wide, you are my spacious.” All elements of artistic expression in this place reach their highest level. Here is the loudest sound of the choir, the nature of the movement of the melody (in contrast to the previous verses, it is no longer distinguished by the soft and calm formation of the sound, but by the sweeping, bright, catchy pronunciation of the sound and the word, based on a combination of accent and maximum length of sounds), the texture reaches its limit development ( 5 voices, undertones), finally, the melody takes off to its highest point, emphasizing the emotional climax and ending of the whole song. (Example #3)

So, as a result of artistic analysis, the director clarified the content of the song and the means by which the composer reveals it. But this is not limited to preliminary work on the work.
Each type of art has its own technique, that is, a set of certain skills necessary to create an artistic image. In choral art, this is the system, ensemble, diction, vocal skills - breathing, sound production and resonation. Therefore, it is clear that the next stage of the preliminary work of the leader is the analysis of the work already from the point of view of its technical difficulties.
Consider the main points of work on the formation of the choir.
Singing without accompaniment makes especially high demands on the performers in terms of intonation of intervals and chords. The very developed melodic line of the song, replete with wide intervals, presents great difficulty for interval intonation. It is necessary to pay attention to the melodic segments that the choir can sing out of tune: to the sounds of the second ratio

to a sequence of sounds of the same pitch, often causing a decrease in intonation and therefore requiring “pulling up” the pitch of each subsequent sound, to intonation of semitones.
In order to achieve an intonationally pure sound, the choir leader must know the patterns of intonation of the various degrees of the major and minor scales in accordance with their modal meaning.
intonation major scale.

The sound of the first step (basic tone) is intoned steadily. The sounds of the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh steps are intoned x.o by the desire to rise. With a particularly strong desire to rise, the sounds of the third and seventh steps (the third of the tonic triad and the introductory tone) are intoned. The sound of the fourth step is intoned with a desire to decrease.

It should be noted that in the Russian song there is often a major mode with a lowered seventh step. In this case, it is intoned with a desire to decrease.

Example No. 5 shows the nature of the intonation of various degrees of the major scale. Arrows pointing up indicate that the sound should be intoned with a tendency to rise, a horizontal arrow indicates a stable intonation, and an arrow pointing down indicates intonation with a tendency to fall.

Minor scale intonation (natural).

The sounds of the first, second and fourth steps are intoned with a desire to rise.
Sounds of the third, sixth and seventh steps - with a desire to decrease.
In the harmonic and melodic minor, the sound of the seventh step is intoned with a strong tendency to rise. In the melodic minor, the sound of the sixth step is also intoned with a desire to rise.

Example No. 6 shows the nature of the intonation of the sounds of the scale "B flat minor", in which the song "Polyushko Kolkhoznoe" is written.
Accurate intonation depends to a large extent on singing breathing. Sluggish breathing with air leakage causes a decrease in sound, overstrained breathing with too strong air pressure, on the contrary, leads to forcing and increasing intonation. The sluggish formation of sound (with an entrance) also causes intonation inaccuracy. A low position, which causes overwork of the larynx, entails a decrease in the intonation of the sound, the overlapping of the sound in the upper register leads to the same result (for folk voices, this happens in quiet songs). With insufficient use of chest resonators, intonation changes upward.
The "high position" of sound has a particularly beneficial effect on intonation, the essence of which is to direct the sound to the upper resonators and release the larynx from tension. A high position must be achieved in any register.

In working on this song, this should be especially taken into account when practicing with second altos, who sing in a very low register. Vocal exercises, singing separate phrases with a closed mouth or on the syllable “li”, “le” are of great benefit in working out high-position sound.
Thus, intonationally pure singing in a choir largely depends on the level of all vocal work, which should be carried out in the direction of educating various singing skills and correcting certain shortcomings in the singers' voice (tightness of sound, forcing, tremolation, nasal tone, etc.). ).
The most important vocal skill is correct, leaning breathing." Often, a singer who owns singing breathing is said to sing "on a support", or "leaning sound". leaned breathing is characterized by the fact that all the air during singing goes completely to sound production without leakage and is consumed smoothly and economically. In this case, the so-called "supported sound" appears. It has a lot of saturation, density, elasticity. An unsupported sound, on the contrary, is dull, loose, weak, with a hoarseness, which indicates useless air leakage. a great saving of air is possible and, consequently, the singing of large musical structures in one breath.An unsupported sound requires a frequent change of breath and leads to a break in the musical phrase.

To obtain an opposing sound, it is necessary to maintain an “inhalation setting”, that is, when singing, the singer should not allow the lowering and narrowing of the chest. Having taken in air, it is necessary to “hold” the breath for a moment and then proceed to sound production. This moment of “delay”, as it were, puts the entire singing apparatus on alert. You need to breathe easily and naturally, without undue tension, almost the same as in normal conversational speech. The singer must take as much air as he needs to perform a certain task. The volume of inhaled air depends on the size of the musical phrase and the register in which it sounds, as well as on the strength of the sound. Singing in a high register requires more air. Inhaling too much air results in strained sound and inaccurate intonation. The duration of the breath depends on the tempo of the work and should be equal to the time duration of one beat of the measure. For the continuous performance of long musical constructions, and even the entire work, the so-called "chain breathing" is used. Its essence lies in the successive renewal of the breath by the singers of the choir. On the example of No. 7, the choral part of the second verse is given, which is performed on the "chain breathing".

Each singer individually cannot sing this entire segment without a renewal of breath, but in the choir, as a result of the successive renewal of breath by the singers, this phrase sounds inarticulate. The normal singing breathing of one singer dries up at the turn of the fourth and fifth measures, but even one singer is not recommended to breathe in this place. With "chain breathing" it is better to breathe not at the junction of two musical constructions, but in front of it or after some time. You need to disconnect from singing and re-enter it imperceptibly, take your breath briefly and mainly in the middle of a word or on a sustained sound. (Example #7).

The importance of the nature of the exhalation should be emphasized once again. It should be economical and even throughout its length. Only such an exhalation can create a smooth, elastic singing. Do not allow all the air to be used up during exhalation. It is harmful to sing on a heavily used up supply of air.
In singing, the process of breathing is closely connected with the moment of the origin of the sound, or attack. There are three types of attack - hard, aspirated and soft. With a hard attack, the ligaments close before air is supplied. Then the air jet opens the ligaments with little effort. The result is a harsh sound.
An aspirated attack is the opposite of a hard one. With it, the appearance of sound is preceded by a silent exhalation, after which the ligaments calmly close. In this case, the vowel "A" seems to get the character of the sound "xx-a", but the consonant "x" should not be heard.

With a soft attack, the closure of the ligaments begins simultaneously with the beginning of the sound.
A firm attack in singing is rare (in sound exclamations, in the loud formation of sound after a pause).
Firmly attacked exercises are of great benefit, they bring up the feeling of a “supported” sound and are a means of combating sluggish sound formation that causes “entrance”. Such exercises (example No. 8) should be sung at a slow pace to the vowel "A"

The basis of singing is a soft attack. Aspirated - used for quiet and very quiet sonority.
With singers with sharp voices, it is useful to sing small voles or segments of the musical phrase of the work being learned on the vowels “I”, “E”, “E”, “Yu” or the syllable “LA”, “LE”, “LE”, “ LU".
The artistic image in vocal art appears in the unity of music and words. Not only the quality of the message to the listener depends on the way of pronunciation of words, or diction. literary text songs, but the entire singing process. As you know, the word consists of the unity of vowels and consonants. Sine qua non correct diction when singing, the longest sounding of vowels and short, active pronunciation of consonants is based on a clear interaction of the tongue, lips, teeth and palate with an even and in no case jerky exhalation. It is useful to work out the clarity of the pronunciation of consonants in a quiet sound by doubling them. At the same time, in order to fix all the attention on the consonants, it is useful to briefly, but not abruptly throw each syllable, mentally calculating the duration of sustained notes. (Example #9)

Of particular difficulty in pronunciation are combinations of several consonants (country), a consonant at the beginning of a word (meet, not meet) and a consonant at the end of a word (color, not color).
To preserve the ultimate continuity of the sound of the melody, consonants at the end of a syllable must be connected with the next syllable.
"U—ro—zha—e—ms l a—v and—ts I."
Clear diction is usually identified with the clear pronunciation of consonants, forgetting that vowels also play a huge role in the pronunciation of words and in the overall unity of the choral sound.
Vowels are pure sounds with no admixture of noise. Some of them sound bright, open - "A", others are covered - "O", "U", the third - "close" - "I". The degree of tension, or brightness, of vowels is different, it depends on the position of the mouth and on the place of the vowel in the word (stressed vowels sound more intense, brighter than unstressed ones).

In singing, to create a smooth vocal line, all vowels are neutralized in some way, that is, the sharp line between them is erased. This occurs as a result of maintaining approximately the same position of the mouth for all vowels. It is known that the same vowel different provisions mouth acquires different sound qualities: with wide open mouth it sounds open, bright, when half-open - covered, soft, when singing with the corners of the lips parted (on a smile) - it sounds light, easy, "close". Therefore, it is quite clear that in the sound of a single phrase or the entire work, marked by a certain mood, all vowels should sound in the same emotional tone, with one predominant position of the mouth. The unified manner of forming vowels in the choir is of decisive importance, since it is the basis of the timbre unity of voices. To develop a single vowel resonance, it is useful to sing a sequence of sounds of the same pitch on the syllables MI-ME-MA-MO-MU (the consonant "M" is used to soften the attack. Example No. 10). In this case, it is necessary to ensure that all vowels are performed with the same degree of mouth opening.

In order to avoid "entrance" when singing the vowels "A", "O", "U", "E", "I" following any other or the same vowel, especially at the junction of two words, it is necessary to stretch the first vowel as long as possible and instantly move to the second, attacking the sound a little harder. For example: "...polyushko is famous for its harvest."
We have already said above that the stressed vowel sounds stronger and brighter than the unstressed one. But sometimes in folk songs the strong beat of the measure does not coincide with the stress in the word. In these cases, the vowel that sounds on the strong beat of the measure has to be performed less prominently than the vowel that the words are stressed on (Example 11)

Here we see that in the word "My" the unstressed vowel "O" corresponds to a relatively strong beat of the measure and therefore, standing out, will distort the word. To prevent this from happening, the syllable "MO" must be performed somewhat quieter than the vowel "Yo".
Work on vowels in a folk choir is of particular importance in connection with the erroneous view of some musicians on the timbre of the folk voice. They believe that only an open, white sound is characteristic of folk singing. Failure to understand the vocal basis of folk singing leads to the wrong orientation of this wonderful genre of choral art. Is the genre richness of the Russian native songs from a quiet, gentle chorus, a sharp ditty to wide canvases of singsong lyrical songs and vociferous freckles does not speak of her widest emotional range?! How can you sing all these songs with one sound?! It is absolutely clear that the sound of a folk choir, like any other choir, depends on the content of the song, on its emotional tone.

The basis of any collective musical art, including the choir, is the unity and a certain coordination of actions of all members of the team. All elements of choral sonority: structure, diction, strength, timbre, speed of movement, etc. exist only in a collective, ensemble form. Therefore, work on the ensemble permeates all stages of choral work.
We have already talked about a single manner of forming vowels and consonants. Now we will consider the rhythmic and dynamic ensemble. In "Polyushka Kolkhozny" each voice has its own independent rhythmic pattern. With a one-time performance, there is a danger of violating the rhythmic ensemble. To prevent this, it is necessary to educate the singers to feel the pulsation of the melody. To this end, it is good to sing musical passages with aloud breaking up each quarter, half and whole note into eighths (example N2 12).

Thanks to this exercise, the choir will accurately withstand complex durations and move on to subsequent sounds in time. Usually, on sounds of a long duration, singers lose their precise sense of movement and move to subsequent sounds late or ahead of time.
The dynamic ensemble in the choir is based on the balance in the strength of the voices of one party and on a certain coordination of the parties among themselves: either the upper party, leading the main voice, sounds louder than the other parties, then the middle or lower voice comes to the fore, then all parties sound with the same force . So, in the song “Polyushko Kolkhoznoye”, at first the upper voice sounds louder, then melodic changes in various voices begin to be dynamically emphasized, at the climax of the song all voices sound with equal force.

The majority of Russian folk songs are performed with lead singers. In these cases, the ensemble between the leader and the choir is very important, which takes over from the leader the whole character of the performance of the song. This should be taken into account when learning this song. basis good ensemble in the choir is the correct selection of votes and their quantitative equality in each party. The result is a natural ensemble. But sometimes the voices that make up the chord have different tessitura conditions. In this case, sound balance is achieved artificially, as a result of a special distribution of sound strength between voices: the secondary voice written in a high register should sound quieter, and the main voice written in a low register should be performed louder. If all the voices in a given situation are performed with the same force, then the secondary voice will drown out the main one, and, of course, there will be no ensemble.
To create an artistically full-fledged ensemble, it is necessary that each singer not only accurately sing his part, but also, listening to his party neighbors, merge with them. Moreover, he must listen to the main voice and measure the strength of his voice with it.

The collective dates back to its history on March 2, 1911, when the first concert of the peasant choir led by Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky took place on the small stage of the Noble Assembly. The program of the first concert included 27 songs from the Voronezh, Ryazan and Smolensk regions of Russia. Sergei Rachmaninoff, Fyodor Chaliapin, Ivan Bunin were shocked by the pristine and inspired singing art of the peasants and gave the highest assessment to the peasant singers and musicians. This assessment greatly contributed to the formation of the team as a creative unit. Russian stage those years. Until 1917, the team was "amateur". After October revolution The activities of the choir were supported by the Soviet government. All members move to permanent place residence in Moscow. And since the beginning of the 1920s, the choir has been conducting a large concert activity not only in Moscow, but throughout the country.

From the beginning of the 30s, the team headed as music director People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of State Prizes V. G. Zakharov, whose author's songs “And Who Knows Him”, “Along the Village”, “Russian Beauty”, glorified the Pyatnitsky Choir throughout the country.

At the end of the 1930s, orchestral and dance groups were created in the choir, headed by People's Artist of the Russian Federation V.V. Khvatov and People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of State Prizes, Professor T.A. Ustinova. This made it possible to significantly expand the expressive means of the stage, and such a structural basis has been preserved to the present day, and many State collectives have been created in this image.

During the Second World War, the choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky conducted a large concert activity as part of front-line concert brigades. And the song “Oh, fogs” by V.G. Zakharova became the anthem partisan movement. On May 9, 1945, the choir was one of the main groups in the festivities great victory in Moscow. In addition, he was one of the first teams that was entrusted to represent the country abroad. All subsequent decades, the choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky led a huge touring and concert activity. He introduced his art to every corner of the country, visited more than 40 countries of the world. The team created masterpieces of world folk art.

A significant page in the history of the group is the work of the People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the State Prize composer V.S. Levashov. The songs of V.S. Levashov "Take an overcoat - let's go home", "My native suburbs" - and today they are an adornment of the modern song stage.

About the choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky created artistic and documentaries, such as "Singing Russia", "Russian Fantasy", "All life is in dance", "You, my Russia", The books "State Russian Folk Choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky" were published about the M.E. Pyatnitsky Choir, "Memories of V.G. Zakharov", "Russian folk dances» ; a huge number of musical collections “From the repertoire of the choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky”, newspaper and magazine publications, many records have been released.

Modern choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky is a complex creative organism, consisting of choral, orchestral, ballet groups with an artistic and administrative apparatus.

Source - http://www.pyatnitsky.ru/action/page/id/1194/?sub=kolektiv

From arafans to the floor, kokoshniks and song art. Russian folk choirs with the title of "academic" - as recognition of the highest level of stage performance. More about the path of the "populists" at big stage- Natalia Letnikova.

Kuban Cossack Choir

200 years of history. The songs of the Cossacks are either a horse march, or a foot sortie under “Marusya, one, two, three ...” with a valiant whistle. 1811 - the year of the creation of the first choir in Russia. A living historical monument that carried through the centuries the history of the Kuban and the singing traditions of the Cossack army. At the origins were the spiritual enlightener of the Kuban, Archpriest Kirill Rossinsky and the regent Grigory Grechinsky. From the middle of the 19th century, the collective not only participated in divine services, but also gave secular concerts in the spirit of reckless Cossack freemen and, according to Yesenin, - "merry melancholy."

Mitrofan Pyatnitsky Choir

A team that has proudly called itself "peasant" for a century. And even if today professional artists perform on stage, and not ordinary vociferous Great Russian peasants from Ryazan, Voronezh and other provinces, the choir presents a folk song in amazing harmony and beauty. Each performance is admirable, like a hundred years ago. The first concert of the peasant choir took place in the hall of the Noble Assembly. The audience, including Rachmaninov, Chaliapin, Bunin, left shocked after the performance.

Northern Folk Choir

A simple rural teacher Antonina Kolotilova lived in Veliky Ustyug. For needlework, she gathered lovers of folk songs. On a February evening they sewed linen for an orphanage: “The smooth, soft light falling from the lightning lamp created a special comfort. And outside the window the February bad weather raged, the wind whistled in the chimney, rattled the boards on the roof, threw snow flakes out the window. From this discrepancy between the warmth of a cozy room and the howl of a snow blizzard, it was a little sad in the soul. And suddenly a song sounded, sad, lingering ... " This is how the northern tune sounds - 90 years. Already off the stage.

Ryazan Folk Choir named after Evgeny Popov

Yesenin's songs. In the homeland of the main singer of the Russian land, his poems are sung. Melodic, poignant, exhilarating. Where White birch- not that tree, not that girl, frozen on the high bank of the Oka. And the poplar is certainly "silver and bright." The choir was created on the basis of the rural folklore ensemble of the village of Bolshaya Zhuravinka, which had been performing since 1932. The Ryazan choir was lucky. The head of the group, Yevgeny Popov, himself wrote music to the poems of a fellow countryman who had an amazing sense of beauty. They sing these songs as if they are talking about their lives. Warm and gentle.

Siberian folk choir

Chorus, ballet, orchestra, children's studio. Siberian choir multifaceted and in tune with the frosty wind. The concert program "Yamshchitsky skaz" is based on the musical, song and choreographic material of the Siberian region, like many stage sketches of the group. The creativity of Siberians was seen in 50 countries of the world - from Germany and Belgium to Mongolia and Korea. What they live about, they sing about. First in Siberia, and then throughout the country. As happened with Nikolai Kudrin's song "Bread is the head of everything", which was first performed by the Siberian Choir.

Voronezh Russian Folk Choir named after Konstantin Massalitinov

Songs in the front line in those difficult days, when, it would seem, there is no time for creativity at all. The Voronezh choir appeared in the working settlement of Anna at the height of the Great Patriotic War- in 1943. The first to hear the songs of the new band were in the military units. First big concert- with tears in his eyes - passed in Voronezh, liberated from the Germans. In the repertoire - lyric songs and ditties, which are known and loved in Russia. Including thanks to the most famous soloist of the Voronezh choir - Maria Mordasova.

Volga Folk Choir named after Pyotr Miloslavov

“A steppe wind walks along the stage of the Châtelet theater and brings us the aroma of original songs and dances”,- wrote the French newspaper L'Umanite in 1958. Samara-gorodok introduced the French to the song heritage of the Volga region. The performer is the Volga Folk Choir, created by the decision of the Government of the RSFSR in 1952 by Pyotr Miloslavov. Unhurried and sincere life along the banks of the great Volga and on stage. Ekaterina Shavrina began her career in the team. The Volga Choir performed the song "Snow-White Cherry" for the first time.

Omsk folk choir

Bear with balalaika. The emblem of the famous team is well known both in Russia and abroad. “Love and pride of the Siberian land”, as the critics dubbed the team during one of their foreign trips. “The Omsk Folk Choir cannot be called only a restorer and keeper of an old folk song. He himself is a living embodiment of the folk art of our days”,- wrote the British The Daily Telegraph. The repertoire is based on Siberian songs recorded by the band's founder Elena Kalugina half a century ago and vivid pictures from life. For example, the suite "Winter Siberian Fun".

Ural folk choir

Performances at the fronts and in hospitals. The Urals not only gave the country metal, but also raised morale with whirlwind dances and round dances, the richest folklore material of the Ural land. Under the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic, amateur groups from the surrounding villages of Izmodenovo, Pokrovskoye, Katarach, Laya were united. "Our genre is alive"- they say in the team today. And to save this life is considered the main task. Like the famous Ural "Semyora". Drobushki and Barabushki have been on stage for 70 years. Not a dance, but a dance. Authentic and remote.

Orenburg folk choir

A down scarf as part of a stage costume. Fluffy lace intertwined with folk songs and in a round dance - as part of the life of the Orenburg Cossacks. The team was created in 1958 to preserve the unique culture and rituals that exist "on the edge of vast Rus', along the banks of the Urals." Every performance is like a performance. They perform not only songs that the people have composed. Even dancing has a literary basis. "When the Cossacks Cry" - a choreographic composition based on the story of Mikhail Sholokhov from the life of the villagers. However, every song or dance has its own history.

Northern Russian folk choir - the soul of the White Sea

The Arkhangelsk Pomors are the descendants of the ancient Novgorodians who settled this region in ancient times. Their art is still preserved in its original form. This peculiar artistic world with its own laws and concepts of beauty. At the same time, in the songs and dances of the North, the humor, enthusiasm, and inner temperament characteristic of the Pomors are clearly manifested. Northern song art is special, it is distinguished by the severity of style, chaste purity and restraint, all this is combined with a courageous epic and strong-willed beginning.
The Northern Choir is rightly called the pearl of Russian culture. For 85 years of its existence, it has never changed its role. Each performance is a special artistic world and a bright dynamic performance: large plot productions, vocal and choreographic compositions, paintings folk holidays. All the sound shades of northern nature are heard in the song polyphony of the choir: the pensive dialect of the taiga, the smooth chastity of the rivers, the echoing depth of the ocean and the transparent quivering of the white nights.

Antonina Yakovlevna KOLOTILOVA - founder and artistic director of the State Academic Northern Russian Folk Choir (1926 - 1960), People's Artist of the RSFSR, Honored Artist of the RSFSR, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR

“He who does not love his native song does not love his native people!”(A.Ya. Kolotilova)

Antonina Yakovlevna Kolotilova (Sherstkova) was born in 1890 in the village of Zhilino, not far from ancient city Great Ustyug.
In 1909, Kolotilova graduated with honors from the Veliky Ustyug Women's Gymnasium and went to teach at a rural school in the village of Pelyaginets, Nikolsky district, Vologda province. It was in this village that Antonina Kolotilova began to show her professional interest in folklore. She always observed the northern ceremonies with interest, listened to songs, learned to lament, magnify herself, mastered the manner of movement of girls and women in round dances, quadrilles, and bows.
Kolotilova, born and raised in the North of Russia, deeply loved her motherland, especially - the expanse of flood meadows at the time of flowering grasses.
In 1914, Antonina Yakovlevna got married and moved to Nikolsk. There she works as a teacher in public school and continues to collect and record local songs, tales, ditties. The inborn artistic talent helped the young girl to easily master the culture and manner of performance.
After 5 years, the Kolotilovs moved to Veliky Ustyug. It is in this ancient Russian northern city that the history of the Northern Choir begins. Here Antonina Yakovlevna organizes an amateur female ensemble, which performs in clubs, and a little later at a broadcast radio station that opened in the city. I must say that the first members of the team were mostly housewives. They easily came to her apartment, arranged collective rehearsals, studied the songs that interested them. The concerts of the young choristers were greeted with approval by the listeners, and the radio performances made the group very popular. At that time, there were about 15 people in the amateur choir of Kolotilova.

“Antonina Yakovlevna fully deserved the love of the people and the glory of herself, because she gave all her strength and thoughts, inexhaustible energy and passion of her soul to folk singing and the choir she created ... If this wonderful woman had not been in the world, there would not have been our Northern Russian folk chorus!"(Nina Konstantinovna Meshko)

Birth of the Northern Choir

In 1922, in Moscow, at the recording studio, Antonina Yakovlevna met Mitrofan Pyatnitsky. It was this meeting that became a landmark for Kolotilova. Acquaintance with the work of the Pyatnitsky choir served as an impetus for the creation of their own folk choir of northern songs. On March 8, 1926, a small amateur group performed for the first time at the House of Education Workers. This day became the birthday of the Northern Russian Folk Choir.
At first, the choir was ethnographic, but then the conditions of stage life required organizational and creative restructuring: a dancing group, accordionists. In 1952, the choir organized orchestral group through the efforts of the composer V.A. Laptev.
In the team then there were only 12 singers. The outfits of mothers and grandmothers served as costumes - real peasant sundresses and blouses. The first harmonists were the Tryapitsyn brothers Boris and Dmitry, as well as the younger brother of Antonina Yakovlevna Valery Sherstkov. The parties at rehearsals were taught from the voice of the artistic director. Antonina Yakovlevna not only showed how to sing, but also how to move correctly, bow and behave on stage.
The newly created choir was always warmly welcomed at the enterprises of the city, in educational institutions, surrounding villages. The status of an amateur group did not prevent Kolotilova from working seriously, carefully treating the northern song and accurately reproducing the manner of her performance! She never changed these requirements in the future. In the early years, the choir performed mainly old folk songs, which the singers - former peasant women, indigenous inhabitants of the North - knew from childhood, possessed not only performing skills, but also folk improvisational style. No wonder the Northern Choir has long been considered the most ethnographically authentic, consistent in its creative line, preserving the traditions of the northern song, and the choir singers have always been distinguished by the ability to penetrate into the depths of the musical image and embody it in unique beauty.
In 1931, Kolotilova organized a choir in Arkhangelsk on a larger scale, both in terms of the number of participants and the volume of the repertoire. The concert programs include songs from Pinezhye, Northern Pomerania, dances and everyday scenes. The richest musical material Kolotilova collects herself during her trips to various regions of the Arkhangelsk region. At the same time, costumes for the choir members were purchased.
In 1935, while traveling around Pomorie, Antonina Yakovlevna met Marfa Semyonovna Kryukova, a famous storyteller. Kolotilova made sure that Kryukova participated in the first All-Union Radio Festival (1936). In the future, Marfa Kryukova traveled with the Northern Choir to Moscow, where, together with Antonina Yakovlevna, she worked on the first tales.
In addition to epics, the choir's programs always included funny, dancing, comic songs-buffoons, leading from the art of itinerant musicians-buffoons, and drawn-out lyric songs, which the singers performed in a touching and sincere manner.
During the war, the team gave a lot of concerts. They traveled in vans, lived from hand to mouth, lacked sleep, and now and then escaped from the bombings. They went to the Northern Fleet, to Murmansk, the Arctic, to the Karelian-Finnish front, to the Urals. In 1944 they left for six months to the Far East.

Antonina Kolotilova: “I love my native North and I sing songs to it!”

Until 1960, Antonina Yakovlevna remained the artistic director of the group. All the years of Kolotilova's work were filled with tireless, hard work and creative burning, a sincere desire to preserve and convey to contemporaries the depth of originality and beauty of folk art Northern Territory, constant search ever new stage forms and performing means. Kolotilova's life was a true creative feat, and the traditions laid down by her are alive in the team.

Source: Prominent Vologda Residents: Biographical Sketches/
Ed. council "Vologda encyclopecia" - Vologda:
VSPU, publishing house "Rus", 2005. - 568 p. - ISBN 5-87822-271-X

In 1960, People's Artist of the RSFSR, laureate of the State Prize Antonina Yakovlevna Kolotilova handed over the leadership of the group to a graduate of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, an experienced teacher and choirmaster Nina Konstantinovna Meshko. new period in the life of the team is marked by the growth of professionalism and stage culture.

Nina Konstantinovna Meshko - People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the State Prize of the RSFSR named after Glinka, artistic director of the northern folk choir from 1960 to 2008, academician of the IAU, professor of the department of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Gnesins

“The people are based on their traditional, indigenous culture!”(Nina Meshko)

Nina Meshko was born in 1917 in the village of Malakhovo, Rzhevsky District, Tver Region, in a family of teachers, where they were very fond of songs. Mom, Alexandra Vasilievna, had a wonderful voice, and her father, Konstantin Ivanovich, not only led the school choir, but also loved to sing in the local church.

From the memoirs of N.K. Meshko: “I don’t remember how old I was, maybe even less than a year ... I was wrapped in a downy scarf, and someone was holding me in their arms. In the kitchen, people were sitting around a large wooden table, and everyone was singing. And at the same time I experienced some completely inexplicable bliss ... "

Little Nina independently mastered playing the piano, studied elementary music theory, solfeggio. And she was so captured by the world of music that she decided: only music and nothing else! And therefore, without any doubt, Nina Meshko enters the music school named after the October Revolution, and after graduating from the Moscow Conservatory to the conductor and choral faculty. It was there that Nina Konstantinovna first heard the Northern Choir. He made a very strong impression on her.
And then Nina Meshko was offered to create a folk choir of the Moscow region. It was after this work that Nina Konstantinovna finally decided: only folk singing and nothing else.

From the memoirs of N.K. Meshko: “Some kind of obsession literally burst into me to revive the folk culture of singing. Because she was the best! This is such a skill! This is evidenced by the records, especially the northern ones.

After the Moscow Choir, Nina Meshko worked with the Russian Folk Song Choir of the All-Union Radio, and then an invitation to lead the Northern Choir followed. The North conquered her and made her fall in love with herself.

From the memoirs of N.K. Meshko: “Performing a song like in the North can be done by people who are remarkably familiar with the culture of singing, having beautiful, flexible, free voices.”

For almost 50 years, Nina Konstantinovna Meshko led the Academic Northern Russian Folk Choir, known not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders. She took over this baton from her teacher Antonina Kolotilova. Under Nina Meshko, the choir became a laureate of various international competitions. Meshko was the founder of the Gnessin School of Folk Singing. "School Meshko" brought up a galaxy of teachers, choirmasters and folk song performers. Among them are Tatyana Petrova, Nadezhda Babkina, Lyudmila Ryumina, Natalya Boriskova, Mikhail Firsov and many others. Lyudmila Zykina considered her to be her teacher. Meshko developed her own choral technique, which is now used by her numerous students.

From the memoirs of N.K. Meshko: “Song art is a chronicle of the life of the entire Russian people. It is unique, extraordinarily rich, as the Russian language is unsurpassedly rich. And then it is alive, continuously developing, renewing, reborn from the ashes ... The people are based on their traditional, indigenous culture.

Confession

Forgive me, forgive me Lord
For what I couldn't do
And in the hustle and bustle of the day
I didn't have time to pay off my debts.
I didn't get to give
Someone look, someone caress,
One did not ease the pain,
I didn't tell the story to others.
In front of relatives at a mournful hour
Didn't repent
And the beggar in the bag more than once
Didn't give alms.
Loving friends, often them
I involuntarily offend myself
And seeing the sorrows of others,
I run away from suffering.
I rush eagerly to the sky,
But the burden of worries attracts to the earth.
I want to give a piece of bread -
And I forget on the table.
I know everything I should
But did not fulfill the covenant ...
Will You forgive me Lord
For everything, for everything, for everything for this?

N. Meshko

Irina Lyskova,
Press Secretary of the Northern Choir

The originality of the repertoire and attention to the song richness of the region

The leading group of the collective - the women's choir captivates the listener with its unique timbre, the beauty of original chants, the purity of the sound of women's voices a cappella. The choir maintains the continuity of the singing tradition. The northern choir, which is distinguished by a high singing culture and unique originality, stably preserves the traditions and the priority of high spirituality in performance.
The costumes of the Northern Choir deserve special attention. Created by professional costume designers, based on the best samples from the museum collections of Arkhangelsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, they are a collective image of the Russian national costume of the northerners. During the concert, the artists change costumes several times - appearing before the audience in festive, everyday or stylized costumes created specifically for concert numbers.
The group consists of three groups - choral, dance and orchestra of Russian folk instruments. Back in 1952, an orchestral group was organized as part of the choir through the efforts of the composer V.A. Laptev. In the sound of Russian folk instruments of the orchestra there is an amazing sincerity and warmth. The originality of the repertoire and attention to the song richness of the region, modernity and a high level of performance bring the choir a well-deserved success!
The viewer's attention is constantly riveted to the stage: cheerful buffoons alternate with lyrical lingering songs, fervent quadrilles replace sedate round dances, a cappella singing alternates with musical works.
The Northern Choir pays special attention to the education of its listener, its viewer, so many of its programs are dedicated to children, teenagers and students. The choir actively continues its concert activity in Russia and abroad.
In 1957, the team became a laureate of the festival of youth and students in Moscow. This event opened the way for the choir abroad. Has begun new stage in the activities of the collective, in order to achieve recognition abroad, the choir must be special.
Since 1959, the choir has traveled to Poland, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, China, India, Afghanistan, Japan, Tunisia, and the USA. The team went to Finland several times with concerts, visited Sweden and Norway. Prepared the program "Arctic Rhapsody" together with the folklore dance ensemble "Rimpparemmi" in Finland (Rovaniemi). He worked in 2004 and 2007 in Damascus (Syria), where the Days of Russia were held in the Russian-Syrian center. In 2005, the team is invited by the museum association of the city of Varde (Norway) to celebrate the anniversary of the city. In the autumn of 2005 the team takes part in the festival of Russian culture and cinematography in Nice. “The most intimate corners of the French soul were touched by artists - northerners from Russia, having received a powerful emotional response, the audience did not let the artists go for a long time, applauding with tears in their eyes. This is the triumph of Russian national folk art!” - this is how the performances of the choir were assessed by the French media. In 2007, the Northern Choir was officially invited by the Ministry of Culture of Syria, the Representative Office of the Roszarubezhcenter in the Syrian Arab Republic and the Russian cultural center in Damascus for the folklore festival in the city of Bosra.
The Northern Choir is a regular participant in big events in Russia, so in the spring of 2004, the team took part in the Easter Festival in Moscow, in 2005, together with the Honored Artist of Russia, a student of N.K. Meshko T. Petrova and the National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Russia named after N.P. Osipova took part in the celebration of the 250th anniversary of Moscow State University.
The Northern Choir successfully combines the author's music of modern composers with traditional folk melos, achieving stage truth and northern flavor in the performance of the artists. The repertoire of the choir includes songs based on poems by: Sergei Yesenin, Olga Fokina, Larisa Vasilyeva, Alexander Prokofiev, Viktor Bokov, Arkhangelsk poets Dmitry Ushakov and Nikolai Zhuravlev, Oleg Dumansky.

Awards and titles of the northern choir

For its 85-year creative life, the team has been awarded high titles and awards.

1940
The team was given the status of a professional state team.

1944
1 award per All-Russian review choirs (Moscow)

1957
Laureate and Big Golden medal VI world festival youth and students (Moscow).
Laureate and Diploma of the 1st degree (secondary) in the second All-Union Festival musical theaters, ensembles, choirs (Moscow).

1967
Diploma of the All-Union review of professional art groups.

1971
Laureate of the VI International Folklore Festival in Tunis.

1975
Laureate and Diploma of the 1st degree in the All-Russian Review of Professional Russian Folk Choirs.

1976
By order of the Minister of Culture, he was awarded the title - "Academic".

1977
Laureate and Gold Medal of the Magdeburg Festival of Soviet-German Friendship.
Laureate of the competition of artistic groups of Russia.

1999
Laureate of the IV festival "Folklore Spring" and the 1st All-Russian Festival of National Culture.

year 2001
Laureate of the International Folklore Festival in Saint-Ghislain (Belgium).

2002
Laureate of the International Folklore Festival in Rovaniemi (Finland).
Laureate of the All-Russian Moscow Festival national cultures.

2003
Laureate of the Russian Festival of National Cultures (St. Petersburg).
Winner of the congress and festival of national cultures of the peoples of Russia (Nizhny Novgorod).

2007
Laureate of the festival of folk art in the city of Bosra (Syrian Arab Republic).

2010
Laureate of the I All-Russian Festival of Folk Singing Art "Eternal Origins" (Moscow).

2011
March 8 concert program"Northern Choir for All Seasons" marked the 85th anniversary of the Northern Choir.
The Northern Choir was given the status of "Especially valuable object of cultural heritage of the Arkhangelsk region".
Laureate of the International Christmas Festival in Italy. As part of the competition, the team received two gold diplomas in the nominations "Stage Folklore" and "Spiritual Singing".

year 2012
Laureate of the festival of professional choirs "Slavic round dance" (Ryazan).
Organizer of the II All-Russian Festival of Memory People's Artist USSR, artistic director of the group Nina Konstantinovna Meshko.

Leaders of the Northern Choir

Choir director: Natalya GeorgievnaAsadchik.

Artistic director: Honored Artist of Russia, Professor of the Gnessin Academy of Music Svetlana Konopyanovna Ignatieva.

Chief Conductor: Honored Artist of Russia Alexander Mikhailovich Kachaev.

Chief choreographer: Honored Artist of Russia Selivanov Alexander Petrovich.