has presented recitals of 130 leading interpreters from twenty-seven countries from all around the world, including the Czech Republic. The enormous effort of Ms Irena Chřibková, the titular organist of St. James´ Basilica, to organise the whole cycle of eight concerts taking place during August and September is supported by a team of enthusiastic people, including an organ builder and cameraman. The opening concert of the 20th Festival took place on Thursday, 6th August 2015 and was especially festive. A new CD (published by Radioservis) presenting the recordings from previous years was launched at the concert…….. The opening evening presented St. James´ Basilica titular organist – Ms Irena Chřibková. Her recital programme conception was a masterpiece in terms of dramaturgy – except of one piece in the middle, all compositions originated from a period of the past 116 years. The World Awaiting the Saviour, the first part of the programme Passion Symphony (1924) by Marcel Dupréopened the evening. Her rendering full of composed insight, emphasized by an insistently repeating rhythm and Romantic, nearly French-like soft sound captured the fascinated attention of all listeners. Ms Chřibková invited Martin Opršál, an eminent percussionist and a teacher of the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno to play the Sonata for Organ and Percussion Detto I (1978) by Sofia Gubaidulina, a female composer of a Russian-Tartar origin. The two musicians have been cooperating for several years. Mr Opršál´s instruments were carefully spaced out on the loft and thanks to his commitment and permanent concentration he perfectly mastered the part. It was mainly this moment when the audience highly appreciated the live video which allowed them to watch and realise the piece´s demands in terms of interpreters´ technique and coordination. Some parts are aleatoric, there are clusters in organ, music of wild and boisterous as well as tranquil mood. The sonata is based on a distinct rhythm and sound colours – the organ accompanied by various percussion instruments created marvellous sound combinations. The audience carefully listened to the performance of both musicians……….. The world premiere of the song cycle Prayers and Praises (2015) with a subtitle Hommage a Antonín Dvořák met with much attention. Jiří Teml, who celebrated his 80th birthday recently, was inspired by Dvořák´s famous Biblical Songs. Equally, the five parts set to music Psalm texts. Teml´s cycle remotely resembles Dvořák´s music language, excels in cantabile style and fine song stylisation, expressing various expression positions. Irena Troupová, a famous soprano singer of early music, mastered her part with excellence, capturing all expression nuances or singing three-lined c at the right end of the piece. The recital was closed by The First Symphony in D minor (1899) by Louis Vierne. Allegro vivace was followed an exultant Final with a typical toccata style with figurations in a manual and a theme in a pedal – i.e. a piece of positive and joyful mood which is just suitable to close a recital. Irena Chřibková displayed marvellous technique, great musicality and sensitivity in cooperation with her colleagues on the loft. Personally, I highly valued mainly her registration mastery, which is unfortunately not common by other Czech organists. From the very first moment it was obvious that she is closely acquainted with St. James´ organ and she can create sound combinations which resemble French or North-German instruments.

(Jana Slimáčková Michálková, Harmonie, 10th August 2015)