The Diosd Women Choir has 40 women members of all ages anda variety of professions. Diosd is a small town that lies 5 km from the Hungarian capital of Budapest. The choir was formed in 1988, and since 1999, Kinga Sirakne Kemeny has been its director. For the last ten years the choir has shown a significant improvement professionally and has become a strong, reliable family socielly.

The repertoire includes pieces from all eras of classical choir music, and the choir sings both sacred and secular music. In the last ten years the choir has more than 100 different thematic concerts. Every two years the choir hosts the Diosd Kodaly Choir Festival on Zoltan Kodaly’s birthday in December, the 4th of these festivals being be held this year.

The choir performs a unique renaissance programme that is shown with dances, instrumental accompaniment, and choir members wearing hand-made costumes. One of the venues of this performance was the Renaissance Palace of King Mathias in Visegrad.

Charity concerts play a significant part in the life of the choir. Through these funds are raised for the benefit of various institutions and civil societies.

In 2010 the choir sang “Stabat Mater” by Pergolesi with soloists of the Hungarian Opera House at Easter. At Christmas they performed “Ceremony of Carols” and “Missa Brevis” by Benjamin Britten accompanied by Eva Maros, a Liszt Award winning harpist.

The choir seeks partnerships abroad, and have exchange relationships with several choirs. So far it has travelled to Poland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Finland. Last year the choir was in Finland for the second time. For this occasion the choir requested the Hungarian and Finnish composers, Erzsébet Szőnyi and Jami Westergard to compose pieces for the choir. The world premiere of these pieces was in Ulvila, Finland in August 2010.

In 2009 a small choir was formed from members of the larger choir singing Gregorian chants. As a scola serving at masses, its aim is to join the international project that is seeking to revive the Gregorian liturgical traditions and bring them back to everyday practice. The Gregorian Scola takes part in church music and Gregorian festivals, and has even taken part in services at the dedication of a bell in Velemér and a church in Magyarföld.

May you need any further information, please contact Gabriella Banfi choir secretary email: gabibanfi@yahoo.co.uk,

tel: 36-20-4677286

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