Another successful anniversary music evening in Adergas, with the Plevel sisters and the Maček family having appeared at every edition.
In Adergas, singing evenings have now been preserving a rich folk heritage for ten years, reviving memories of the lives of earlier generations, which were always closely bound up with song, while also bringing villagers of all generations together for a cheerful get-together. The anniversary event Družina poje (The Family Sings) was organised by the Pod lipo Adergas Cultural and Arts Society. “Our guiding principle is to make sure that Slovenian folk song never dies out, as its value to the nation is priceless. It has been shown once again that music and songs bring us together, so we will continue to hold events like this in the future. In our cultural society, we strive to preserve family musical culture in the form of folk singing and to pass folk singing on to younger generations,” said Angelca Maček, who also prepared the event and hosted it with imaginative introductions together with Monika Ribnikar.
Photo: Janez Ribnikar
50 singers in all
Ten families, groups and individuals performed, 50 singers in total, and the Maček family and the Plevel sisters have appeared at every one of the ten editions. Each family or group sang two songs, one folk song and one in the popular folk style. First to delight the audience were the girls from the Bašelj family, known locally as the Kodranove, from Velesovo: mother Francka sang with three granddaughters and daughter-in-law Tina, and for the second song they were joined by two girls from next door. They sang “Mi ga pa žingamo” and “O prijateljstvu”. Second up was the Logar family from Suha pri Predosljah: mother Maja brought her daughters onto the stage, 13-year-old Maša and nine-year-old Lana. Both are learning to play the diatonic accordion, and at their next appearance in a year or two the girls will also sing.
As mentioned, the Maček family has taken part in the event every year. Father Jože and mother Angelca, joined by their daughters Monika and Petra, granddaughters Zala and Anika and grandson Lovro, sang “Čez zelene trate” and “Pobelelo pole”, a song from Bela krajina, to guitar accompaniment. All the members of the Maček family are active in the local cultural society. Sisters Jelka and Brigita also sang for the tenth time. On several occasions we also heard their brother Štefan Plevel on stage; he knows many very old songs with humorous lyrics. The sisters sing in the church choir, even though both are already over 80; at 86, Jelka was the oldest singer, while Brigita celebrated her 80th birthday just recently. They sang “Srebrna reka” and “Tam na vrtni gredi”, accompanied on the piano by Prof. Damijana Božič Močnik. The Rezar family sang without mother Barbara, who was kept away by work; father Rok, together with his daughter Angelca and his niece, sang “Jutri mam zobarja” and the folk song “Na planincah”. The Rozman family came from Praprotna Polica. Tone and Angeli accompanied their daughters Ksenija and Sara, as well as Neža, who is gradually becoming part of their family. They sang “Žabe” and “Pozdrav s planin”.
Photo: Janez Ribnikar
All in one voice
The largest family was the Selan family from Praprotna Polica. Dane and Ana have seven children, two boys and five girls; only one stayed at home, and two in-laws performed with them as well. From Adergas came the six-member Sirc family. Father Franci and mother Nancy were joined by their sons Žan, Rudi and Matic and their daughter Vesna. All four children are musicians, and the house resounds with the accordion, guitar, bass guitar and zither. Nancy is a music teacher, while Franci is president of the local Pod lipo Adergas cultural society and loves singing in choirs. The Močnik family from Cerklje na Gorenjskem also performed. They have no shortage of knowledge when it comes to singing and playing instruments, as they are all members of the Cerklje brass band, the father is a master craftsman in an organ-building workshop, and they enjoy singing together in various vocal groups. The tenth and final performers were members of the Zarnik family from Šenčur: mother Petra and her children Anika and Lovro.
At the end, everyone together – singers and audience alike – sang the song set to the words of Simon Gregorčič, “Zakrivljeno palico v roki”. All the participating families received a small crate containing buckwheat flour, two apples, dried bay leaves and a small loaf of bread, while the children received chocolate. Franci Sirc, president of KUD Pod lipo Adergas, presented Angelca Maček with a bouquet of flowers to thank her for organising all ten highly successful events.
Photo: Janez Ribnikar
Article by: Janez Kuhar
