News
Visit the 29th International Organ Festival in St. James basilica
We invite you to the 28th International Organ Festival which will start on August 1, 2024, with a concert by an excellent Italian organist Gabriele Agrimonti. An overview of all concerts can be found at the following informative flyer, detailed programs of all concerts on the website Audite Organum, or at the Facebook page www.facebook.com/aomvf. All concerts are held with video projection, so everybody in the audience can watch the organist play on the screen in the church.
We are planning autumn and advent benefit concerts
We are preparing further of the popular benefit concerts in support of the St. James’ organ. The first one will take place on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. The main guest performer will be a brass ensemble (trumpets, trombones, horns) and an oboe player from the Gymnasium and Music School of the Capital City of Prague, titular organist of St. James’ Basilica Irena Chřibková will play at great organ, we will also hear choir organ played by Jan Rotrekl. The program will include compositions by J. S. Bach, B. M. Černohorský, J. Clark, A. Lotti, G. Caccini, A. E. Garcia.
Another concert will take place in advent time, on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. See our pages for further details.
Our gold donors gave a donation of 1,000,000 CZK
On June 11, 2024, our gold donors, Petr and Vlasta Bednaříkovi, supported us by another 1,000,000 CZK. Their support has increased to the amount of 2 milions crowns. We strongly appreciate this beautiful and generous support and sincerely thank for your donation.
We have collected 37,390 CZK at benefit concert of the choir EN ARCHÉ
On Tuesday June 18, 2024, approximately by 200 participants visited another of the popular benefit concerts to support the St. James organ. At the concert Jan Rotrekl played at the St. James great organ. The main part of the concert was based on the performance of the chamber choir EN ARCHÉ under the direction of Vojtěch Jouza, Czech Philharmonic member, see concert program. A guided tour of the St. James’ great organ and an informal meeting of St. James organ friends in monastery ambit followed the concert.
Together with donations sent directly to endowment fund account, 37.390 CZK was collected, 33.680 CZK directly at the concert. We sincerely thank for all donations and the entire proceeds goes to the reconstruction of the St. James’ organ!
2000 visitors supported us by 39,937 CZK during the Night of the Churches 2024
Approximately 2000 visitors came to the Basilica of St. James during the traditional Night of Churches on Friday, June 7, 2024. During the evening three blocks of organ music were at the program, see Night of Churches 2024 in St. James Basilica, each one was foloowed by popular guided tours of the largest organ in the Czech Republic at the choir. Organ excursions were well received, participants listened an information about organs in general, about the history of the Great St. James organ, and about the planned general recostruction as well. It was possible to look into the bowels of the instrument, some participants even tried to play the organ. Present visitors were interested in the details of the reconstruction, its implementation and the time, technical, and financial requirements.
At the beginning of the evening, a tour of the St. James’ Basilica was held under the dedicated and engaging leadership of Father Oldřich Prachař. The evening itself brought visitor donations in the total amount almost 39,937 CZK, some donations were sent directly to the transparent account of the Endowment Fund. We thank everyone very much for their support, the entire proceeds goes to the reconstruction of the St. James’ organ!.
From January to May 2024 we collected 179,193 CZK
During the first five months of the year 2024 our donors sent to the account of Endowment fund 179,193.- CZK. We sincerely thank all donors for their donations.
We have collected 54,416 CZK at benefit carnival St. James’ Evening
On Friday, February 9, 2024, at the end of the carnival period, a benefit carnival St. Jacob’s evening took place. Approximately 120 people attended the event and during the evening, the program included organ music in the basilica, a guided tour of the St. James’ great organ, opera and operetta melodies performed by Aneta and Tomáš Černý in the Luxembourg Hall of the Minorite Monastery, and small carnival refreshment prepared and dedicated by Mr. Dobeš and his friends. You can some photos from the evening in the following photogallery.
Together with donations sent directly to endowment fund account, 54,416 CZK was collected. We sincerely thank for all donations and the entire proceeds go to the reconstruction of the St. James’ organ!
The amount of 761,611 CZK was collected in the year 2023
During the canlendar year 2023 the amount of 761,611 CZK was collected, 298,700 CZK was collected just in December 2023. We thank all the donors who sent a donation to the account of Endowment fund or who contributed in cash to the treasury in the Basilica of St. James during our benefit events and we remind that you can obtain small rewards as a souvenir reminding your contribution to the preservation of the St. James’ organ. You can ask for your reward via email SanctiJacobiOrganum@seznam.cz.
We have the new bronze donor
On 28th December 2023, JUDr. Jiří Svoboda donated an amount of 101,000 CZK to the account of the Endowment Fund and he thus became our new bronze donor. We really appreciate this beautiful support and sincerely thank for the donation.
We collected 34,100 CZK at benefit St. James’ Night on December 1, 2023
On Friday, December 1, 2023, a benefit St. James’ Night was held in St. James Basilica. During the evening, participants listened blocks of organ music performed by Pavla Salvová and Jan Rotrekl, took part at guided tours of the St. James’ great organs with comments of titular organist Irena Chřibková, and during a visit of monastery ambit they could refresh and warm.
The event was visited by 120 persons who contributed the save of St. James’ organ by 34,100 CZK, the amount of 30,150 CZK was collected in cash to the treasaury at the event and 3,950 CZK was sent to the bank account of endowment fund. We sincerely thank for all donations.
We collected 57,297 CZK at the benefit concert on October 23, 2023
On October 23, 2023, a benefit concert was held in support of saving the great St. James organ. The choir of Notre Dame from the parish of the Church of Our Lady before Týn performed under the direction of Leona Stříteská, together with Irena Chřibková, the titular organist of the St. James Basilica wonderful Marian Vespers written by Petr Eben for the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat and other organ compositions as well as other vocal and organ pieces of Antonín Dvořák, Gabriel Fauré, Gioacchino Rossini or old masters Monteverdi and Scarlatti. The concert took place on the eve of the 16th anniversary of the death of composer Petr Eben who had a great attachment to the St. James Basilica, the majority of his works were performed here, some of them in the world premiere. Some photos and videos from the concert can be found at the following Facebook page of St. James’ Audite Organum.
More than 200 participants came to the concert and they contributed to save of St. James’ organ by 57,297 CZK, the amount of 45,247 CZK was colleceted in cash to the treasury in the Basilica of St. James during the concert and 12,050 CZK was sent to the account of Endowment fund. We sincerely thank for all donations.
Send our flyer to your closes or friends
Is anybody of your closes or friends insterested in organ music and do you think that they could be addressed by our action to save the great St. James’s organ?
Send them our flyer or link to this web! Thank you very much in advance for spreading the information about the collection for the reconstruction of the St. James’s organ.
In June and July 2023 we collected 166,851 CZK
During months June and July 2023 our donors sent to the account of Endowment fund 166,851 CZK. In whole year 2023 was collected already 307,380 CZK. We sincerely thank all donors for their donations.
We have the new bronze donor
On 22th June 2023, Ing. Pavel Kříž donated an amount of 110,000 CZK to the account of the Endowment Fund. He thus became our new bronze donor. We really appreciate this beautiful support and sincerely thank for the donation.
Visit the 28th International Organ Festival in St. James basilica
We invite you to the 28th International Organ Festival which will start on 3rd August with a concert by an excellent British artist Wayne Marshall. Detailed programs of all concerts can be found on the website Audite Organum, or at the Facebook page www.facebook.com/aomvf. All concerts are held with video projection, so everybody in the audience can watch the organist play on the screen in the church.
Near 23,000 CZK was collected during the Night of Churches 2023
The Night of Churches of this year was entirely in the spirit of saving our St. James organ. At the beginning of the evening, a tour of the Basilica of St. James was held under the dedicated and engaging leadership of Father Oldřich Prachař. For the rest of the evening there were three musical demonstrations followed by a tour of the organ directly in the choir. The tours of the organ were well received, the listeners were introduced to a general explanation of organ development and then learned details of the history of the St. James organ. Everyone could look into the bowels of the instrument, some even tried to play the organ … There were also questions about the reconstruction of the Great St. James’s Organ, those present were interested in the details of its implementation and the time and technical requirements. The evening itself brought visitor donations in the total amount almost 23,000 CZK, some donations were sent directly to the transparent account of the Endowment Fund. We thank everyone very much for their support and we look forward to the next meeting with all lovers of the St. James organ in the basilica of St. James.
From January to April 2023 we collected 139,829 CZK
During the first four month of the year 2023 our donors sent to the account of Endowment fund 139,829 CZK. We sincerely thank all donors for their donations.
Request an award for your donation
Did you contribute to the restoration of the St. James´ organ and don’t have your award yet? Request it at the email SanctiJacobiOrganum@seznam.cz! The list of awards can be found at the page Awards.
