The ancients approached music as a science. Pythagoras and his students believed that sound proportions reflect the harmony of the cosmos. The Choir of Lodz University of Technology knows something about this, because its members combine a strict and artistic mind in one. An example is Beata Rurarz, the president of the Choir, who is pursuing her doctorate but in the same time she cannot even imagine counting without music. Ludwig van Beethoven said: "Playing a wrong note is insignificant. Playing without passion is unforgivable!". Fortunately, our choir members are not lacking in passion!
This year you are celebrating the 70th anniversary of your existence. How do you plan to celebrate this event?
We have declared the academic year 2021/2022 as jubilee, because from the oldest records we managed to reach, it turns out that the first choir at Lodz University of Technology was established on October 5, 1951. Since its inception, we had a short break in activity in the years 1965–1968, which caused a little confusion in the anniversaries, because we celebrated two different anniversaries. That's why we decided to focus on the date of the choir's establishment, not its uninterrupted activity.
Our plans for this special year are quite extensive. First of all, we want to prepare several concerts. The winter concert, which was supposed to inaugurate, is unfortunately canceled, but our piece recorded in the convention of a virtual choir was broadcast during the December concert "Christmas Singing" in the Lodz Philharmonic and will soon have its online premiere. The spring concert is still in the plans - it will take place in March, and the summarizing one in June. The most important and largest of all celebrations will be the gala concert in May, together with TUL’s jubilee.
At the beginning of the academic year, you were recruiting new members. How did this year's recruitment go?
It was very successful - very interesting choir members joined us. You can see that everyone misses meetings and closeness, although attendance varies, as some are still afraid of the pandemic. The choir's membership is close to 70 members, so this academic year we would like to focus on activities aimed at building the team.
Many universities have a choir. What distinguishes the choir of Lodz University of Technology?
I think every choir would say that it has a unique atmosphere and there is a lot of truth in it. Our community is a place for intergenerational meetings of people with different life backgrounds. During the anniversary celebrations, I would like to pay special attention to those who are with us now, because they create this unique atmosphere.
In our group, we have both engineers and members who are not strictly associated with the university. We often talk here about meeting in one person a strict mind with a creative particle. I think this distinguishes choirs at universities of technology, gathering people whose love for mathematics makes them understand music differently from people with an artistic education.
You were active during the pandemic. How do you rate this time?
Our activity during the pandemic was very difficult. When the fashion for online performances (virtual choirs) began, we were the first team in the region to release our piece. We recorded about five pieces in total, but the most spectacular is "We will rock you" from Queen's repertoire in the arrangement of our conductor, Mariusz Lewy. We also collaborated with the TUL’s Orchestra, and in the meantime, we took part in the National Virtual Choir of Universities of Technology. Each university choir then delegated its representatives, who together prepared a piece on the occasion of the 100th birthday of John Paul II.
You had the opportunity to collaborate with numerous artists. Which concert do you remember best?
An inspiring event was the concert with Andrea Bocelli in 2012. The experience was interesting because singing with a soloist, where the choir is just an addition, was something different from what we were used to. On this occasion, we could work with Marcello Rota - the conductor of the orchestra that came with Bocelli - and get to know a completely different approach to the artist and performances. It was something amazing - the first such performance on a big stage, with a several thousand audience.
I also remember the concerts from the Night of the Proms series. During them, the challenge for us was intense stage movement, which is also important for our conductor, so it is not excluded that in the future we will prepare a performance with choreography. Many stars appeared at the Night of the Proms concerts, and among them we - later mentioned by journalists in one sentence with such celebrities as Coolio, Natalia Kukulska or Zuccero.
You can boast of various distinctions, also of a world rank. Which award was particularly important?
In 2011 we played in Ireland at an international festival. We participated in two categories - sacred and entertainment. We won first places in each of them, so the morale of the group was really high. We received trophies that still stand in our room in the III Student House. I remember that on the way back from the concert already on the bus we were drinking champagne from them. It was a great trip both in terms of art, social and tourist. A big achievement was also the qualification for the choral festival in Cantonigros (Spain). We had a great time, especially in the folk category - we performed in folk costumes from the Lodz region.
What does choir activity give?
It certainly influences the development of soft skills, such as the ability to work in a team, communicativeness, developing creativity or organizing work time. Performing live allows you to get used to stress, and preparing a concert involves filling out various formalities and acquiring sponsors, which also teaches negotiation. It's not just a school of life, but also a great adventure, especially since the choir gives you the opportunity to travel the world. The great company is also important. Spending time together brings us closer. We even have several pairs who are now married. I also met my husband in the choir. And the weddings of choir members are something! Singing in a team requires some sacrifices, but you can reconcile everything. My husband is no longer active in the choir, but he supports me and gives advice, especially since he became interested in acoustics.
What are your plans for the future?
We want to match the level of communication to younger recipients and activate on social media, such as Instagram or TikTok. If we decide to record another album, we will also make it available on Spotify or other music services. Currently, we publish our songs on YouTube and Facebook.
Currently, however, I most desire for the pandemic to end. Choral activity is specific especially in such times, and yet the energy from the audience is irreplaceable. Meanwhile, we want to publish all concerts online, although of course we will monitor the situation and perform stationary as much as possible.
We invite you to join the TUL Choir and to follow our social media, where we publish the songs performed by us and information about members and events. Celebrate the 70th anniversary with us!
Interviewed by: Paulina Krygier
Photos: Jacek Szabela, private archive of Beata Rurarz