It Takes Three Slovenians to Make a Choir

The role of singing and amateur choirs in the processes of national awakening among Slovenians in the 19th century

Abstract

Singing and institutionalized vocal practices played a vital role in the processes of Slovenian national awakening during the 19th century. Singing, which was perceived as an elevated form of music, emerging from the primordial, »folk« and transcendental – following the ideas of European Romanticism – inherently holds two of the most important elements of the national imaginary: language and (national) emotions. Reading societies (čitalnice) and other forms of cultural and political life in the second half of the 19th century initiated processes of institutionalization of singing and mass participation in vocal groups, primarily choirs. Vocal performances were held at various manifestations of national awakening (for instance bésede) and the repertoire was dominated by what were called evocative songs (budnice), written to perpetuate the conceptual nation and nationality of Slovenians. As with singing itself, the collective nature of mass amateur singing activity and various forms of cooperation between separate vocal groups helped with the definition and bonding of the imagined Slovenian community that was being newly formed. The paper is based on various Slovenian newspaper articles of the 19th century.