St. Nicolas celebrates in the Opera this year

St. Nicolas Day became a tradition in the Czech Republic and also Germany, England, France or the USA to celebrate 6 December. In Russia St. Nicolas is one of the most significant saints; in each individual country traditions vary slightly. In the Czech Republic St. Nicolas represents a patron of children and a helper of people in need. Dressed into a bishop suit, wears a long beard, verge and mitre he visits people´s homes on the evening of 6 December asking children how good they were all year. He is accompanied by devils that scare naughty children and angels distributing presents.

Let´s celebrate this year´s event with The Tap Tap in the State Opera. The Tap Tap, a group of students with a physical handicap led by the conductor Šimon Ornest, has been performing since 1998. This year the band released their second album called “Party on wheels”, which will be played during the evening along with their guests, actors and singers such as Dan Bárta, Tomáš Hanák, David Koller, Klára Vytisková, Xindl X, Jaroslav Svoboda, Kamil Střihavka, Ondřej Hejma and Jiří Ornest. The guests will perform with The Tap Tap accompanied by the Czech National Symphonic Orchestra, Prague smíšeného Choir and La Grande Bande. Apart from 16 compositions performed by the band and guests, on stage will also perform Bohnice Theatre Company and Mirabel Dancing Studio.

The unique music evening with The Tap Tap and the guests is taking place at the occasion of the 20th anniversary of founding Jedlička Institute that in sense of St. Nicolas tradition helps children with handicap develop their talents and become a productive member of our society. The Tap Tap in the Opera is a benefit concert. All musicians perform for free and the entrance fee profit goes in favour of an educational centre STUDEO, creating grounds for an individual development of youngsters with a physical handicap. “Not always a quality company director has to look like a pink faced handsome guy with a worked out body, but also a person on a wheelchair,” explains Šimon Ornest, STUDEO project manager and The Tap Tap bandmaster. “STUDEO project is designed for people with special needs and will to increase the quality of their lives and social standard. The Tap Tap band is an inspiring example of such efforts put in praxis and personally I am very proud of all its members”.

Currently The Tap Tap is preparing a major tour in cooperation with the Czech Centres abroad.