The young members of the Radio Children's Choir perform a concert on Saturday, the 27th of April on the stage of the Radio Hall under the title "Tribal". The choir's conductor, Răzvan Rădos, tells us about the idea behind the event and some of the surprises the choir has prepared for the Bucharest audience.

First of all, please tell us a bit about the concept behind this event.

The concept is a special one, because it combines some somewhat different trajectories, but they will meet on stage and we hope that the audience will like all these pieces of art that will come there, in the concert. It's really ancestral music, tribal music, choral reworkings of traditional tribal works. At the same time, we'll have some works by modern composers on stage, some of them even close in age to me, around 35. And we will, of course, have choreography in both the choir and some of the guests... And visual arts, something new for the Radio Children's Choir concerts.

What can you tell us about this last aspect?

We have collaborated with the Mia's Children Association. It's a legal entity that takes care of children from disadvantaged backgrounds; and not only takes care, but also guides them towards art. And they - I'm talking about the coordinators and the children who are in residence there - have created some visual artworks especially for this concert, which will be placed behind the choir so that the audience will have a context, if you like, and a visual context for the music they will hear.

Let's talk a little bit about the programme, please. Who are the composers who have reworked the tribal works you were talking about and who are the composers who have written new works?

The program is a story, we hope, italicized for those watching and listening from the hall. Of course, we're going to the great tribal cultures and Africa with some already established choral works. Then from the north, from the Scandinavian peoples to Papua New Guinea or the Maori traditions with the famous haka. Of course, South America, with its exotic rhythms and exotic instruments. We have a very beautiful arrangement, in our opinion, of 'Circle of Life', made by my colleague Victor Stoica especially for the Radio Children's Choir and for this concert. And I was saying that this old music, specially processed for this concert, is combined with some compositions by composers like Serge Folie: the wonderful rain dance from "Water Glow" is a work that we have revived after many years since it was performed on radio. Javier Busto - "Zai itxoiten" - a work I personally fell in love with as a conductor. And two special and much-loved works by members of the Radio Children's Choir by a young 31-year-old composer from Canada, Katerina Gimon; 'Earth' and 'Fire'. Somehow, these things come together in the evening concert. There you have it, very old music with very new compositions, put together in an unfolding by both myself and my colleagues in the choir, because, as you know, the Radio Children's Choir works as a team doing concerts together.

We have been working on the concept of this concert since September. Since last September, ideas have been gathering. There has been a creative effervescence in the choir since we announced this theme. All this effort and all the inspiration will be seen on stage on Saturday night, we hope, to the delight of those who come to listen in the hall.

I'd also like to specify a few helpers we have in the concert, a few guests. As every year for the last 3-4 years, the Radio Children's Choir Boys Ensemble, conducted by my colleague Magdalena Faur - the pianist of the Radio Children's Choir, now also as conductor - will play some very beautiful works from Africa and Amerindian culture. On percussion we have Iasmina Topală, Robert Ispășoiu and Andrei Tudor Achim as guests, because in a tribal concert the percussion section must be highlighted, we think. And the "As" troupe, a dance ensemble coordinated by Matei Ilie, a former member of the Radio Children's Choir who returns to the stage in this concert as choreographer and dancer.

At the end of the concert we have several prestigious ensembles from Bucharest invited, who are preparing a surprise for the audience and I will present them on stage at that time.