Croatian musical heritage of choral singing in the general education system – in the wake of the Musical Festival of Croatian Youth

U ovom se radu razmatra položaj hrvatske glazbene baštine zborskog pjevanja u općeobrazovnom sustavu temeljem programa (N=25) izvedenih u okviru Glazbenih svečanosti hrvatske mladeži u Varaždinu, u razdoblju od 1996. do 2022. godine, jer navedena manifestacija kao državno natjecanje pjevačkih zborova djece i mladih u Republici Hrvatskoj među svojim ciljevima ima i zadaću poticanja glazbenog stvaralaštva hrvatskih skladatelja. Metodom opažanja i analizom arhivske građe prikupljeni su podatci o vrsti osnovnoškolskih zborova najzastupljenijih u pojedinim godinama, a kvalitativnom tematskom analizom sadržaja izvedenog zborskog repertoara prikazuje se položaj hrvatske glazbene baštine, njezina pojavnost i zastupljenost u proteklih 27 godina. Rezultati potvrđuju značaj osnovnoškolskog zborskog pjevanja kao važnog čimbenika očuvanja hrvatske glazbene baštine, koja upravo uključivanjem u zborski repertoar osnovnih škola postaje dostupna mlađim generacijama.This paper considers the position of the Croatian musical heritage of choral singing in the general education system based on the programmes (N = 25) performed during the Musical Festival of Croatian Youth in Varaždin, in the period between 1996 and 2022. This event serves as a national competition for children’s and youth choirs, with one of its goals being the promotion of the Croatian composers’ artistic production. A research methodology based on the method of observation for data collection and the analysis of archival material has identified the type of elementary school choirs predominantly represented in specific years. Additionally, a qualitative thematic content analysis of the performed choral repertoire has provided observations into the position of Croatian musical heritage, its appearance, and representation in the past 27 years. The results confirm the importance of elementary school choral singing as a significant factor in preserving Croatian musical heritage, which becomes accessible to younger generations precisely by including it in the choral repertoire of elementary schools