“By the end of the 2010s, the Debrecen Music School’s Folk Music Department had
grown into one of the finest folk music education centers in Hungary. Proof of this lies
in the students’ regular appearances in the finals of nationwide Hungarian folk music
competitions and in annual folk music recording anthologies. Graduates of the Music
School do outstanding work across Hungary as folk music performers, teachers, and
researchers. These results are thanks to the comprehensive pedagogical methods used
by Zoltán Kodály, after whom the school is named, integrating the scholarly exploration
and analysis of folk music with high-level teaching methodology.This record reflects two decades of work through presenting the singers who were students of the school during the 2018-2019 school year.

These results are thanks to the comprehensive pedagogical methods used
by Zoltán Kodály, after whom the school is named, integrating the scholarly exploration
and analysis of folk music with high-level teaching methodology. I consider
it especially important that at the Debrecen Music School the folk music instructors
make a conscious effort for their students to regularly meet with tradition-bearing
master village folk musicians. Musical transcriptions – if I may reference László
Lajtha’s invaluable insight - show us only the “what” of the music, which is to say,
merely the basic melodic and rhythmic elements of the song. Using village recordings,
we can perhaps get closer to the “how”, meaning we can incorporate some of the
performance style, but the “why” question can only be answered through students’
personal relationships with the living bearers of our musical heritage.
The teachers who have brought this publication to life, Judit Sáriné Szebenyi and
Lilla Tóth, do exemplary work leading the Pendely singing groups. In their recordings,
the pursuit of folkloristic authenticity is coupled with a high level of musical sophistication.
This is reflected not only in the quality of the melodies chosen, but in the
characteristically secure intonation and fresh, natural sound of the students’ singing.
In my opinion their work at the Debrecen center is an excellent demonstration of the
results that can be achieved with the Táncház Method, not only within Hungary, but
for an international audience.

Many of the collaborating musicians on this recording may also be familiar from their

appearances on Fölszállott a Páva. Gergely Agócs, Páva’s professional director and a
member of the jury, has provided us folk music courses and expert guidance for years,
and is featured here as both the musical director of the album as well as a guest musician
on bagpipe, shepherd’s flute, and tarogato. Andrea Navratil was the Pendely
singing groups’ mentor during the Páva contests, and the “Bakonyi dudanóták” (“Bagpipe
tunes from Bakony”) arrangement is one of the fruits of that collaboration. Our
singers are accompanied by Áron Dóra on shepherd’s flute, Gábor Dragony on zither,
and members of Parapács Band on strings. Our colleague Judit Kompár-Rőmer joins
the band as a guest violist. Likewise Debrecen Music School instructor Miklós Molnár
masterfully crafted the Gyimes fiddling on the recording. In line with the spirit of
our work, we wanted to include tradition bearers and sing with them on this record.
On the opening and closing tracks of the album, the Pendely singers are accompanied
by Péter Győrfi and Miklós “Szamóca” Pékó, from whom we have collected beautiful
songs from Hajdúság on many occasions. As representatives of the traditional culture,
they are exemplary to even the youngest members of our family of singers.
This record reflects two decades of work through presenting the singers who were our
students during the 2018-2019 school year. We owe thanks to all who have helped in
the realization of this album and the “blossoming” of the Pendely folk singing groups:
first and foremost to our second home, the Debrecen Music School, and to the leaders
and community in Debrecen. We also give thanks to the singers and their families,
who through their faith in us have become our community and our family.  We offer this album to you with warmth and love, and hope you use it in good health!
Gergely Agócs

The Pendely family of singing groups
(Names appear in Hungarian name order)
Pendely Énekegyüttes / Pendely Singing Group: 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12
Bartók Boglárka, Bíró Nelli, Fekete Boglárka, Rácz Boglárka, Szepesi Emese,
Végh Orsolya
Kispendely .nekegyüttes / Kispendely Singing Group: 2, 7, 12
Buglyó Petra, Demeter Zsuzsa, Felhősi Nikolett, Harangi Annamária,
Horvát Nikolett, Németh Csilla, Szabó Blanka, Sztancs Anna, Törös Luca Bella,
Veres Réka, Vojtkó Eszter
Bőgatya Énekegyüttes / Bőgatya Singing Group: 12
Márta Szabolcs, Molnár Szabolcs, Pusztai Mór, Veres Hunor
Bartók Boglárka ének / voice: 6
Fekete Boglárka ütőgardon / percussive cello: 10
Sáriné Szebenyi Judit ének / voice: 12
Tóth Lilla ének / voice: 8, 10, 12
Veres Hunor ének / voice: 4

Közreműködők / Collaborators:
Agócs Gergely  duda, furulya, tárogató / bagpipe, shepherd’s flute, tarogato: 4, 5, 8
Dóra Áron  furulya / shepherd’s flute: 5
Dragony Gábor  citera / zither: 1
Győrfi Péter  hegedű / violin: 1
Kovács István  ének (archív felvétel) / voice (archival recording): 1
Molnár Miklós  hegedű / violin: 10
Navratil Andrea  ének / voice: 8, 9
Pékó Miklós ’Szamóca’  hegedű / violin: 12
Parapács zenekar / Parapács Band: 12
Pusko Márton  hegedű / violin
Tárkány-Kovács Bálint  cimbalom
Dragony Gábor  bőgő / double bass
vendég / guest:
Kompár-Rőmer Judit  brácsa / viola

1. Hajdúböszörményi népdalok 5’ 54”
2. Mezőföldi népdalok 2’ 49”
3. Magyarbődi népdalok 3’ 16”
4. Felső-bodrogközi népdalok 4’ 28”
5. Balázstelki népdalok 4’ 46”
6. Buzai keservesek 3’ 15”
7. Gyergyóditrói népdalok 3’ 04”
8. Zoboralji dudanóták 7’ 00”
9. Bakonyi dudanóták 4’ 37”
10. Gyimesi keserves és táncdallamok 6’ 22”
11. Imregi karikanóták 3’ 37”
12. Hajdúsági muzsika 5’ 58”
Összidő: 55’ 15”

Recorded in 2019 at the Pop Music Training Center of the University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Music. This album was made possible through support from the City of Debrecen,
Hungary.

Zenei rendező / Music Director: Agócs Gergely, Szerkesztők / Producers: Agócs Gergely, Sáriné Szebenyi, Judit, Tóth Lilla, Hangmérnök / Sound Engineer: Sándor Csaba, Fotó / Photography: Rácz Katalin, Sáriné Szebenyi Judit, Tóth Lilla, Grafika / Graphics: Kiss Dóra, Veresné Demjén Andrea, Angol fordítás / English translation: Sue Foy, Bozzay Zina
© 2020 Fonó Music Hall

Artistic directors Lilla Tóth and Judit Sáriné Szebenyi