10men

Our story

In 2014, a group of ten friends from the Pueri gaudentes male choir combined their vocal talents to form their own a cappella group. Our first step was to focus on songs we always wanted to sing but didn't have the opportunity to perform with our original choir. In 2015, we made an important move, separating from the parent choir, starting to perform actively, and rebranding ourselves as 10men. In the following years, we filled our schedule with concerts in Prague hotels and festival performances, from which we earned numerous prestigious awards. After a hiatus from 2017 to 2019, we returned to the scene in 2020 with fresh energy. We revived our favorite pieces, added new arrangements, and fully resumed our regular concert activities.

Here is the history of our group from its inception to the present:

The Birth of the idea

In June 2014, ten members of the Pueri gaudentes male choir, led by Marek Rajnoch, decided to perfect the performance of interesting pieces from our repertoire. From these gatherings, the idea of forming a separate vocal group gradually emerged. We initially called ourselves “VSMSPG” or “Vospuga” (Vocal Group Pueri gaudentes). The newly formed group Vospuga began its journey on May 29, 2015, with a performance at the Night of Churches at St. Joseph's Church in New Town and St. Agnes of Bohemia Church in Spořilov. A few days later, considering our new beginning and the number of members, we renamed ourselves Ten Men.

Independence and new identity

On December 2, 2015, we performed as Ten Men at a benefit concert at St. Agnes of Bohemia Church in Spořilov. This concert marked our independence from the parent choir and introduced our new black and red visual identity. Later, our group name was shortened to 10men.

A year full of events

The year 2016 was full of events for us. On May 27, we performed at St. Peter and Paul Church in Bohnice district and the next day participated in the Speed Festival and the Nightingales in the Garden festival. It was our first experience with paid events. On June 10, we performed at the Night of Churches at St. Agnes of Bohemia Church in Spořilov and on June 18 participated in the Festival of Sacred and Chamber Choirs in Choltice. At the end of September and the beginning of October, we competed in the international competition "Jirkovský Písňovar" (Jirkov Song Festival), where we scored 25 points and received our first gold band. We ended the year with a concert at St. Agnes of Bohemia Church in Spořilov and a Christmas concert with the Sangvis Novus choir at the Prague Museum of Music.

Changes and new challenges

The year 2017 brought several changes. On January 13, we were guests at the New Year's concert of the famous singers Matha and Tena Elefteriadu at the Lávka Club in Prague. In June, we participated in another edition of the Night of Churches and the Choltice Festival of Sacred and Chamber Choirs. Our summer concert at Petřín on June 24 was the last event led by Marek Rajnoch. After his departure, Adam Dvořáček became the new artistic director. In October, we participated in the Jirkovský Písňovar competition, where we received a silver band, and in December, we organized two benefit concerts.

Breakup and comeback

In 2018 and 2019, we gradually disbanded and ceased to function. However, on March 10, 2020, thanks to the initiative of Marek Rajnoch, the first rehearsal of the new lineup took place. He took over the leadership together with Adam Dvořáček. The comeback performance took place on June 12, 2020, at the Night of Churches at St. Agnes of Bohemia Church in Spořilov, which spurred the renewal of regular activities. In September of that year, we held the "10men Two Towers" performance at the Jindřišská Tower.

Successes and new projects

In 2021, we continued our activities with several significant performances. We once again participated in the Night of Churches, the Choral Festival in Hradec Králové, and collaborated with the Chamber Ensemble and soloist Vladimír John on the "An Die Ferne Geliebte" project, premiering the violin concert "Eterea Archa" by František Loder. In October, we received a gold band at the "Jirkovský Písňovar" competition and advanced to the Grand Prix. Meeting the female quintet Lamas led to the idea for a joint project. On November 25, we were guests at the anniversary concert "30+1 years of Pueri gaudentes," and in December, we ended the year with an Advent concert titled "Vánoční nářez" (Christmas Bash).

Charity events and competitions

In 2022, along with other male groups, we recorded a Ukrainian folk song as a charity event to support Ukraine. We continued regular concerts and festival participations, such as the Bohemia Cantat Festival in Liberec and the "Two Faces of 10men" event, where we presented our repertoire in both classical and modern versions with popular music. In the autumn, we won a silver band at the Musica Orbis Gloria competition and held two joint concerts with the Rokycany quintet Lamas, unveiling the LAMEN project.

International debut

The year 2023 was full of new challenges and successes for us. We performed once again at the Night of Churches, won a gold band at the "Jirkovský Písňovar" competition, and had our first international performance in Zschopau, Germany. We concluded the successful year with an Advent performance at Alzheimer Home and a joint Christmas concert with the Dábrlíbab choir called "Red-Yellow Christmas."

From international successes to a change in leadership

We started the year 2024 with a partial change in artistic direction when Karel Špinka joined Marek Rajnoch as his deputy. In April, we held the first independent concerts of the LAMEN project. May was marked by international success, as we won two awards, a gold and a silver ribbon, at the prestigious HARMONIE FESTIVAL in Lindenholzhausen, Germany. In the summer, we sang with the choir from the University of La Verne, USA, and performed as guests at the IFAS competition festival in Pardubice. Autumn brought further interesting projects: a performance at the St. Wenceslas concert in Zbraslav, a concert in Libštát, and success at the Jirkovský Písňovar competition, where we not only defended our gold ribbon but also advanced to the Grand Prix. Around that time, we said goodbye to Marek Rajnoch, who completely handed over the artistic direction of the group to Karel Špinka.