The Jitro Czech Girls Choir and conductor Jirí Skopal return with GRATIAS on Navona Records. The commemorative album pays homage to Czech composer Ilja Hurník, whose playful compositions perfectly match the joyful imagination of youth without sacrificing a sliver of musical integrity. Also a prolific author, Hurnik infuses his compositions with narrative texts that give the music a storybook quality. The Jitro Czech Girls Choir presents this album as a memoriam for Hurnik, who spent decades popularizing classical music and teaching his concise, efficient style to children. His long history with the choir gave him an intimate look into it's performance, allowing a symbiosis between composer and performer where each could flourish.