Naperville family to perform their annual Christmas concert

Austria had the von Trapp Family Singers of “The Sound of Music” fame. The talented Osmond brothers and their sister, Marie, hailed from Utah.

The Sliva family of Naperville has a musical tradition of its own. The children of Vladimir and Renata Sliva — eight of them if all are home — prepare an annual Christmas concert that is open to anyone to enjoy.

This year's concerts will be at 11:30 a.m. Christmas Day at the Czech Mission, 9415 Rochester Ave., Brookfield, and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, at Holy Spirit Catholic Community, 2003 Hassert Blvd., Naperville.

“We do it every year,” said Vladimir, a classical guitarist, who started performing with his oldest son, Peter, when the boy was 5. Peter, now 27 and living in Seattle, may or may not make it for the family Christmas concert this year, but his seven younger siblings will be there.

“It's really unique. Not many people have seven siblings who all play instruments,” said Luke, the fourth-oldest who studies violin at DePaul University in Chicago. “(I've been) part of it ever since I can remember.”

The siblings sing Czech and English Christmas carols, and perform classical music with Peter (if he's there) on piano, Anna on cello, Mark and Luke on violin, Catherine on viola, Martha on organ, and Monica on cello. Monica and her younger sister, Mary, 15, a violinist who will give her first solo at the family concert this year, are students at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora.

They are joined by Vladimir on guitar. Renata, the only member of the family who doesn't play an instrument, helps publicize and coordinate the concerts. Some people come out to hear the family year after year, she said.

“Many people appreciate not only the music, but family values,” she said. “It's just nice to see a family together.”

Vera Roknicova, who attends the Sliva Christmas Concert at the Czech Mission every year, said she admires the family.

“All (the) children are musically gifted and really, really very good,” she said,

Carol Pankuch of Holy Spirit Catholic Community agreed.

“It puts me back in the proper spirt of what Christmas is all about. It's such a relaxing evening,” she said. “I just find it absolutely amazing.”

Togetherness

As newlyweds, Vladimir and Renata left the formerly socialist Czechoslovakia in 1982 because of persecution of Christians. After eight months in a refugee camp, they arrived in the United States in 1983 and moved to Naperville in 1986.

They started all their children on learning musical instruments between the ages of 3 and 5.

“We were inspired by some friends who were in a Suzuki program,” Vladimir said.

An engineer at Lucent Technologies in Naperville, Vladimir had studied classical guitar in Prague and was eager to share his Czech heritage and music with his children.

“People in Prague really are much more into music than here,” he said.

When the siblings were younger, they and their father performed at churches, Czech events, nursing homes and festivals.

The Christmas concert evolved a half dozen years ago and is always performed at the Czech church and at Holy Spirit, their home parish in Naperville.

Preparation can begin almost as soon as the last concert ends, with the family trying out and practicing music when they are together. When the siblings were younger, finding music that matched the skill level and interests of all was a problem but that has become less difficult as the years have gone by, Renata said. The concert normally lasts a little over an hour.

This year's concert will feature Vivaldi's Concerto Grosso Opus 3 No. 11, which includes difficult music to perform, Vladimir said.

An Italian baroque composer, Vivaldi was an influence on Bach.

“I really like Bach,” Luke said. “We tend to do a lot of baroque.”

But this year, Luke has chosen “Nigun” by Ernest Bloch as his special piece to perform.

Vladimir enjoys the Czech carols with “Chtic Aby Spal,” a lullaby for Baby Jesus, as his personal favorite.

“I love them all,” he said. “Christmas carols they (the children) consider easy.”

While some Czech Christmas carols have English versions, most are different from the carols that Americans know, Luke said.

Over Thanksgiving, the family made a CD of the music they plan for this year's concert.

“It sounds very good, actually,” Vladimir said.

Most of the Sliva siblings have studied music beyond high school and perform in a variety of groups. They also are available to perform as string quartet or as smaller groups at weddings, parties and other special events, and offer music lessons to students.

For more information on the family and their music, visit ">psliva.com/concerts.

If you go

What: Sliva famiy's Christmas Concert

When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 27

Where: Holy Spirit Catholic Community, 2003 Hassert Blvd., Naperville

Cost: Donation of $5 or $20 per family requested

Info: <a href="http://psliva.com/concerts">psliva.com/concerts</a>