Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee
of the Czech Handel Society, z.s.
at: Janoušek Law Office, Badeniho 291/3, Prague 6
Recorded retrospectively from an audio recording and with the assistance of ChatGPT by Jan Kučera, 7th‒9th May 2026.
Present
Committee:
Jiří Janoušek – Chairman
Michal Typl – Secretary
Jan Kučera – Technical Director
Věra Alves – Member.
Apologies / absent
Libor Hofman – Member
Jana Míková – Substitute Committee Member.
No one else joined via Zoom.
The Committee met with a quorum present.
Next Committee Meeting
The next Committee meeting will take place in five weeks’ time, namely on Tuesday, 9 June 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the Janoušek Law Office, see above.
Agenda Items
- Reconstruction of the minutes of the previous meeting
- Membership fees and membership administration
- Evaluation of the seminar and related scholarly activities
- Concerts by Fr Michal Šust’s ensemble “Vertical Voices”
- The planned concert “Il viaggio in Europa”
- Journey to Göttingen and Halle, and international cooperation in general
- Admission of Mgr Šmídová Turchichová, PhD, as a member of the Society
- Promotion of the Society
- Conclusion
1. Reconstruction of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting
Jan Kučera reported that, due to technical difficulties during the recording of the Committee meeting held on 13 April 2026, a substantial part of the recording had been lost. The minutes of the previous meeting are therefore not yet yet available; they will need to be reconstructed in a more concise form on the basis of notes. He also informed the Committee of changes to the technical solution used for recording meetings.
The Chairman, Jiří Janoušek, provided his own materials and notes from the previous meeting for use in finalising the minutes.
2. Membership Fees and Membership Administration
Jan Kučera informed the Committee about the update of the membership database and its reconciliation with the records of payments received in the Society’s bank account. He further noted that, as of 3 May, only 16 members had paid their membership fees.
The Committee discussed the manner of communication with members who had not yet paid their membership fees. The prevailing opinion was that communication should remain accommodating, non-confrontational and tactful. Members should preferably be reminded discreetly, while at the same time being informed about the Society’s specific activities and offerings.
It was noted that the Society is already sufficiently active for the collection and reminder of membership fees to be fully legitimate.
Věra Alves was entrusted with preparing a draft of a brief and politely worded text for communication with members.
The discussion also noted that some members follow the Society’s activities rather passively and that high attendance at all events cannot realistically be expected.
3. Evaluation of the Seminar and Related Scholarly Activities
The Committee assessed the recent seminar.
Those present agreed that the scholarly standard of the seminar had been very high and that the event had been successful both in terms of content and organisation. The lower attendance (12 participants) may also have been influenced the later hour and by practical circumstances connected with the venue, especially the requirement to submit a list of participants in advance, passage through the reception desk, and the fact that the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Cukrovarnická Street is not located directly next to a metro station.
The possibility of organising another seminar later in 2026 was discussed.
Jan Kučera proposed preparing a seminar devoted to Adam Václav Michna of Otradovice on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of his death. He noted that it would be possible to approach Professor Petr Daněk of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, a leading specialist in this field, and to use premises similar to those employed for the previous seminar.
The Committee received the proposal favourably. It was decided that the seminar should, if possible, take place in the second half of October, and Jan Kučera was entrusted with organising the seminar (subject to successful coordination of dates) as well as coordinating it with the planned further activities of Mgr. Šmídová Turchichová, PhD.
4. Concerts by Fr Michal Šust’s Ensemble “Vertical Voices”
The Committee discussed the state of preparations for the concerts coordinated by Libor Hofman.
Although Libor Hofman could not be reached by telephone during the meeting, those present expressed confidence that preparations were proceeding in the usual manner. It was mentioned that his absence and unavailability might be connected with his recently completed move.
It was noted that several concert dates had already been provisionally secured, that one concert in Hořovice had been arranged by Jana Míková, and that no concert venue in Prague had yet been secured.
After the Meeting, on 7 May, the Committee received an e-mail from Libor Hofman, from which the following excerpt is quoted:
“…sorry I haven’t been in touch, things have somehow all become a bit too much for me. On top of that I’ve now come down with tonsillitis and I’m trying to recover. But things are gradually settling down now, and even my knees are slowly starting to stop hurting. It’s been a marathon – and at my age… I definitely won’t be moving house ever again. I was thinking about the meeting, but then somebody here wanted something from me and I completely forgot about it. I hope you weren’t dealing with anything too complicated. As for the June concerts, I’ve got everything fully under control. I wrote to Michal [Šust] in Florida today, and Jana [Míková] has given me the final decision that nothing will take place in Hořovice after all. I’ve also received some photos and texts from Vertical Voices, so I’ll prepare some nice promotional materials as soon as possible and send them round to everyone for review. The Americans are flying back a day or so later than planned, so I’m now trying to find something for that final Tuesday as well. Michal says he’ll look around himself in East Bohemia, where he has quite a number of friends. Jaroměř/Josefov occurred to me, where we have our sculptor friend Petr Novák, but I’m not sure whether anyone would come on a weekday – Prague and its surroundings would probably be better after all. Jirka [Janoušek], don’t you happen to know of any suitable premises in Prague 6? It probably wouldn’t even have to be a church, and I’m sure you’ve got contacts there as well.”
5. The Planned Concert “Il viaggio in Europa”
Jiří Janoušek informed the Committee about ongoing negotiations concerning the concert project “Il viaggio in Europa” at Břevnov Monastery.
According to his report, the situation is developing favourably and the project appears realistic.
He further informed the Committee about negotiations concerning possible sponsorship arrangements for the project, the willingness of the management of the Collegium Marianum ensemble (represented by Ms Markéta Kahoferová) to cooperate in the organisation, and the anticipated date of implementation at the beginning of September 2026.
Jan Kučera promised technical and organisational assistance.
The possibility of using the project for broader promotion of the Society was also discussed.
6. Journey to Göttingen and Halle, and International Cooperation in General
Jiří Janoušek informed the Committee about a planned journey to Göttingen, where he will be accompanied by Jiří Ludvík, President of the Znojmo Music Festival, in connection with establishing contacts with a view to possible future cooperation.
Jiří Janoušek further informed the Committee about preparations for a journey to Halle, where he will be accompanied by Mgr. Šmídová Turchichová, PhD.
He stated that he is preparing a representative speech on behalf of the Czech Handel Society, that he would like to present current Czech Handelian research, and that he seeks to further develop the Society’s international contacts.
It was agreed that the Committee would be acquainted with his speech in advance “per rollam”, so that it might still be commented upon and amended before his departure for Halle. The intention to secure corporate membership of the Society in all three German Handel societies was also discussed again.
Jiří Janoušek further informed the Committee about negotiations aimed at broader cooperation with foreign festivals and institutions.
7. Admission of Mgr. Šmídová Turchichová, PhD., as a Member of the Society
In connection with preparations for the seminar held on 23 April 2026, Mgr. Šmídová Turchichová, PhD., attended the previous Committee meeting as a guest. On that occasion, she expressed her wish to become a member of the Society, to which the members of the Committee present (the Committee being quorate) expressed their consent.
According to the current Statutes, however, a written application (an e-mail being sufficient) is required for admission, and this has not yet been received, although Jan Kučera informed Mgr. Šmídová Turchichová, PhD., of this requirement by e-mail.
The Committee holds Mgr. Šmídová Turchichová, PhD., in very high esteem and is fully aware that her membership would be of enormous benefit to the Society. It therefore expressed its determination to continue the communication.
8. Promotion of the Society
The discussion highlighted the need to focus on the promotion of the Society and its activities, to make greater use of media opportunities, and to reach out to new people interested in the Society’s activities.
Members of the Committee were asked to help promote the Society on Facebook to a greater extent than before, for example by sharing its posts.
The project “Il viaggio in Europa” was mentioned in particular as a suitable opportunity for broader public presentation of the Society.
The Society currently lacks promotional material in the form of a simple leaflet that could be distributed at Society events. Michal Typl was entrusted with preparing the initial text of such promotional material in a single-sheet A5 or DL format. He is to cooperate with Jan Kučera and Libor Hofman on its completion, graphic design and subsequent printing arrangements.
9. Conclusion
The Committee agreed that the Society is currently developing activities on regular basis and intends to continue both its scholarly seminars and its concert and international activities.
The meeting took place in a productive and friendly atmosphere.
List of Tasks
Jiří Janoušek
- continue negotiations concerning the project “Il viaggio in Europa”,
- prepare the speech for Halle,
- continue developing the Society’s international contacts,
- ongoing task: resolve with the tax authorities the situation of the Czech Handel Society following the death of Pavel Polka,
- ongoing task: arrange cooperation with Professor Helena Weiser.
Michal Typl
- prepare the initial promotional material of the Society in a single-sheet A5 or DL format,
- cooperate with Jan Kučera and Libor Hofman on the completion and printing arrangements of the promotional material.
Jan Kučera
- complete the reconstruction of the minutes of the previous meeting,
- prepare the membership circular,
- longer-term task: prepare further contributions to the series “Handel 300” (What Handel Did in the Summer of 2026; Admeto),
- continue preparations for the seminar on Adam Václav Michna of Otradovice,
- approach Professor Petr Daněk of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University,
- coordinate preparations with Mgr Šmídová Turchichová, PhD,
- cooperate in the organisation of the project “Il viaggio in Europa”.
Věra Alves
- prepare a draft of a polite reminder concerning the payment of membership fees,
- if necessary, continue personal communication with certain former and current members.
The Committee Generally
- complete previously unfinished tasks from earlier periods,
- continue promoting the Society and developing the membership base.