Community Highlights Europe Autumn Vibes in Siedlce

Autumn Vibes in Siedlce

We keep following the city events on the city website, at the city/church information boards . We got interested in the oratorium that was advertised on our church information board. It took place on October 18 within the framework of the Days of Christian Culture.
The recital was preceded by a lecture "Defending Human Dignity in the Teachings of John Paul II" by Grzegorz Polak, editor, deputy director John Paul II and Primate Wyszyński Museum in Warsaw.
The lecturer drew our attention to the fact that according to the Pope, the exceptional dignity of the human person is established by the law of creation in the image and likeness of God.
In the name of this unshakable truth, John Paul II fervently, courageously and consistently defended the dignity of every human being, and is remembered by the humanity as the defender of the rights of those marginalized, persecuted, and living in extreme poverty.
The lecturer explored the little-known and forgotten facts and speeches by the Pope, wh, during his lifetime, was considered the highest moral authority and the conscience of the world.
The lecture was followed by the oratorium “14 Encyclicals” in Siedlce performed by St. John Paul II Warsaw Choir and Orchestra and conducted by Dr. Zofia Borkowska. Soloist: Paweł Szczyciński; piano: Stanisław Szczyciński. We received booklets with texts of all oratoriums in Latin and in Polish. The choir performed the following oratoriums: 1,2,7,8,9, 10,11, and 14.

The oratorio was composed by contemporary composer Stanisław Szczyciński, who through music introduced listeners to the world of the biblical sources of the papal thought. The oratorio consists of fourteen parts, each referring to one of St. John Paul II's encyclicals. The text in Latin is based on passages from the Holy Scripture, performed by a choir and soloist in Latin, and by a lector in Polish. The musical layer draws on a wealth of traditions and styles – from the Gregorian chant, through the Orthodox Church music, to jazz and elements of contemporary music – emphasizing the universality of the papal teaching. John Paul II's encyclicals, evoked in musical form, cover a broad spectrum of topics: human dignity, mercy, the Church's social teaching, ecumenical and sacramental issues. Their message, rooted in the Church's tradition, remains relevant and inspiring for generations to come.

The choir has operated at the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw since 2016. The choir primarily performs sacred music - from a cappella works to extended vocal-instrumental forms. It regularly performs concerts in Poland and abroad, collaborating with esteemed composers and orchestras, and actively participates in church and state ceremonies. In recent years, the choir has performed at the beatification of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and Mother Elżbieta Czacka, given a concert in Rome to mark the 40th anniversary of the John Paul II Foundation, and participated in the premieres of oratorios by contemporary composers, including those dedicated to Father Jerzy Popiełuszko and the Blessed Ulma Family. In 2024, the choir won first prize at the 8th National Festival of Religious Song "Pater Noster", and the conductor received a special award for expressive performance.

Within the framework of the Days of Christian Culture, we attended the 2nd Papal concert entitled «Saint John Paul II, the Prophet of Hope». It took place at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Brest Street after the liturgy. There were several participants, among them: the parish school; Noemi Famulska, Oliwia Barbachowska, Gabriel Rosastolato, Agnieszka Kalata, and Agnieszka Durka; guest performance: Mateusz Pieńkowski.

On the way to Podlasie Concert Hall on Sunday, we visited the traditional Old Polish Fair in Sikorski Square.

Then we met at Warszafka Cafe to have some coffee with Martha and Christoph, who had invited us to attend to attend the jubilee concert of the Art Styl Vocal Ensemble at Podlasie Concert Hall. It was a great reunion with our local friends.

On Sunday the 19th, on the invitation of our local friend Martha, we were happy to attend the concert of the Art Styl Vocal Ensemble at Podlasie Concert Hall. The ensemble was celebrating a special anniversary this year – its 10th anniversary. For a decade, the group has captivated audiences not only with their repertoire but also with the energy and passion they bring to the stage. Since its foundation, the ensemble has been led by charismatic musicians Urszula Chruściel and Marcin Chojecki. Their talent, professionalism, and commitment that have ensured that Art Styl's concerts have attracted loyal audiences for years, and the band has become a recognizable part of the region's cultural life.
According to the MC, the anniversary was not only a celebration of ten years of activity, but also an opportunity to celebrate with the audience, who have been with the band from the beginning.
The band's artistic achievements include an impressive seventy-seven concerts since 2015, as well as participation in numerous festivals and reviews, from which the artists have repeatedly won awards. Their achievements include six first-place finals, four second-place finals, and the Grand Prix.

The band's current members were introduced to the audience. They are: Grażyna Bańkowska, Liliana Barbara Bielak, Irena Frank, Mirosława Jarmul, Krystyna Robakowska, Anna Sawicka, Bożena Sujka, Alina Sidoruk, Teresa Sikorska, Jagoda Zgódka, and Ewa Zyska-Łęczycka. Each of them brings their own sensitivity and artistic personality to the group, giving Art Styl a captivating sound diversity and stage cohesion.

There was a traditional Science and Arts Festival. This year it was the 27th Science and Arts Festival. It included university-based workshops, exhibitions, lectures, performances and a recital.

On Friday the 24th, the second day of the festival, we attended a recital in the University Students’ Leisure Center, a small venue at the university campus, within the framework of this festival. The recital was called “Seweryn Krajewski's Songbook» It was a concert by the Ambitus Duo Acoustic Ensemble. The concert of Seweryn Krajewski's included most beautiful songs, ranging from the heyday of Czerwone Gitary, through the composer's solo work, including pieces known from films and those he composed for other artists. The songs were composed with excellent lyrics by Agnieszka Osiecka, Jacek Cygan, Magda Czapińska, Krzysztof Dzikowski, Bogdan Olewicz. Their lyrics, combined with the music of Seweryn Krajewski, imbued with the composer's characteristic Slavic note of nostalgia, created unforgettable, multi-generational hits that have been stirring sentiment for years.

During the concert, we heard timeless film hits, including those from "Ubieganie Agaty," "Jana Serce," and "Kogla-mogla,”, as well as such hits as "Remedium," "Najpięjsza," "Tak się się," "Płoną Górna, plama lasy," "Come, Hug, Forgive," "Niechłowi Bal," and many others.

The songs were performed by Radosław Świderski, who also played the acoustic guitar. He is a renowned bard, a composer, a music producer, a multi-instrumentalist, and a vocalist with a charismatic, warm voice. Krzysztof Chromiński played the piano and was an MC. He is a pianist, a composer, and an arranger, who graduated from the Academies of Music in Gdańsk and Katowice. He received a scholarship from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, and an award from the Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodeship for artistic creativity and the promotion and protection of cultural assets.

On Saturday, the third day of the festival, we attended the photography exhibition called “Light and Shadow of the Borderland” at 51 Sienkiewicz Street, S. Skulimowski Academic Gallery of Photography. The exhibition was presented by Katarzyna Mroczyńska from the University of Siedlce.
Stretching along the border with Ukraine, somewhat off the beaten track for tourists, Eastern Roztocze can enchant both nature and architecture lovers. Over the centuries, important divisions have run through this region: national, religious, cultural, and ethnic. The multicultural and multireligious character of ancient Roztocze can be seen in the churches of various denominations, near which we often find cemeteries, bell towers, and remnants of stone defensive walls. These silent witnesses to the past still remind us that not so long ago, Poles, Ukrainians, and Jews lived here side by side.

Katarzyna Mroczyńska, the author of the exhibition, wrote, “Photography has been with me for a long time, but I only began actively pursuing it a few years ago. I enjoy going on outdoor trips both near and far to observe and capture landscapes, nature, architecture, and human figures. My photographs have been featured in, among others, in group exhibitions of the Siedlce Creative Group Fotogram, at the Zbliżenia - Niezwykłe Spotkania Fotograficzne nature photography festivals, and at a solo exhibition at the Stefan Skulimowski Academic Gallery of Photography. As Susan Sontag wrote (On Photography. Kraków: Karakter, 2023), "No one has yet discovered ugliness through photography. Many, however, have discovered beauty through it." And I try to show this beauty in my photographs.»

On Saturday evening, we went to 39 Żytnia Street to the Arts Faculty of the University to attend the exhibition «Equilibrium – Transmutations». The exhibition brought together various artistic disciplines: painting, drawing, photography, performance, performative actions, objects, and video. The shared exhibition space became a forum for the exchange of experiences, energy, and ideas, as well as a place for exploring balance and tensions in contemporary art and the cosmos. The event featured artists from across Poland: Edyta Dzierż, Łukasz Głowacki, Marek Głowacki, Piotr Kotlicki, Wojciech Kowalczyk, Krzysztof Kula, Adam Nowaczyk, Przemysław Obarski, Marcin Olejniczak, Jan Robert Skarboń, Marcin Sutryk, Marian Stępak, Bożena Wojtaszek.

The Garage Sale / flea market on the last Saturday of October was not impressive: very few customers and a small offer.

November 1 is a big Christian holiday in Poland and in many other European countries. On the eve of this church feast people are invited to join in praying together in honour of the Saints and joyfully giving witness of faith in communion with the saints. This year the city residents were invited to participate in the 6th Siedlce March of Saints. The event began on October 31 with the Holy Mass at 6:00 p.m. in the Church of Corpus Christi in Siedlce.

The Eucharist was followed by a presentation of the relics of the saints and the blessed. The young people shared their stories about the saints: St.Rita, St.Joanna Beretta Molla and St.Carlo Acuties. A priest told the participants about the outstanding local church dean Bishop Ignacy Swirski (1885-1968), who is called "Servant of God" and whose case is studied now by beatification commission.
Then the participants set off with lanterns towards the Central Cemetery, where the event was planned to end at about 9:00 p.m.
All participants, especially children and young people, were encouraged to dress up as a saint and take a lantern with them. This to remind us that we and the saints together have life in Christ.
On the way to the cemetery, we sang songs adressing dozens of saints and asking them to pray for us. Then young people sang a couple of Christian songs to the guitar until we reached the central cemetery. Bishop Gregory pronounced a sermon and thanked everybody for their participation in the event. We especially liked the last song sung by the young people's group, "Ode to a Good Night".

This featured blog entry was written by Vic_IV from the blog Our Stay in Poland.
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