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It is an all-important piece of information that the songs and music which Poles living beyond the borders of the present-day Third Republic have preserved in their oral tradition are, for the first time in Poland, presented here on CD. The Vilnius and Grodno regions, border on each other, share a similar history. In both historical regions Poles and their culture have for many centuries entered into contact with the local population and its culture - with Lithuanians in the former area, and with Rusins in the latter. Polish heritage was maintained by lineage (often confirmed by the family's coat of arms), the Catholic religion, and the Polish tongue, which is used mainly in prayer and religious songs. For these reasons the songs and tunes which those people store in memory are diverse: folk, school,popular, patriotic, historical, religious, Polish and assimilated foreign songs. Connoisseurs of Polish folk culture will easily recognize the specific spirituality and special artistic qualities which the northern borderland has fostered.
The recordings presented on this CD were made in 1992-95 - to Lithuania in 1992 and to Belarus in 1995. The vast majority of the recordings were made in wonderfully hospitable Polish households, in conditions favorable to the preservation of the peculiar, natural, homely atmosphere of such performances. For all those present - the researchers and the performers alike - those meetings were a moving experience. The studies and the documentation work proved the presence in the Grodno region of vocal music only, comprising various song genres performed by groups of several women. From among the musical records collected in Lithuania and Belarus, more than 30 songs from the Grodno and Vilnius regions have been chosen for the present release. The instrumental music on this CD consists of recordings of four dulcimer players from the Vilnius area who were displaced after World War II and had to move from Lithuanian territory to postwar Poland (Jan Holubowski - tracks 15, 30; Konstanty Kuncewicz - tr. 27, Bronislaw Dowgiallo - tr. 19 and the woman player from Ejszyszki - Tekla Wincukiewicz, tr. 12). English-Polish booklet enclosed with details about the region and the musicians.
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Features
- Compact Disc
- 37 selections
- Total Time 73:30
- English-Polish language booklet enclosed.
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