The event, entitled "Acclamations," will run at the Radruż Orthodox Church Complex from August 23 to 25, aiming to become an annual fixture in the region's arts calendar.
Piotr Zubowski, director of the Museum of Borderlands in the town of Lubaczów, which manages the Radruż complex, said that the festival seeks to showcase the site’s rich iconographic art and history, as well as its acoustics suited for sacred music concerts.
"The Radruż church has absorbed centuries of chants within its wooden walls, which we will experience during the festival," Zubowski said. "It is an ideal place to immerse in both the mysteries of the past and the sounds of the present trying to understand that past."
The "Acclamations" festival promises to be more than just a listening experience; it aims to be a communal exploration of the musical heritage of Eastern Christians in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, encouraging all attendees to experience this legacy together.
Zubowski told the media that the church symbolizes the cultural history of Eastern Christianity in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which developed a distinct artistic tradition from the 16th century, marking the convergence of Latin and Byzantine civilizations.
"The heritage of Eastern Christianity in the territories of the historic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth belongs to various nations, and undoubtedly each of them has every right to consider it their own," Zubowski said.
"In this context, one of the main tasks of the festival is to find a criterion that breaks down all divisions that have arisen in complex history," he added.
The festival will focus on liturgical music "in the context of exploring liturgy as a broader cultural and mental construct," transcending administrative boundaries, according to the organizers.
"Liturgy, meaning a 'public work,' also absorbs local cultural peculiarities," Zubowski explained. "Our region represents a melting pot of influences from both Eastern Orthodox areas and neighboring Western Christianity."
The inaugural festival will feature performances by the Katapetasma Male Church Music Ensemble, the Armonia Female Church Music Ensemble and soloist Evgeny Skurat. Accompanying the musical offerings will be a lecture by Michał Janocha, a professor and renowned expert on icon painting.
Artistic direction for the festival will be led by Łukasz Hajduczenia, a distinguished scholar and vocalist known for his work in ancient church music and a veteran of international vocal competitions.
According to the Orthodox Church, there are up to 500,000 Orthodox Christians in Poland, most of them living in the northeast of the country.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP