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Concert of traditional Polish songs – „Podlasie” group from the village Wyszonki Błonie (Poland)

Concert of traditional Polish songs – „Podlasie” group from the village Wyszonki Błonie (Poland)
Start date 2013-10-04
Start time 20:30
Kategoria Koncert

Podlasie (Poland)

The history of the Podlasie ensemble dates back to the fifties. It was then that Stanislaw Twarowski (the first performer of the role of King Herod), together with other enthusiasts formed a group of carol singers who visited single homes but also local community centers, clubs of country housewives, etc. After his death, Stanislaw Święcki became the Herod. When he too passed away, the Herod duties were taken over by Jan Niemyjski who is proudly performing them to this day.

The core of the group are :
- king Herod - Jan Niemyjski
- devil - Stanisław Fiedorczuk
- Jew - Józef Fiedorczuk
- death - Zygmunt Konicki
- 1st soldier - Stanisław Święcki
- 2st soldier - Mieczysław Święcki
- 3rd soldier - Stanisław Niemyjski
- 4th soldier - Tadeusz Olędzki
-5th soldier - Jerzy Fiedorczuk
-6th soldier - Kazimierz Busma
- angel - Jacek Świątkowski


The history of King Herod, passed orally for hundreds of years, written down in a vocal - verbal form, is undoubtedly one of the most culture-generating factors that have occurred on the border of Mazovia and Podlasie. The group has performed it in numerous venues in Poland, including Warsaw, Białystok, Kazimierz Dolny, Łomża and Białowieża.

Since January 1st, 2006 Podlasie have their manager in Local Centre of Culture in Kluków. Under such patronage they have performer to much acclaim:
- 2nd award in the Regional Review of Rital Theatres in Łomża 2006
- 1st award in the Regional Review of Carolling Ensembles in Łomża and Hajnówka from 2007 to 2013
- participant in 43rd National Festival of Folk Bands and Singers in Kazimierz Dolny

Apart from the traditional Herody, Podlasie also perform Koza (Pl. goat) associated with the oldest oral testimonies from Podlasie region. The sung story of a goat stands as a base for the motive of a Jew – a figure inseparably linked with our region.

The Herody show whose roots go back to medieval religious mysteries of the Nativity of the Lord, was in the rural tradition a part of Gody – a period lasting from Christmas to Epiphany. At that time, young boys dressed up as Jews and Gypsies, goats, bears and wolves wandered from house to house with a star and a manger, singing Christmas carols and wishing all the best to the household. The most often custom was to give them food in return. Zapusty (Shrovetide), i.e. Carnival, lasted from the New Year’s Day to the Great Lent.

Herody were initially staged in churches. The secular contents which gradually became present in the performance caused this type of theatre to leave the space of the sacrum. As a result, mainly in villages and in little towns, Herody became part of the carollers’ repertoire. The versions that survived until 20th century and which can still be watched today come from “Old-Polish Carol Dramas” ("Staropolskie pastorałki dramatyczne”) collected, edited and published in 17th century by Jesuit Colleges.

The Koza ritual - walking with a goat is one of the oldest rituals dating back to the pre-Christian era, that have survived until present day. In traditional cultures all over the world the custom of dressing up as animals was associated with vegetation magic and fertility magic. The vital goat falls ill and dies during the ritual. Its death symbolizes the caesura of life during the wintertime. Its resurrection is a symbol of spring and the return of life in nature. This symbolic meanings are to be found in songs sung by the carollers:

Where the goat goes- the rye later flows
Where it will stay- there heaps the hay
Where it waves its horn –there’s plenty of corn.

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