The Gesualdo Six led by Owain Park make a welcome return to the Festival and St Martin’s for a concert themed around the Virgin Mary on November 10. For many Polish Catholics, Mary is revered as the eternal Queen of Poland, and as such has inspired the warmest of musical tributes across the centuries. The centrepiece of this concert is the world premiere of a brand-new mass in her honour, commissioned specially from composer Marek Raczynski, one of the most prominent members of the Poland’s thriving contemporary music scene. The new work weaves its way through a programme that includes the UK premiere of two of Górecki’s songs from 1986 in praise of the Blessed Virgin, Baroque composer Bartłomiej Pękiel’s striking Ave Maria (c.1661-9) and Aleksandra Chmielewska’s Salutatio angelica (2015), interespesed with solo organ works by Marian Sawa and Michał Schaeffer, for which Rupert Jeffcoat returns.
This year’s Festival concludes with an evening of ancient and modern music performed by the young singers of Rodolfus Choir under the direction of Ralph Allwood on 11 November. Bogurodzica, medieval Poland’s great hymn to the Virgin Mary, will feature in their programme alongside music by Marian Sawa (1937-2005) including a chorale prelude for organ, Adoro te devote, performed by Rupert Jeffcoat. This concert will also see the premiere of dynamic young composer Jan Krutul’s Missa brevis and 17th-century motets by Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki, one of Poland’s greatest Baroque composers. Cellist Leo Popplewell will perform in Roxanna Panufnik’s All Shall Be Well (2009); Panufnik is a British composer of Polish heritage. Rodolfus Choir, praised for their beautiful and memorable performances, boast some of the finest choristers in the country and promise to give eloquent interpretations of these Polish masterpieces.
Barbara Schabowska, Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, said: 'Poland’s deep Christian foundation has inspired composers to create music of great beauty and emotional power through the centuries and composers today are continuing to create music of great truth, goodness and peace. I’m particularly proud this year to programme great music of the past with the best modern Sacred music and I hope that audiences will come and explore this glorious music with us.'
Paweł Łukaszewski, Artistic Director, said: 'I am delighted to direct Joy & Devotion Festival for a second time, and share the many glories of Polish sacred music, both old and new, with British audiences. We look forward to hearing these excellent British choirs perform these great works of Polish of choral music in such a fine setting, and we are proud to have commissioned some brand new music for the occasion.'
