One Voice: Ecumenical concert by 3 choirs in Warsaw

"One Voice" is an international youth exchange project in the area of culture, the major subject of which is an inter-religious dialog. For eleven days, the young people whose passion is singing and who represent different courtiers, cultures and religions took part in musical and vocal workshops. Moreover, they prepared a repertoire for an ecumenical concert together. This unusual event was take place on the 5th of June, 2013, in the Amphitheatre by the old Powder Magazine owned by the Centre for Cultural Education.

30 choristers from Minsk (Concordia Choir), Lvov (Werwyczka Choir) and Warsaw (Sienna Gospel Choir) took part in the programme of exchange.

Sienna Gospel Choir (SGC) is an effervescent band presenting gospel music, the main aim of which is to bring joy and spiritual relief. The choir was settled up in 2002 in Warsaw's congregation of the Pentecostal Church. Today, SGC includes more than 40 members, who are joined together by their common love to gospel. The choir is of a denominational character, and its major mission is singing above all the divisions, cultural as well as religious ones. The band gives performances not only in Poland but also abroad, it takes part in various TV and radio recordings, eagerly supports charity events as well as social campaigns.

The conductor: Anna Bajak

Concordia Choir is a 30-member band which was formed in 2007 in Minsk. It comprises of people in different age groups, who are either professional or amateur singers. The choir gave performances, among others, during Christmas Festival in Warsaw (2001), Byelorussian "Guki viasny" festival, and also in the philharmonic hall, and other halls in Minsk. In 2011, the choristers took part in the exchange with the Swedish St Johannes Choir. In the Concordia programme, one may find i.a. catholic songs, Russian sacred music, Byelorussian folk songs and jazz standards.

The conductor: Galina Kazimirovskaya, chórmistrz: Svitlana Zadreiko.

'Werwyczka' Choir was set up in 1992 by the priest named Stefan Zdobylak, and it is affiliated with The Orthodox Church of Holy Mother of God. The oeuvre of the choir includes circa 150 songs: Sacred Liturgy - (Archiereous, Ivan The Silver-Tongued, Saint Basil the Great). Easter Liturgy, Orthodox songs, prayers and ecumenical pieces of K.Stecenek, M.Werbycki, M.Bortnianski, O.Lotti. Together with its conductor the choir, apart from music activity (concerts, festivals), is engaged into social activities as well. It cooperates with local associations and nuns from the monastery of Saint Vincentia in Lvov. At present, the choir consists of 38 members.

The conductor: Ghalia Bahan

Wednesday, 2 September 2015

Ecumenical concert by 3 choirs in Warsaw