The fourth edition of the Festival of Polish Sacred Music, “Joy and Devotion”, will begin on 7 November 2024. The best British choirs, including SANSARA, The Choir of King’s College London, Holst Singers, and The Sixteen, will perform at St James’s Piccadilly, presenting a repertoire of Polish sacred music. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is the organiser of the festival, which premiered in 2021.
“Joy and Devotion” – the fourth edition of the festival in a new version
This year’s edition of the “Joy and Devotion” festival will be held for the first time in the unique setting of St James’s Piccadilly – a 17th-century church designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The church is renowned for specialising in classical music concerts.
The new edition of the festival will also feature four choirs that have never performed at this event: SANSARA, The Choir of King’s College London, Holst Singers, and The Sixteen. The festival’s artistic director will once again be Polish composer Paweł Łukaszewski, while the esteemed Scottish organist Rupert Jeffcoat will provide musical accompaniment to the choirs and perform solo compositions.
Olga Wysocka, Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute:
“Sacred choral music is fundamental to Polish culture, and its beauty resonates across time. We are delighted to expand this year’s programme of the “Joy & Devotion” festival with performances by four new choirs and a lecture on contemporary Polish sacred music, enabling us to promote this unique art form more effectively than ever before.”
Paweł Łukaszewski, Artistic Director of the “Joy & Devotion” festival:
"It is an honour for me to direct the “Joy & Devotion” Festival of Polish Sacred Music in London.
The concert programmes have been designed to reflect the broad spectrum of Polish choral music over the centuries, in the best possible performances by these excellent British choirs. We are delighted that St James’s Piccadilly will host this year’s festival for the first time."
British choirs perform Polish sacred music
The SANSARA choir, conducted by Ellie Slorach, will open the “Joy and Devotion” festival on 7 November. The concert programme will focus on the diversity of Polish sacred music from the last century. The choir will perform, among others, five pieces by Juliusz Łuciuk (1927-2020), whose music is known for combining neoclassicism and aleatoricism, as well as “Lacrimosa” by Bartosz Kowalski-Banasewicz (born 1977).
On the second day of the festival, The Choir of King’s College London, conducted by Joseph Fort, will perform works by Sławomir Czarnecki (born 1949). The programme will also feature “Gaude Mater Polonia” by the 13th-century composer Wincenty of Kielcza and “Four Organ Impressions” by Jan Fotek (born 1928).
The Holst Singers, conducted by Stephen Layton, will perform on the final day of the festival with a programme of Advent music, combining baroque pieces with contemporary compositions. Audiences will have the opportunity to hear works by Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (1665-1734), Aleksander Jan Szopa (born 1997), and festival artistic director Paweł Łukaszewski. The highlight of this year’s festival will be a concert by The Sixteen, conducted by Eamonn Dougan, showcasing court music from the 16th and 17th centuries. Their programme will feature works by Gorczycki, as well as compositions by Bartłomiej Pękiel (1601-1670), Marcin Mielczewski (1600-1651), and several Italian composers, including Palestrina (1525-1594).
Lecture on contemporary Polish sacred music and panel discussion at King’s College London
For the first time, this year’s “Joy & Devotion” Festival will include an expert lecture on contemporary Polish sacred music, followed by a panel discussion featuring the festival artistic director Paweł Łukaszewski, musicologist Beata Bolesławska-Lewandowska, and conductor David Wordsworth.
This event will be held on 8 November 2024 at King’s College London.
The festival will take place from 7 to 10 November 2024. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute warmly invites you to participate in the festival!
Listings
Paweł Łukaszewski Artistic Director
7 November 2024 | 19:30 | St James’s Piccadilly
Renewed Tonality
SANSARA
Ellie Slorach – conductor
Rupert Jeffcoat – organ
Feliks Rączkowski (1906-1989) Two chorales for organ
Alicja Gronau-Osińska (b. 1957) – Invocazione
Juliusz Łuciuk (1927–2020) – Missa gratiarum actione: Kyrie
Bartosz Kowalski-Banasewicz (b. 1977) – Lacrimosa
Juliusz Łuciuk (1927–2020) – Missa gratiarum actione: Gloria
Łukasz Urbaniak (b. 1980) – In te Domine speravi
Augustyn Bloch (1929 – 2006) - Fantasia for organ
Juliusz Łuciuk (1927–2020) – Missa gratiarum actione: Credo
Zuzanna Koziej (1994) – Exaudi Deus
Juliusz Łuciuk (1927 – 2020) – Missa gratiarum actione: Sanctus-Benedictus
Marcel Chyrzyński (b.1971) – Similes esse bestiis
Juliusz Łuciuk (1927 – 2020) – Missa gratiarium actione: Agnus Dei
8 November 2024 | Time 10am-1,30pm| King’s College London
Lecture and discussion panel on contemporary Polish sacred music
Joseph Fort
David Wordsworth
Paweł Łukaszewski
8 November 2024 | 19:30 | St James’s Piccadilly
Corona Mariae
The Choir of King’s College London
Joseph Fort – conductor
Rupert Jeffcoat – organ
Sławomir Czarnecki (b. 1949) - Corona Mariae – Hymni in honorem Beatae Mariae Virginis Regina Poloniae:
Antiphone Ave Maria
Hymnus Unica Victrix,
Hynmus in honorem B.M.V. de Vilno,
Hymnus in honorem B.M.V.de Monte Calvariae Zebrzydoviensis,
Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. de Piekary,
Hymnus Domina Claromontana,
Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. de Kodeń
Jan Fotek - Quattri impressioni for organ
Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. de Monte Carmelo,
Hymnus in honorem B.M.V. Immaculata,
Hymnus Domina Cracoviae
Wincenty of Kielcza (1200 – 1261) - Gaude Mater Polonia
9 November 2024 | 13:00 | St James’s Piccadilly
Rupert Jeffcoat – organ
Franciszek Walczyński (1852-1937) – Benediction
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-69) – Esquisse
Mieczysław Surzyński (1866-1924) – Sonata in D minor
Christian Podbielski (1740-92) – Minuet (from Sonata VI)
Feliks Nowowiejski (1877-1946) - Dumka
Walerian Styś (1885-1936) – Triumphal March
9 November 2024 | 19:30 | St James’s Piccadilly
Advent Music: Gorczycki & Łukaszewski
Holst Singers
Stephen Layton – conductor
Rupert Jeffcoat – organ
Paweł Łukaszewski (b. 1968) – Antiphonae: O Sapientia
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (c. 1665 – 1734) – Missa Rorate: Kyrie
Paweł Łukaszewski – Antiphonae: O Adonai
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki – Missa Rorate: Gloria
Paweł Łukaszewski – Antiphonae: O radix Jesse
Aleksander Jan Szopa (b. 1997) – The Transfigurations of Jesus for organ
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki – Missa Rorate: Sanctus
Paweł Łukaszewski – Antiphonae: O clavis David
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki – Missa Rorate: Benedictus
Paweł Łukaszewski – Antiphonae: O Oriens
Aleksander Jan Szopa – Fantasia “Veni creator Spiritus” for organ
Paweł Łukaszewski – Antiphonae: O Rex gentium
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki – Missa Rorate: Agnus Dei
Paweł Łukaszewski – Antiphonae: O Emmanuel
10 November 2024 | 18:00 | St James’s Piccadilly
Heavenly Harmonies: Polyphony from the maestri of the 16th- & 17th-century Polish Royal Court
The Sixteen
Eamonn Dougan – conductor
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (1665-1734) – O rex gloriae
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) – Pulchra es, amica mea
Giovanni Francesco Anerio (1567-1630) – Missa Pulchra Es: Kyrie & Gloria
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki – Rorate caeli (II)
Bartłomiej Pękiel (1633-1670) – O adoranda Trinitas
Asprillio Pacelli (1569-1623) – Beati estis
Vincenzo Bertolusi (1550-1608) – Ego flos campi
Bartłomiej Pękiel – Ave Maria
Vincenzo Bertolusi – Osculetur me
Giovanni Francesco Anerio – Salve Regina
Luca Marenzio (1553-1599) – Iniquos odio habui
Luca Marenzio – Missa super Iniquos odio habui: Credo
Gregorz Gerwazy Gorczycki – Sepulto Domine
Luca Marenzio – Jubilate Deo
Bartłomiej Pękiel – Resonet in laudibus
Marcin Mielczewski (1600-1651) – Jubilate Deo
Vincenzo Bertolusi – Ave verum corpus