How to reach the sources of sonic memories? Musical tradition is often the fabric of what is apparently lost. The NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra has chosen to embark on a journey to the land of folk roots in the company of esteemed experts in local music: the Svahy ensemble and flautist Katarzyna Gacek-Duda, as well as the NFM Boys’ Choir and NFM Girls’ Choir. Radosław Labahua will lead the performers on this journey, and the culmination will be a video projection of excerpts from Znachor (The Quack).
Specialising in the music of the Kujawy and Pałuki regions, the Svahy trio recently gained acclaim for their performance of Paweł Lucewicz’s compositions in their latest production, Znachor (2023). The three artists also released an EP, Rozkiedyś. They play traditional instruments, including the legendary suka of Biłgoraj. The suka resembles a violin but is held across the chest and requires the left hand to press the strings with fingernails (instead of fingers). No such instrument has survived to this day, but recently attempts have been made to reconstruct the instrument based on etchings and descriptions. In addition to the suka, we will hear a traditional frame drum and hurdy-gurdy, which produce a recognisable, traditional sound. In the first part of the concert, Svahy and the NFM children’s choirs will present a number of folk melodies – including two performed together!
After the intermission, Katarzyna Gacek-Duda, author of the album Hala, released in 2022 with the band Królestwo Beskidu, will appear on stage with the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra. Her Carpathian Suite is a musical collection of memories connected to the emotional aspect of the ethnos of her home region. Gacek-Duda specialises in playing ethnic flutes from around the world. Several Carpathian flutes – including the dwojnica, the Romanian kaval, and the Lenten pipe – will be heard in this piece. And when the echoes of the Beskid Mountains fade away, Svahy will return to perform excerpts from the popular soundtrack to the new version of Znachor with Gacek-Duda (who will be playing bass flute this time), choirs, and orchestra. Join us for this exciting blend of folk music and choral/orchestral timbres.