Performers:
Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny - conductor
Polish National Youth Choir

Recorded in the Main Hall of the Witold Lutosławski National Forum of Music, 25-27 February, 2019
Recording Producers, mastering: Andrzej Sasin, Aleksandra Nagórko


Programme:
1.    Łukasz Farcinkiewicz  Canticum novum  6’21         
2.    Marek Raczyński Chciałbym zaśpiewać ci 4’12
3.    Anna Rocławska-Musiałczyk …dotknięciem chwili... 6’03    
4.    Szymon Godziemba-Trytek Sonnet VIII 4’03
5.    Zuzanna Falkowska Singin’ 4’33
6.    Michał Ziółkowski Idzie na pola, idzie na bory 4’48
7.    Sebastian Szymański Śpiewajcie 5’39
8.    Aleksandra Chmielewska The Singers 6’13
9.    Michał Malec I Heard You Singing 7’02
10.    Łukasz Urbaniak Cantus 5’20
11.    Jan Krutul Let Your Singing Transcend the Borders 3’25
12.    Katarzyna Danel I Don’t Sing 5’54

Singing is the most organic form of music making, it is also a way to express emotions and personality. Singing has a beneficial effect on our body, both physically and mentally, and ensemble singing additionally brings invaluable social benefits. Thus, since the dawn of humankind people have used sounds for various purposes, e.g. religious, as a way to scare away their enemies or to attract their partners. Today’s research clearly indicates that when we sing, the levels of happiness hormones grow, and the relationships among choirmates tighten. The fascination for the phenomenon of ensemble singing has accompanied us all during the educational sessions of Polish National Youth Choir since the very beginning of its existence. Each of the sessions, without exceptions, has gathered young people who love singing, and at the same time wish for improvement of their, already high, musical and vocal competence. Therefore we have created a place where advanced skills and professional pace of work meet enthusiasm and joy of music making. We have decided to express our vocal passion in a unique way to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the project. Twelve young Polish composers were asked to write new choral pieces, basing on chosen texts which best reflect their approach to the subject of singing. Thus, a collection of twelve exceptional and colourful compositions was created. Among them, there are works composed to religious and secular texts, some were inspired by the Renaissance motet and the polychoral style, others by gospel music, jazz and blues. The combination of these twelve composers’ ideas and the energy of 60 young talented singers has given an amazing effect, which we have decided to save on this particular recording. Therefore, with great joy, we would like to present you with this special album. It certainly proves what beautiful choral music is created by young Polish composers, and what great and passionate performers of this music we find in our country today.

Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny