From Poland with love

Review: Reading Bach Choir: Choral Music from Poland, at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Reading, on February 2

READING Bach Choir’s Choral Music from Poland concert drew a large crowd at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Watlington Street, on Saturday, February 2, despite the bad weather and treacherous driving conditions. The programme, not unsurprisingly, drew both the choir’s dedicated followers, and also many of the church’s Polish congregation, who were delighted to hear some of the programme sung in their mother-tongue.

Musical director David Young once again put together a varied programme, ranging from sacred music of the early 18th century by Gorczycki to music from living composers Lukaszewski and Roxanna Panufnik.

The concert included some of the fascinating folk song settings from Kurpie. This forested, formerly isolated, province of north-eastern Poland has its own highly individual folk traditions and music.
Szymanowski’s Six Songs from Kurpie (1929) and Górecki’s Five Kurpian songs (1999) were both inspired by a famous 1928 collection of more than 1,000 songs. Alongside, these was a wonderful setting of the Magnificat
by Arvo Pärt (from nearby Estonia).

Storm damage to Douai Abbey means the venue for their April 6 Tenebrae concert is yet to be confirmed.
Check the website for further details www.readingbachchoir.org.uk

FIONA BENNETT