19th International Festival of East Slavic Carols – 2014

19 As part of the 19th International Festival of East Slavic Carols in Terespol on 1 and 2 February, there were 33 bands and more than 730 performers. Mfkw has been combining tradition with modernity for almost two decades, and it has been comprehensively presenting the richness of trends of the East Slavic carol tradition.

On the first day of the festival auditions on the Terespol stage, traditional Orthodox singing was brought closer to the parish choirs of students, youth, children and adults from: Tarnogrod, Czarna Cerkiewna, Chelm, Kalnikow, Mielnik, Biala Podlaska, Siemiatycze, Minsk. The beauty of local Polish-Belarusian-Ukrainian Christmas folklore on the borderland was colorfully presented by choirs and children’s, youth and adult bands, operating at schools, universities and cultural centers (the “Orth-power” band from the non-public Orthodox school of Bialystok; carol band “Wertep” from Komarno, the band “Art-Haradok” and “Autumn Leaf” from Grodek, the choir “Lubczanie” from Brest, the choir “Ranak” from Minsk; the choir “Sacrum” from Lublin, the female choir from Nowopolock, the Bandurist band “Zorainyca” from the Ivan Franko University from Lviv, the band “Milavitza” from Brest).

On the second day of the 19th MFKW, performing artists introduced a large audience of Terespol to the richness of the diversity of East Slavic caroling. Polish, Belarusian and Ukrainian parish choirs sang (from Slawatycze, from Kobylany, from Siemiatycze, from Warsaw, from Brest, from Kobrin, from Bialystok). There were also traditional folk bands, such as “Lesnianskie nutki”(“Forestry notes”) from Lesna Podlaska, “Nowina” from Moszczona Krolewska, ukrainian youth team from Bialystok. Among the performers were bands operating at art schools and cultural centers: choir “Kanon” from Dublany, choir “Polesie” from Brest, CKP choir from Warsaw, MDK choir from Bialystok.

Thanks to the magnificent performers, interesting visual and sound setting, the Christmas icon and the candles burning in front of it, it was possible to return to the joyful festive mood.