II Review of Caroling Choirs – Terespol 1997

2 In 1997, the event grew and included several decanates of the Lublin-Chelm Diocese. There were choirs from Siedlce and Biala Podlaska. The artistic level of the performing bands, of which there were already seven, increased significantly. The reported choirs performed five Carols during the performance. The festival jury judged each song in a fixed score from 1 to 5. It took intonatmic purity, diction, tone alignment, method of performance: that is, the right pace, dynamics and rhythmic precision, and proper contact of the conductor with the band (whether the choir implements the intentions of the lecturer). Each choir also received an additional rating on the same scale as above, for the selection of the repertoire. In the overall assessment of the jury, the adaptation of the repertoire to the possibilities of the group, the degree of attractiveness of christmas carols, interpretative originality (the contribution of the conductor’s work) and the general presentation of the group were also taken into account. Up to each choir could score 30 points.

• The first prize was received the choir of the parish of St. Ap. John Theologian in Terespol under the direction of Miroslaw Koroway. The team received 27 points and 1000 PLN prizes from the Mayor of Bialskopodlaski region.
• The second place of the jury awarded to the choir of the Orthodox parish in Miedzylesie. The choir scored 25 points and 700 pln. The prize was awarded of HE Bp Abel.
• The 3rd prize was also awarded to the choir of the Orthodox Parish in Kobylany for 25 points. The prize of PLN 700 was funded by Anna and Mikolai Daniluk from Legionowa.
• The 4th place was awarded to the choir of the Orthodox parish in Biala Podlaska. The prize of PLN 500 was funded by Krzysztof Iwaniuk, the mayor of the rural municipality of Terespol.
• The 5th place was taken by the choir of the Orthodox parish in Siedlce. The award of PLN 300 was presented by the mayor of Terespol.
• 6th place and 200 pln won the choir of the Orthodox parish in Koden. The prize was funded by the mayor of this municipality Tadeusz Zan.
• The 7th place was taken by the choir of the Orthodox parish in Holeszow. The 200th PLN prize was funded by Michal Kukawski, director of PGKiM in Terespol.

In addition to the cash prizes, each team received a commemorative diploma. In addition to the competition, the second review was performed by the choir of the Orthodox Cathedral in Lublin under the direction of the chairman of the jury, Vladimir Volosiuk.

The organizers: Municipal Cultural Center and Orthodox Decan in Terespol have published, quite modest in the setting and formula, a festival catalogue with the initial word of Dr. Vladimir Volosiuk. In a several-page brochure, in addition to the list of performers, the first concise information about carols and the importance of caroling in the Orthodox Church and an ever-long list of sponsors were included.

Ii review, as Tomasz Jezuit noted in his thesis on Terespol caroling, began to “bear fruit”. There was a clear increase in the interest of the urban community, which enthusiastically promoted all performers.