The Open Theater (Teatr Otwarty) celebrates the 100th birth anniversary of Karol Wojtyła with a "Special gala of Christmas carols to close the Year of John Paul 2nd". The concert recorded in the Artus Court in Gdańsk will be broadcast online on 27 December 2020 at 6.00 p.m. on YouTube channel (Dariusz Wojcik – Teatr Otwarty).
Christmas atmosphere, very unique climate and traditions are the beauty that keeps us together. Polish Christmas carols are filled with spirituality, sarmatian temper, slavic pensiveness and longing, tenderness, feeling, merriness and melancholy. These elements can be found in activities and writings of St. John Paul 2nd. His merits for Poland and the world are not to be missed. Family life as a part of tradition was also of a great importance for John Paul 2nd. Festivities such as sharing wafer and singing Christmas carols are are the best example of family traditions that integrate all members in one place at the same time. Polish national poet – Adam Mickiewicz – said during one of his lectures at the Sorbone University in Paris: "Polish Christmas carols are so unique and one of the kind. I haven’t heard of any country that would have such a treasure as Poland has".
The upcoming concert will be performed by Joanna Nawrot (soprano), Jacek Szymański (tenor), Dariusz S. Wójcik (bass), Andrzej Wojciechowski (clarinet) and Rafał Lewandowski (piano). The artists will present music related to John Paul 2nd, such as Nocturne in E flat major and Scherzo in B minor by Frederic Chopin, Moje Miasto Wadowice with music by Adam Dec and Paweł Jarosz, an old Polish song Góralu czy ci nie żal, arias by Johann Sebastian Bach, and Benedictus from Christmas Oratorium by Camille Saint-Saëns. We will also hear Polish Christmas carols and pastorals such as Witaj gwiazdko złota by Zygmunt Noskowski, Nad stajenką gwiazda płonie by Jan Maklakiewicz, W nocy narodzony by Tadeusz Trojanowski, Oj maluśki maluśki and Jezusa naorodzonego, as well as carols of other nations.
The Honorary Patronate: Secretary of State of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage – Jarosław Sellin; the Voivod of Pomorze Dariusz Drelich.
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.
More information at: www.teatrotwarty.pl