The Gaude Mater Festival in Czestochowa was very special. Not only was there a superb concert of new choral music, including my Agnus Dei for double chorus, but I was also able to experience the atmosphere of Czestochowa, which is the spiritual heart of Poland. This is where the famous painting Black Madonna of Czestochowa hangs.
It is the most sacred icon of Polish spirituality. There are many other paintings, statues, buildings, and artifacts that depict the deep roots of Polish Christianity. We attended a huge Mass with all the head Bishops of Poland, monks, and many important politicians. I had not until this day, this past Thursday, May 3rd, really felt the depth of spirituality of the Polish people both now and through the ages. Christianity began here in 966 and is the bedrock of their lives. Now there are many who are more interested in atheism and extreme liberalism which is very sad to people like my teacher, Pawel Lukaszewski. But, there are still many millions who hold fast to their religious roots. It is a very unique place in the world where so many are united under the banner of their religion. I was very moved and felt the deep respect and love that these people have for deity.
It is the most sacred icon of Polish spirituality. There are many other paintings, statues, buildings, and artifacts that depict the deep roots of Polish Christianity. We attended a huge Mass with all the head Bishops of Poland, monks, and many important politicians. I had not until this day, this past Thursday, May 3rd, really felt the depth of spirituality of the Polish people both now and through the ages. Christianity began here in 966 and is the bedrock of their lives. Now there are many who are more interested in atheism and extreme liberalism which is very sad to people like my teacher, Pawel Lukaszewski. But, there are still many millions who hold fast to their religious roots. It is a very unique place in the world where so many are united under the banner of their religion. I was very moved and felt the deep respect and love that these people have for deity.
These months have been very important in my life, I have learned many things that I will keep with me for years to come. I have also been busy and composed many new pieces. Here is a list.
Aguns Dei, Double Chorus a cappella, 4 mins.
Ave Redemptor, SSAA a cappella (and SSAATTBB version), 4 mins. each
A La Orilla Azul del Silencio, Solo Piano, 25 mins.
Kyrie (from Missa Resurrexit), SATB and Orchestra, 5 mins.
Llueve, Symphony Orchestra, 5 mins.
Magnificat, SSAATTBB a cappella, (in progress, 2 mins. so far)
Missa 'Musica Sacra', SATB and Organ (and Orchestral version), 20 mins. each
Pater Noster, SSAA and Organ, 3 mins.
School Thy Feelings, TTB and Organ, (hymn arrangement in progress, 2 mins. so far)
Two Motets, Double Chorus a cappella, 8 mins.
All together that's a total of 106 minutes of music, not bad. Additionally, I've received a commission from the Washington National Opera and Kennedy Center for Performing Arts for a short 20 minute, comic opera and a prize for liturgical music.
One of the best parts of being here in Poland has been the chance to meet other Fulbright grantees. While I have become friends with several of them, with a few I have begun working relationships that will be very important to my future. The first is Dara Weinberg, she is a very gifted poet, playwright, and director. We are working on the Washington/Kennedy opera together and have plans for many, many future projects. I cannot overemphasize how difficult it is to find a librettist who is both a poet and playwright with the additional plus of being so happy to discuss changes and be pliable to new ideas and re-writes. She is a diamond in the rough for a composer like me. We have a shared Google document where we keep a list of future projects we are determined to complete. It will easily take a couple decades to conquer this current list and we can't wait to get started.
The second of these Fulbright friends is William (Bill) Helmke. He is a very gifted theorist with whom I have greatly enjoyed discussing all kinds of musical topics as well as religion and politics. He joined the Musica Sacra choir and has been traveling with us for concerts and to the Gaude Mater festival. We have begun a project analyzing and writing about Pawel Lukaszewski's music. We hope to promote his work in the U.S. to get people paying more attention to his wonderful art form. I'm sure we will work on many future projects together.
My friends in the Musica Sacra choir have also been very dear to me. We have enjoyed many fun times and performances. I will greatly miss singing with them each week in rehearsal and Mass performances.
Of course my friends from church have also been wonderful and I will miss them all. Fortunately we have Facebook which makes the world much smaller.
I have written much about my teacher Pawel Lukaszewski. I must give a final 'thank you' to him here and to his lovely wife and children. They have been so kind to me. We spent most of the day together yesterday, eating, listening to music, sharing gifts, walking in the countryside, and discussing religion, politics, and the future of sacred music in Poland. They are dear friends whom I will never forget. They have made a deep and lasting impact on my life. I hope I can return the great hospitality they have shown me sometime in the future.
A big 'thank you' goes out also to the US-Poland Fulbright commission for their generous support without which none of this would have been possible. I have accomplished everything that I set out to accomplish, and much more.
I have likewise written before about my parents, but must again give a tremendous 'thank you' to them, who have so generously opened their home to my wife and children and watched after them as I have been away.
Most of all I must thank my beautiful wife, Janae, for her support and unbelievable patience and sheer grit during these challenging months, the most challenging of her life. I was thinking about her today and all that she has done for me. A verse from the book of John came to mind. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Janae has literally set aside her life for me, laid it down in almost every way so I could fulfill this grant. She has even come near to actually laying down her mortal life with her blood disease which has added an enormous amount of difficulty to her already overwhelming plight. While I was home in April, I tried to take care of her as best I could and will continue to serve her and show my love more convincingly. I hope I can eventually repay her for all that she has done for me, but I'm not sure this will ever be possible. Thank you, Janae, I love you more than I know how to express. My mother taught me that the best way to show someone that you love them is to serve them. This is what I intend to do ever after.
Goodbye Poland!! Goodbye dear friends!!
Goodbye Poland!! Goodbye dear friends!!
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