Flowers laid at the coffin of Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki at his funeral in Katowice in November; photo - PAP/Andrzej Grygiel

Composer Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki  died in 2010 leaving behind a rich catalogue of music, including his Symphony No. 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs), which sold over a million copies when released on CD in 1990s.

The record reached number 6 in the UK album charts, a rare feat for a classical CD.

The death of Gorecki was a profound loss for Polish culture.

In Michal Kubicki’s tribute to the musician, he is recalled as one of the most original voices in Polish music and someone with a capacity for firm friendship, a strong belief in family and a great sense of humour. (pg)