‘Polish Connections’ is the theme of this year’s Sounds New Festival in Canterbury. We talk to its Artistic Director Paul Edlin.
Click on the audio icon to listen to the report by Michał Kubicki
The programme of the Festival includes a wide selection of Polish works of all genres and periods, from the famous Bugle Call of Kraków performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra Brass and the Royal Scottish Academy Brass to compositions by Karol Szymanowski, Andrzej Panufnik, Witold Lutoslawski, Grazyna Bacewicz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Pawel Szymanski, Pawel Mykietyn, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Agata Zubel.
Penderecki’s St Luke Passion, performed in Canterbury Cathedral by the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Polish soloists under the composer’s baton, will be the climax of the festival (2 May). It will be the first live performance of Penderecki’s St Luke Passion in the UK since 1982. Penderecki, who will be the honorary guest of the event, will take part in an academic conference on Polish music since 1945 organized by the University of East Anglia. Polish musicians featured at Sounds New also include the Silesian Quartet, the Camerata Silesia Singers’ Ensemble from Katowice, Olga Pasiecznik (soprano), Maciej Grzybowski (piano) and the accordion group Motion Trio.