EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS CAROLS OF CHRISTIANITAS
The concert "European Christmas Carols of Christianitas" is a musical journey through the shared heritage of Christian Europe in the Middle Ages, uncovering forgotten Christmas carols that unite the values of the continent. By showcasing the diversity and depth of our ancestors' religious feelings, this event serves as a bridge between history and the present, emphasizing the importance of understanding and celebrating our cultural roots.
Christianitas refers to medieval Europe, where Christianity was the fundamental reference point for describing one's identity. Christianitas was the contemporary world for its inhabitants, and every citizen of this world thought in universal terms. The Christmas period was for centuries the cohesive force of all Christian Europe and even today can be a special time for most of its inhabitants. Christmas carols from many regions of medieval Europe testify to the values of our continent, which can and should also unite us today. This is especially important in the age of multiculturalism affirmation, with a simultaneous lack of education about understanding our own Polish and European cultural roots.
Against this background, the presentation of medieval Polish carols currently unknown and forgotten to a wider audience has immense value. The repertoire of popular carols usually does not reach further than 17th-century compositions, and most Poles know little about older Christmas songs, although they express the deep religious feelings of our ancestors, important also for us, in Old Polish language.
The Male Vocal Ensemble Schola Gregoriana Sancti Casimiri - founded in 2008 in Białystok, is a group of enthusiasts of medieval church music, with a special emphasis on Gregorian chant and polyphonic forms associated with this ancient form. Associated with the Białystok Latin rite pastoral ministry, the schola regularly sings during Tridentine Masses. In addition to concerts with their programs, the ensemble participates in many festivals, reconstructing musically devotions from the 17th and 18th centuries, and also has numerous phonographic recordings to its credit.
