Listen to the Polish Hymn “Wesoły nam dzień dziś nastał…”
[audio:https://konicki.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/cd2_06_wesoly_nam_dzien_dzis_nastal.mp3]Check out the post at blogs4God about Mandisa Hundley and the poor reception her performance on American Idol received last night.
Last night Mandisa sang a Christian themed top 40 song, the Mary Mary hit Shackles (Praise You). I haven’t watched American Idol, but my wife got going on it this season and … I’ve gotten pulled in.
Mandisa is a Christian and a Gospel singer. She has a fantastic voice and a presence as a performer that is just great. I hope she wins.
The interesting thing, from my perspective, is the commentary by Paula Abdul and host Ryan Seacrest. They kept bringing up the term (meant to be a positive) the ‘Church of Mandisa’
Well, what did anyone expect from these Hollywood types? The show is called ‘American Idol’. It’s all about the idolization of a person; their looks, the way they fit the media paradigm. Saying the ‘Church of Mandisa’ is their backhanded attempt at saying hey Mandisa, you’re cool, just like us. If they had said: ‘Mandisa, God gave you a wonderful gift’ the earth would have split open.
Frankly, shows like American Idol, that focus on the cult of personality, build more than churches. They build basilicas to the self.
National Public Radio (NPR) interviewed Francesca Zambello, an opera director who is —reimagining— opera to be more appealing to a wider audience.
The interview started with her saying that a good performer can convey the meaning of what may be unintelligible to the common listener, who has no command of languages, by the manner in which he or she performs.
Ms. Zambello then went on to make two very interesting points. She spoke about how opera should be performed in the vernacular —“ the local language. She also made points about how the libretto should be changed since it need not stick directly to the authors’ words.
Toward the conclusion of the interview she put a very fine point on the subject by saying that we must not treat these things as sacred. She reiterated the point about de-sacralizing the music and the text.
Here’s the story lead-in: Wagner’s ‘Ring’ Reimagined in America
All Things Considered, March 24, 2006 —¢ Picture the Rhine as an American river and the Niebelungs (dwellers of the underworld) as members of America’s underclass.
A bold new interpretation of Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle, setting its timeless tale of the corruption of power in a more contemporary American setting, is premiering at the Washington National Opera.
At the helm is Francesca Zambello, a superstar among opera directors. She has taken Das Rheingold — the first in Wagner’s four-opera series — and recast it from a distinctly American viewpoint.
…
She talks to Robert Siegel about reimagining Wagner’s operas and her use of America’s rich storytelling tradition and mythic past to involve a contemporary audience. She argues for making opera more accessible to wider groups, including teenagers, and she discusses her work as a storyteller — whether it’s staging Puccini’s La Boheme sung in English or Aladdin at Disneyland.
Now doesn’t that sound familiar. Opera has caught on to modernity.
Function in the vernacular and change the text. Treat nothing as sacred because we have to appeal to a wider audience. Otherwise no one will understand what is happening. And there aren’t that many good performers anyway…
Check out the player below for hymns:
Szczęśliwy, kto sobie Patrona
[audio:https://konicki.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/jozszcz.mp3]O Józefie ukochany!
[audio:https://konicki.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/jozukoch.mp3]The Polish pop group —Ich Troje— will perform in Western New York on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 at 7 PM at the Maryvale High School Auditorium, 1050 Maryvale Drive in Cheektowaga, NY. The performance is part of a three month U.S and Canadian Tour.
—Ich Troje— was organized in 1996 by singer/songwriter Michal Wisniewski and composer Jacek Lagwa. The two have known each other since December of 1994. The pop group currently consists of the two original members as well as their newest member Anna Swiatczak.
Wisniewski, the charismatic red-haired singer, has been both a popular and controversial person in Polish show business for several years. The group’s name can be translated as “The Three of Them”.
The group’s music has been highly criticized, but nonetheless —Ich Troje— is one of the most popular Polish pop groups of their time. In the last two years —Ich Troje— has given over 300 concerts. In 2003 —Ich Troje— was chosen to represent Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest where they performed the song “Keine Grenzen” which means “No Borders”. They performed the song in three languages.
They are going to represent Poland once again at the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Follow My Heart” (a collaboration with Real McCoy).
Their concerts are great shows and combine the power of pop music and dramatic theatre. Their lyrics revolve around love, betrayal, and break ups.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the pop music played in Poland today. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Tickets can purchased at the European Deli, 1972 Clinton St., Buffalo, at the Famous Horseradish Stand inside the Broadway Market and at other Polish Stores and Travel Agencies in Western New York. For more information call Mira Szramel at 716-681-6739 or e-mail her here…
Patricia Wnek, a 13-year old violinist of Germantown, student of Rebecca Henry at the Peabody Conservatory of Music Preparatory Division in Baltimore, is the First Prize Winner of the 2006 Columbia Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition.
Patricia will appear as a soloist with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jason Love in a performance of the Violin Concerto No. 1 in G-Minor Op. 26 by Max Bruch on Saturday, March 4, 2006 at 7:30 P.M at Jim Rouse Theater in Columbia MD.
Patricia will also appear as a soloist with the Trinity Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Richard Fazio at the Historic Trinity Theater in Georgetown, Washington D.C. She will play —Spring— Concerto from the Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi on Sunday, March 26, 2006 at 3:00 P.M.
For more details, please visit Patricia’s website.
I previously highlighted Patricia’s talent in my work with Polonia Global Fund. As soon as I get an opportunity I will port all the noted “Persons of the Month” to this blog.
I’ve wanted to comment on the whole Mohammed cartoon issue for about a week. Thankfully I kept quiet because there has been tons of good commentary about the issue all over the blogsphere.
I really appreciate Fr. Marin Fox’s take in his article Those Mohammed Cartoons found at Bonfire of the Vanities. This is the closest to my thinking, especially as regards republishing said cartoons.
The BLOGCORNER Preacher hits the nail on the head in regard to the inconsistencies, hypocrisy, idolatry, and errors found in Islam.
blogs4God has a great article, First the Muslims came for the Cartoonists.
In short, and in my opinion, this is a battle of cultures and civilizations. The Moslems see it as such.
Unfortunately, we in the West have that overwhelming desire to placate them, think the best, until (we hope) they see things our way. As blogs4God says. —Appeasement for a false peace is always a recipe for disaster.—
This is not a management situation where we have to deal with a difficult employee. This is not a child rearing operation, where we have to be patient and guiding. This is the reality of differing perspectives on the value of life, freedom, self determination, etc. etc. These are deep seated cultural values. Just because some in the West have given up on their foundational values does not mean the rest of the world will.
Our culture and our freedoms come from somewhere. They come from a proper understanding of humanity founded in Judeo-Christian scripture. Our civilization and structures are founded on that proper thinking. This is why the word ‘society’ has deep philosophical meanings beyond the dictionary definition.
There is no ‘our God is bigger than your God’ argument. Our God is God. Their prophet is not. Their prophet is, well many things, but not a prophet of God. The prophet deal ended when Jesus Christ, true God and true man offered Himself for the redemption of the whole world. How can you expound any more on God’s Word?
Now, I will take this opportunity to engage is some re-working of Warren Zevon tunes:
Roland the Headless Cartoonist
Roland was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun
With a cartoon for hire, fighting to be done
The deal was made in Denmark on a dark and stormy day
So he set out for Arabia to join the bloody fray
Moslems of London
They’re the hairy headed gents who run amuck in Kent,
Lately they’ve been overheard in Mayfair.
You better stay away from them,
They’ll blow your head off, Jim,
The Moslems of London.Ahhwooooo… Moslems of London, Ahwooooo!
Ahhwooooo… Moslems of London, Ahwooooo! Huh!
Mohammed’s Radio
The Moslems are restless and they’ve got no place to go
Someone’s always trying to tell them
Something they already know
So their anger and resentment flowBut don’t it make you want to blow up people
All night long
Mohammed’s Radio
I heard somebody calling from the Mosque
On the radio, Mohammed’s RadioYou know, Hamas has got their problems too
They will surely take them out on you
In walked the village idiot and his bomb was all aglow
He’d been up all night listening to Mohammed’s RadioBut don’t it make you want to blow up people
All night long
Mohammed’s Radio
I heard somebody calling from the Mosque
On the radio, Mohammed’s RadioYou’ve been up all night listening for his drum
Hoping that the righteous might just might just might just come
I heard the General whisper to his aide-de-camp
“Be watchful for Mohammed’s lamp”But don’t it make you want to blow up people
All night long, Mohammed’s Radio
With my sincerest apologizes to the late, great Warren Zevon.
Just before Christmas our parish was approached by a writer from the Assiciated Press office in Albany, NY. She was doing a story on the hymn ‘Silent Night’ and its universal appeal.
Our pastor’s wife was interviewed and sang a line for the article.
The article turned out beautifully. You can view it and hear Silent Night in a combination of 14 languages at
http://asap.ap.org/data/interactives/_lifestyles/silent_night/.
My family and I, along with several other families from our church, went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra today.
It was a wonderful experience on many levels and I would like to just note a few here:
Our Parish supports its children and young people:
The fact is, children pay for nothing in our parish. The Parent-Teacher organization provides for all the religious education needs for our School of Christian Living. There are no book fees, material fees, teaching fees, or any other kind of fees. Rich or poor, nothing hinders our children or their parents from approaching the Lord.
The PTO paid for the tickets for all the children today. It was a great Christmas gift for them. I am grateful for the PTO’s support. The PTO also assists with the annual youth retreat and the youth Valentine’s Day Holy Mass and party.
The men’s organization, the Young Men’s Society of the Resurrection (YMS of R), along with our fraternal organization, the Polish National Union of America (Spójnia) provides for an annual after Christmas bowling party. The YMS of R also covers the full freight for our children’s Church summer camp (KURS) attendance and for attendance at the biennial PNCC Youth Convocation.
God bless these dedicated men and women for their support.
The children’s reaction:
It was wonderful to see the children’s reaction to the TSO’s stage show, lighting, pyrotechnics, and music. My 4 year old daughter was a little scared at the beginning, but once the initial razzzle-dazzle was done, she settled right in. My 6 year old son just though everything was great. He be-bopped right along.
My children love the arts. It was great to see their wide-eyed reaction to everything.
TSO:
What can I say? I was surprised! My wife researched the group in advance, I did not. I was expecting a secular Christmas experience. Instead I got theology —“ and pretty good at that.
The group told the —Christmas Eve & Other Stories— tale. What I found in this story was an affirmation of God’s abiding presence with us. Christ is real and present. God is not a disinterested, distant observer, but actively engages man where he is. Christ’s action continues to inspire man to act.
The other amazing thing is that they did not slip into secular humanism or equating all religions on an equal plane. This was, in a sense, a rediscovery of Christianity and the Arts working together to better humanity.
Once when asked what Trans-Siberian Orchestra was about, Paul O’Neill replied, “It’s about creating great art. When asked to define what great art was, Paul said, “The purpose of art is to create an emotional response in the person that is exposed to that art. And there are three categories of art; bad art, good art and great art. Bad art will elicit no emotional response in the person that is exposed to it, i.e.; a song you hear in an elevator and it does nothing to you, a picture on a wall that gives you the same emotional response as if the wall had been blank, a movie that chews up time. Good art will make you feel an emotion that you have felt before; you see a picture of a forest and you remember the last time you went fishing with your dad, you hear a song about love and you remember the last time you were in love. Great art will make you feel an emotion you have never felt before; seeing the pieta, the world famous sculpture by Michelangelo, can cause someone to feel the pain of losing a child even if they’ve never had one. And when you’re trying for these emotions the easiest one to trigger is anger. Anyone can do it. Go into the street, throw a rock at someone, you will make them angry. The emotions of love, empathy and laughter are much harder to trigger, but since they operate on a deeper level, they bring a much greater reward.
Having read this I recall the great patrimony held in our churches, the very same ones our ancestors built with love and which, it would seem, we are so bent of closing and selling. These buildings are not only property and assets; rather they are about lifting our eyes and hearts to God and the magnificence of His love for us. Our ancestors, in their poverty, recognized the need to glorify and magnify the Lord. If only we, blessed by riches, would support these churches. At the same time, wouldn’t it be great if the new churches being built would reflect God rather than the mall.