Pospieszalscy are one of the best-known musical families. Once a year, around Christmas, two generations of musicians perform together, creating an orchestra made up of more than a dozen people sharing the same surname. The concert programme consists of original arrangements of well-known Polish carols, as well as several compositions by Pospieszalscy. We will hear pieces performed in a variety of styles, including classical, folk, ethnic, rhythm & blues, vocal and choral.
Pospieszalscy who will perform for the Bolesławiec audience:
Basia, violin, vocals
Lidia, vocals, tambourine
Natalia, flute, vocals
Paulina, flute, vocals
Barbara and Ewa, piano, vocals
Magda, vocals
Franek, double bass, bass guitar, vocals
Janek, guitar, double bass, vocals
Karol, guitar, viola, trumpet, tuba, vocals
Łukasz, piano, keyboards, vocals
Marcin, violin, double bass, bass guitar, dulcimer, piano, vocals
Mateusz, saxophones, flute, bass clarinet, accordion, keyboards, vocals
Marek, saxophone, clarinet, vocals
Mikołaj, double bass, bass guitar, violin, vocals
Nikodem, drums, vocals
Szczepan, trumpet, vocals
At the turn of 2016 and 2017, the Pospieszalski family played a tour of around 20 concerts—six of them abroad, including in Lyon, Vienna, Lviv, Sambir, Zhytomyr and Kyiv. They were accompanied by full audiences everywhere, regardless of whether the concert was ticketed or not. Churches often accommodated more than 2,000 people.
When Pospieszalscy recorded their first album of carols at the beginning of the 1990s, some members of the current line-up had not yet been born. TVP recorded the programme from that album several times, and their carols became a permanent part of radio station repertoires.
Today, Pospieszalscy still perform with their children, but those little boys have now become professional musicians, collaborating with many artists, including Michał Urbaniak, Voo Voo, 2TM,23, Zakopower, Arka Noego, New Life M, Raz Dwa Trzy, Anna Maria Jopek, Adam Strug, Daga Dana, Janusz Prusinowski Trio, Wojciech Mazolewski and others.
Most of them have mastered several instruments, which means that at one moment the ensemble sounds like a chamber orchestra, then a jazz band, and later a brass band. Polish pastorals and carols sound in original arrangements ranging from refined classical versions, through folk influences, to energetic jazz and rock arrangements.
The concert is an example of how universal Christian themes can be expressed attractively in a contemporary language rooted in national culture. It also proves that the family is the best place for passing on religious and Polish traditions. In an era of demographic decline, such numerous siblings, united by faith, passion and respect for Polish customs, convey a powerful message.
