Within the framework of the series of events "Around Tradition 2017", The KANA Theatre is organizing the fifth workshops of playing the hurdy gurdy and singing the songs of wandering “story-singers”. The several-day workshops will take place in the Ośrodek Poszukiwań Twórczych [The Center for Creative Exploration] in Strzelewo, near Nowogard. This year the source of inspiration will be the very intriguing tradition of Bänkelsang.
“Bänkelsang was not so much a genre of “marketplace literature” or a type of ephemeral prints, but rather a kind of – as we would name it today – a multimedia phenomenon, a certain kind of marketplace art, functioning alongside shows of tightrope walkers, strongmen, tamers of wild animals. The phenomenon of Bänkelsang, apart from the publications of specific literary and editorial features, consisted of several elements: a platform, or podium, usually the bench (Bank in German, hence the Bänkelsang), where a singer stood to be better seen and heard among the crowd gathered in the marketplace; a large canvas board on which several pictures were painted, illustrating in a very realistic way particular episodes of the story told by the singer; a stick used by the singer while singing the songs to indicate appropriate illustrations.”
Piotr Grochowski
The formula of the workshop as an informal school of tradition consists of learning how to play the hurdy gurdy, and how to sing the specific repertoire. The participants will also learn customs, functions and roles of wandering singers in village society. This year, following the tradition of Bänkelsang, we are going to enrich the activities with visual and performative elements.
The workshops will be led by the experienced musicians, virtuosos and improvisers moving freely between different musical styles (from traditional music to jazz): Jacek Hałas and Thomas Strauch. The Polish-German character of the collective leading workshops will help us to better understand the Bänkelsang phenomenon and perhaps to tell the story in a bilingual, parallel manner. Piotr Grochowski – a researcher, a folklore and cultural expert, the author of the book Dziady. Rzecz o wędrownych śpiewakach i ich pieśniach [A tale of wandering singers and their songs], and the article "Polskie druki Bänkelsang" [Polish Bänkelsang prints] – will be the spiritus movens of the workshop.
Meetings with the local community (e.g. with Janina Mazurek, a folk singer, one of our sources of the repertoire derived from the tradition of wandering singers) will be an important element of the workshops providing them with the appropriate context. It will be the continuation of the actions from previous editions of the workshops. The workshops will find its culminate in the form of a concert – a presentation of the obtained skills – in a church located in one of the neighbouring villages.
YOU ARE WELCOME!!!
The program includes:
- workshops of playing the hurdy gurdy
- workshops of songs of wandering singers
- working together on songs from the Bankelsang tradition
- post-workshop presentation led by Jacek Hałas and Thomas Strauch in a village church
- meetings with the local community (especially with female folk singers)
- working together on illustrations
The workshop participants pay 170 PLN. The price covers only part of the cost of accommodation and meals. The number of seats is limited, the order of applications is determined by the number of entries (please contact us by email paula@kana.art.pl or by phone 91-4330388, 91-4341561).
Attention: bring your own hurdy hurdy if you have one
The project "Around Tradition 2017" was co-financed by the program “Dziedzictwo kulturowe” of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Within the framework of the series of events "Around Tradition 2017", The KANA Theatre is organizing the fifth workshops of playing the hurdy gurdy and singing the songs of wandering “story-singers”. The several-day workshops will take place in the Ośrodek Poszukiwań Twórczych [The Center for Creative Exploration] in Strzelewo, near Nowogard. This year the source of inspiration will be the very intriguing tradition of Bänkelsang.
“Bänkelsang was not so much a genre of “marketplace literature” or a type of ephemeral prints, but rather a kind of – as we would name it today – a multimedia phenomenon, a certain kind of marketplace art, functioning alongside shows of tightrope walkers, strongmen, tamers of wild animals. The phenomenon of Bänkelsang, apart from the publications of specific literary and editorial features, consisted of several elements: a platform, or podium, usually the bench (Bank in German, hence the Bänkelsang), where a singer stood to be better seen and heard among the crowd gathered in the marketplace; a large canvas board on which several pictures were painted, illustrating in a very realistic way particular episodes of the story told by the singer; a stick used by the singer while singing the songs to indicate appropriate illustrations.”
Piotr Grochowski
The formula of the workshop as an informal school of tradition consists of learning how to play the hurdy gurdy, and how to sing the specific repertoire. The participants will also learn customs, functions and roles of wandering singers in village society. This year, following the tradition of Bänkelsang, we are going to enrich the activities with visual and performative elements.
The workshops will be led by the experienced musicians, virtuosos and improvisers moving freely between different musical styles (from traditional music to jazz): Jacek Hałas and Thomas Strauch. The Polish-German character of the collective leading workshops will help us to better understand the Bänkelsang phenomenon and perhaps to tell the story in a bilingual, parallel manner. Piotr Grochowski – a researcher, a folklore and cultural expert, the author of the book Dziady. Rzecz o wędrownych śpiewakach i ich pieśniach [A tale of wandering singers and their songs], and the article "Polskie druki Bänkelsang" [Polish Bänkelsang prints] – will be the spiritus movens of the workshop.
Meetings with the local community (e.g. with Janina Mazurek, a folk singer, one of our sources of the repertoire derived from the tradition of wandering singers) will be an important element of the workshops providing them with the appropriate context. It will be the continuation of the actions from previous editions of the workshops. The workshops will find its culminate in the form of a concert – a presentation of the obtained skills – in a church located in one of the neighbouring villages.
YOU ARE WELCOME!!!
The program includes:
- workshops of playing the hurdy gurdy
- workshops of songs of wandering singers
- working together on songs from the Bankelsang tradition
- post-workshop presentation led by Jacek Hałas and Thomas Strauch in a village church
- meetings with the local community (especially with female folk singers)
- working together on illustrations
The workshop participants pay 170 PLN. The price covers only part of the cost of accommodation and meals. The number of seats is limited, the order of applications is determined by the number of entries (please contact us by email paula@kana.art.pl or by phone 91-4330388, 91-4341561).
Attention: bring your own hurdy hurdy if you have one
The project "Around Tradition 2017" was co-financed by the program “Dziedzictwo kulturowe” of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.