Silesian Prayer Book – The Treasure of Prayers and Songs. Tradition and Modernity

Abstract

It has been largely prayer books which helped to preserve faith and Polish culture in the Upper Silesia, Poland, as they often accompanied people throughout their entire lives. A considerable number of Polish sacred songs can be found amongst the Silesian collections of prayers and chants dated from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. They were mainly chorale books with lyrics, but also music scores in the form of pipe organ accompaniments. Since the beginning of the 20th c. there were two Upper-Silesian prayer books which gained widespread popularity: Droga do nieba (Way to Heaven) and Skarbiec modlitw i pieśni (The Treasure of Prayers and Songs), published in numerous editions, including those targeted exclusively at children and youth, and at the poor-sighted readers. On the occasion of the great jubilee of 2000 the collection of sacred songs with scores was published under the title Śpiewnik archidiecezji katowickiej (The Song Book of the Katowice Archdiocese). It was completed by a collection of organ accompaniments, Chorał Śląski (The Silesian Chorale) in a similar arrangement. So as to popularise more widely the repertoires of songs, the Katowice Publishing House of Księgarnia Św. Jacka developed a project releasing a collection of sole lyrics to songs, Skarbiec pieśni kościelnych (The Treasure of Sacred Songs). All editorial attempts so far, to have been aimed at enlivening liturgical gatherings, have greatly contributed to continuing the glorious tradition of the sacred singing in Silesia.