The Called. Church Musicians in the Face of Cultural Changes

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15633/pms.2001

Keywords:

the work ethos, church musicians, Biffi’s model, feeling, aesthetics, mystery

Abstract

The article is an attempt to diagnose selected cultural and social threats and to relate them to the everyday life of church musicians and their profession. In this regard, the reflection is based on the analysis presented in the book Kłopot za kłopotem. Katolik w dryfującej Europie [Trouble follows trouble. A Catholic in a drifting Europe] by Fr Maciej Zięba OP. In the second part, the article refers to the tripartite model of sacred music, consisting of feeling, aesthetics and mystery, proposed by an eminent theologian, member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, Professor Inos Biffi. This model should provide answers to quetions of interest to us: How can a Christian musician plan and shape his professional future? Can he face the growing problems, and if so, then how?

Author Biography

  • Marta Kierska-Witczak, Akademia Muzyczna im. Karola Lipińskiego we Wrocławiu

    Marta Kierska-Witczak – A graduate of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław (diploma with honours, 1990), and a professor of musical arts (2011). As the head of the Chair of Church Music, she supervises teaching activities in the field of church music, organises and manages national symposia and workshops on church and choral music. Since 2019, she has been the head of the Doctoral School at her home Academy. She has been a jury member of international and national music competitions, the director of the International Choir Conducting Competition “Towards Polyphony” (2008–2019), the coordinator of the Lower Silesian Festival of Science (2008–1013), an expert of the State Accreditation Committee, an author of articles on choral music, the editor of the “Psalate Synetos” publishing series (The Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław), and a member of, among others, the Association of Polish Church Musicians and the Polish Section of the International Society for Studies of Gregorian Chant (AISCGre). She has lectured and cooperated with ensembles at many European universities (in Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Croatia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Belarus and Lithuania). She has also conducted various choirs in Wrocław, with whom she has won top awards at Polish and European festivals and competitions. In the years 1993–2015, she was the artistic director of the “Consonanza” Chamber Choir of the Wrocław University of Technology, with whom she gave several hundred concerts with varied repertoires – from medieval monody to contemporary vocal-and-instrumental forms, and also took part in numerous music competitions in Poland, winning major awards (including individual ones).

References

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Published

2022-11-23

Issue

Vol. 20 (2022)

Section

Artykuły

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Copyright (c) 2022 Marta Kierska-Witczak

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