Musical Activity of the Bernardine Fathers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Budslau in Belarus

Abstract

The church in Budslau is the main Belarusian Marian center. From the beginning of its existence (16th century), Budslau was associated with the activities of the Bernardine order. They remained faithful custodians and promoters of religious music until the mid-19th century. After the suppression of the order (1858), Budslau church was passed to the diocesan clergy. The Bernardines returned to the sanctuary in Budslau in 1996. The importance of the sanctuary increased greatly after inclusion of the Budslau Fest into the UNESCO list 2018.

The Bernardine fathers left behind an unexplored legacy at the sanctuary in Budslau. The article points to three testimonies: the musical ensemble, the antiphonary, and the organ. The preserved documents allow for an incomplete reconstruction of the ensemble’s history, a partial reconstruction of a list of musicians, and the inventory of music sheets and instruments. The increasing repression did not allow the ensemble to be restored. The musical group in Budslau existed for about 100 years (from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century). The liturgical manuscript, described as an antiphonary, is currently stored in the National Historical Museum of the Republic of Belarus in Minsk (ref. КП 13633) and dates from the 18th century. The organ built in 1783 by Nikolaus Jantzen has survived to this day. This 20-voice instrument has undergone little documented restoration. It is known that some changes were made at the beginning of the 20th century by Piotr Wojciechowicz and around 1923 the works on the Budslau organ were carried out by Wacław Biernacki’s company.