Slavic folk

Orkiestra Św. Mikołaja

Zmień język:

polski

Fot. Agnieszka Matecka

Orkiestra Św. Mikołaja ("The Saint Nicholas Orchestra") is said to have “invented folk music in Poland”. The group was founded in 1988 when traditional Polish music was despised and neglected.

Then, through songs of Lemko Ruthenians once living in Polish mountains, we discovered that music from old villages can be intriguing for a modern listener.

Since then we have focused our activities on everything associated with folklore, especially whatever has been condemned to be forgotten and yet can inspire and enrich the contemporary culture. Our source of inspiration is folk music of Poland and of the Eastern Carpathian mountains. The distinguishing features of our music are: originality, complexity, dynamism, „white” traditional vocal and acoustic sound. We do not aim to modernise the folk source, but to create its continuation on the basis of the contemporary world and our sensitivity to tradition. We are keen on trance and progressive arrangements. Our goal is to harmonise modern influences on our music with traditional ways of playing and singing to achieve a new musical idiom. We have played over 2000 concerts, including: Rain Forest Festival, EBU Festival in Rudolstadt, Sfinks Festival Artpole Festival in Ukraine, Colours of Ostrava Festival.

Band:

Anna Kołodziej (Bielak) - nyckelharpa, violin, mazanki – folk violin, vocals
Aleksandra Bałdyga - cello, vocals
Jacek Warszawa - drums
Bogdan Bracha - violin, folk flutes, vocals
Marcin Skrzypek - dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, koboz, vocal, mandola, udu, vocals

Discography:

2016 - "Mody i kody" / "Modes and codes"
2012 - "Kraina Bojnów" / "The Land of the Boyns" (reedition)
2010 - "Drugi koncert"/ "The second concert" - live
2007 - "Nowa Muzyka"- 2 CD ("Nowa Muzyka" i "Stara Muzyka") / "New Music"
2007 - "Lem - agination"
2007 - "Muzyka gór" / "The Music of the Mountains" (reedition)
2006 - "Huculskie Muzyki" / "Hutsul Music"
2004 - "O miłości przy grabieniu siana"/ "About Love at Hay Raking"
2002 - "Jeden koncert" / "One concert" - live
2000 - "Z dawna dawnego" - MC & CD / "From the Far-off Times"
1998 - "Kraina Bojnów"- MC & CD /"The Land of the Boyns"
1996 - "Czas do domu"- MC & CD / "Time to Go Home"
1994 - "Z wysokiego pola"- MC / "From the Hill Fields"