Festival Celebrates 1,000 Years of Polish Kingdom with Music

The second Festival of Early and Medieval Music, titled “Tollite Portas,” kicks off on October 17, 2023, with a concert by the ensemble Peregrina at the Kotor Cathedral. This festival commemorates the 1,000th anniversary of the Polish Kingdom, reflecting on its historical and cultural significance. The opening concert, “Anno Domini 1025 – 1000 godina Poljskog kraljevstva,” begins at 19:00, marking an important milestone in Polish history.

The ensemble Peregrina, led by artistic director Agnieszka Budzińska-Bennett, will guide the audience through the early days of the Polish Kingdom, specifically the year 1025, which corresponds with the coronation of Poland’s first king. The program is designed as a musical journey featuring compositions from the 10th to 15th centuries, including the earliest known piece written in Polish.

Utilizing authentic medieval instruments such as the Romanesque harp and vielle, Peregrina will combine these sounds with soaring female vocals that characterize early European music. This concert not only celebrates a millennium of Polish heritage but also revives the spirit of medieval Europe, underscoring its spiritual and cultural roots.

Following the opening event, another concert titled “Duždevi pifari i Zorzi Trombetta da Modon – Puhačka glazba u Veneciji 1450–1500” will take place on October 18 at the same venue, also at 19:00. The ensemble La Margarite will present music from the ducal piper Zorzio Trombette, a Venetian mariner and writer known for his contributions to shipbuilding and as a professional trumpeter for the Republic of Venice. His records include performances in Kotor, one at a wedding, for which he received a reward from the local bishop.

On October 15, the festival will feature the concert “Esperance & Oubli,” focusing on philosophical and theoretical introspection into the psychological and spiritual powers of music as understood by ancient and medieval theorists like Guillaume de Machaut and Boethius. The ensemble Labyrinthus, under the artistic direction of Danil Ryabchikov, will perform at 19:00 in the Kotor Cathedral.

The festival will continue with a concert titled “Dobro ugođena lutnja Giacoma Gorzanisa,” performed by Paul Kieffer on October 17 at the Church of St. Mary of the River. The festival will conclude on October 18 with another performance by Labyrinthus, showcasing medieval sequences from the Šibenik manuscripts, beginning at 19:00 in the Kotor Cathedral. This final concert will immerse the audience in the medieval Dalmatian cultural context, commemorating the anniversaries of the Split Church Councils of 925 and 928, which refer to Kotor as a suffragan bishopric, and the 1100th anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom.

The festival is organized by the Kotor Diocese, with the Municipality of Kotor serving as the general sponsor. Partners and sponsors include the International Festival KotorArt, the Ministry of Justice—Directorate for Cooperation with Religious Communities, and the Union of Italian Communities in Montenegro. All concerts are free to the public, inviting everyone to participate in this celebration of history and music.