Hidden among the bleak tower blocks of Bielany is a little cultural oasis - Bielański Ośrodek Kultury (Bielany Cultural Centre). I made my way there last night to see the Migrator Theatre perform a gospel concert.
Migrator Theatre is a group of young artists - some asylum seekers, some refugees, some Poles - who try to bring a bit of multicultural life to Warsaw, and Poland as a whole.
Last night was their gospel concert, and I went along to catch up with old friends and see the fruit of their recent work.
As I walked into the centre, I was impressed by the number of people milling about, waiting for the doors to open after a last-minute rehearsal by the team. Once they opened, people rushed to grab the best seats and extra chairs had to be brought out. The audience was a real mix of young and old and mostly Polish, as you might expect.
Someone from the centre introduced the concert, and invited director Simon Mol to say a few words. A lady turned to her friend in front of me, and whispered ‘in Polish!’ in surprise when Simon started talking. I smiled. It really is that easy to challenge preconceptions.
The singing was started by two soloists, then the whole group was brought on, building the music from a single voice, to a complex mix of sounds.
Harmonies were kept simple, but the different pieces were striking in their own way. The music was in several languages, including Polish, and was unaccompanied, apart from the clapping and a small rattle drum.
If a couple of notes were missed, or if they weren’t always sure which song came next, it didn’t matter because the performers were obviously having such a good time. They sang, clapped their hands, improvised and worked as a team to coordinate endings.
The second half focused the audience’s attention on the FARE campaign, with performers kitted out in football shirts and holding footballs. The most popular song, Hosanna, was repeated at the end to great applause, and everyone - young and old - clapped along.
Comments