September 2004

60th Anniversary of Warsaw Rising 1944

Sep 23, 25 - Stanislaw Skrowaczewski conducts at the Seattle Symphony

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

The 11th Polish Festival in Portland is the main event staged each year by the Polish community in Portland. They say it is the biggest Polish event in the US west of Mississippi – and with over 12,000 visitors I believe it! The Festival features two full days of non-stop folk performances, exhibitions of Polish heritage, heaps of homemade Polish food as well as booths with various merchandize. The Polish Song Choir from Seattle under dir. of Anna Sawicki is scheduled to perform on Sunday at noon and at 1:30 pm.

Where: St. Stanislaus Church & The Polish Hall & Library, 3900 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR.

More: Portland Polonia

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski will conduct a concert that includes Elgar’s Cello Concert performed by Ralph Kirschbaum, Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod to Tristan and Isolde and Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra. Mr. Skrowaczewski is also a composer. He became famous for conducting Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 60s & 70s. In 1998, his recording of Bruckner's Symphony no. 9 (with the Minnesota Orchestra) received the Golden Note Award for the best original recording in its category.

Where: Seattle Symphony, Sep 23 at 7:30 pm, Sep 25 at 8 pm

More: Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

The same exhibition that goes on display at the Polish Home first is presented at the main lobby of the City Hall and is easily available for visiting. The main part of the documentary exhibition Warsaw Uprising 1944 consists of documentary photos, maps and text describing the stages and circumstances of the extraordinary 63-day struggle. It also pays tribute to the American airmen who died flying over Warsaw in September 1944. The main exhibition has been commissioned by the Polish Consulate in Los Angeles and the additional exhibit prepared by K. Poraj-Kuczewski. The exhibition has been organized by Ryszard Kott and is supported by Polish Home Foundation, Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association and the City of Seattle.

Where: at the Seattle City Hall, 601 5th Avenue, Seattle, admission free. More: Ryszard Kott, more on Seattle events Polish News Seattle

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

This event organized by the Polish Home Association celebrates the heroism of the Uprising through music and poetry and consists of three parts:

• part 1: a concert of Polish patriotic songs by the Polish Song Choir under direction of Anna Sawicki,

• part 2: a performance We, Warsaw Children Will Fight for You, featuring poetry & songs in scenes from the Uprising by the performance group from the Polish Home in Seattle under direction of Barbara Strutynski,

• part 3: a piano concert by Iwona Kaminska-Bowlby, the local artist we all know. Ms. Kaminska-Bowlby will play Chopin Sonata H moll op. 58 to honor the memory of her father, Jozef Kaminski ('Ziutek') who fought in the Old Town district of Warsaw

Where: at the Polish Home, admission free

More: concert: Barbara Strutynski, (425) 746-3037;  details of other events at the PHF website.

The book exhibition 63 Days and Nights features books and albums as well as films in English and Polish about the Uprising with an advice how to obtain them. The exhibition has been organized by Hanna Gil of the Polish Book Club and is supported by the Polish Home Foundation. The Foundation plans to donate books and DVDs to Seattle libraries to help educate American public about the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and asks for donations supporting this goal.

Where: at the upper floor of the Polish Home, admission free

More: Hanna Gil, PHF website, Polish Book Club  

The Polish Scout Troop “Kaszuby” invites to their first meeting of the 2004/2005 school year; both new scouts and cub scouts are invited to attend. The Polish troop in Seattle has been active for over 15 years and provides another venue for immersing Polish-American kids into traditions of the old country. The troop accepts children of any age, from kindergarten to high school and is a friendly place to introduce your child to some tradition of the old country and to scouting at the same time.

Where: at the Polish Home, admission free

More: about Polish scouts Anna Bieniek, (425) 280-4858

Polish School students,  fot. www.yagodafoto.com

The Polish School in Seattle starts the 2004/5 school year with an open day on Sep 13 from 6 to 8:30 pm. This is the time to enroll your child if you haven’t done so yet, talk to the teachers etc. The Polish School is open to children and adults of varying degrees of language skills, from none to advanced. Besides Polish language and literature, children learn history and geography of Poland. The school has native speakers as teachers.

Where: at the Polish Home, 1714 18^th Ave. Seattle Tuition on yearly basis, $250 PHA members, $280 otherwise

More: Principal, Gerard Adler, (425) 653-3692, Treasurer, last year website: Polish Home, link for Polish School

The Polish Scout Troop “Kaszuby” invites all members of the Polish community, kids, parents, grandparents and friends to a yearly bonfire and a singing together. This event is open to everybody and you don’t have to be a scout to come and enjoy games and traditional Polish scout & military songs. Please note that due to space limitation this time around, the scouts will not be able to serve hotdogs etc as in years past; some cookies for a good spirit will be there but this is all that is possible this year! Come and enjoy the singing! Everybody is invited.

Where: Camp Long Park in West Seattle, 5200 35^th SW (at 35^th & Dowson), admission free

More: about Polish scouts  Anna Bieniek,  (425) 280-4858, camp info here

The main part of the documentary exhibition Warsaw Uprising 1944 consists of documentary photos, maps and text describing the stages and circumstances of the extraordinary 63-day struggle. It also pays tribute to the American airmen who died flying over Warsaw in September 1944. The main exhibition has been commissioned by the Polish Consulate in Los Angeles and the additional exhibit prepared by K. Poraj-Kuczewski. The exhibition has been organized by Ryszard Kott and is supported by Polish Home Foundation, Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association and the City of Seattle.

Where: at the Polish Home, Polish Home, admission free

More: Ryszard Kott, more on Seattle events Polish News Seattle