The Chair of Church Music provides substantive supervision of teaching within the church music programme, conducts research on the performance of religious music (publishing books and articles, including numerous individual publications, lectures, conference presentations, organising nationwide symposia and workshops for organists), conducts artistic activities (concerts, concert series in Wrocław and the region) and educational activities in the field of sacred music (workshops, lectures, consultations, radio programmes), cooperating extensively with the Lower Silesia community.
Scientific activities Members of the Chair of Church Music are actively involved in scientific activities in the field of lectures at specialist conferences and symposia, individual publications of scientific articles, works and compositions, as well as publications by the AMKL Publishing House:
series: Psalate synetos vol. 1: Selected issues of liturgical accompaniment,
series: Psalate synetos vol. 1: Selected issues of liturgical accompaniment,
ed. M. Kierska-Witczak, AMKL 2012
series: Psalate synetos vol. 2: The composer and the requirements of contemporary liturgy,
ed. M. Kierska-Witczak, AMKL 2019
series: Psalate synetos vol. 3, material in preparation
T. Kulikowski, Exercises for Adepts of the Noble Art of Liturgical Organ Accompaniment, ed. M. Kierska-Witczak, AMKL 2018
T. Kulikowski, Communiones, CD, AMKL 2019
T. Kulikowski, Antiphons for Communion, material in preparation.
Members of the Department pursue individual artistic activities and are also involved in the broad promotion of sacred art – independently, as part of festivals and concert series (including the Lower Silesian Science Festival, Advent Concerts at the Pauline Monastery), occasional radio broadcasts and workshops.
Since 2007, National Symposia and Workshops for Organists have been organised. These two-day meetings are addressed to active organists and church musicians, conductors, instrumentalists and musicologists. The symposia cover various aspects of sacred music performance. They are closely linked to the practical aspect – performance workshops with a special focus on improvisation. The initiative, launched in 2007, enjoys unflagging popularity. During this time, we have hosted many outstanding musicians and lecturers. Prof. Marta Kierska-Witczak was the artistic director of thirteen editions. Since 2020, the symposium has been managed by Dr Tomasz Głuchowski.
9–10 November 2007 Symposium and Workshops for Organists: ‘Improvisation in Liturgical Organ Accompaniment’ (special guest: Julian Gembalski)
7-8 November 2008 2nd National Symposium and Workshops for Organists “Organ accompaniment in liturgy” (special guest: Michał Dąbrowski)
13-14 November 2009 Third National Symposium and Workshops for Organists: “Inspiration from Gregorian chant in organ accompaniment” (special guest: Julian Gembalski)
12-13 November 2010 4th National Symposium and Workshops for Organists entitled ‘Modal Harmony in Liturgical Accompaniment’ (guest: Rev. Robert Bernagiewicz)
18-19 November 2011 5th International Symposium and Workshops for Organists ‘The Functioning of Protestant Choral Music in the Roman Catholic Liturgy’ (special guest: Thomas Lennartz, Dresden)
23-24 November 2012 6th International Symposium and Workshops for Organists: ‘Liturgical organ music by Silesian composers. Repertoire – Performance – Application’ (special guest: Franz Danksagmüller, Lübeck)
22-23 November 2013 7th National Symposium and Workshops for Organists ‘Contemporary musical language in liturgy’ (guests: Henryk Botor, Tomasz Orlow)
21-22 November 2014 8th National Symposium and Workshops for Organists ‘The musician in the church space. Architecture-space-performer’ (special guest: Ireneusz Wyrwa)
21-22 November 2015 9th National Session and Workshops for Church Musicians “A Feather in the Wind of Divine Breath” The Music of Hildegard of Bingen (special guest: Sister Susi Ferfoglia)
24 November 2016 10th National Seminar and Workshops for Organists “Improvisation as a determinant of professional competence” (guests: Julian Gembalski, Krzysztof Urbaniak)
20-21 November 2017 11th National Symposium and Workshops for Organists ‘Socio-cultural conditions for the education of church musicians at a higher music academy’ (guests: Piotr Wilczyński, Andrzej Szadejko, Krzysztof Urbaniak)
23-24 November 2018 12th National Symposium and Workshops for Organists ‘Renewal movements in liturgical music’ (guests: Karol Mossakowski, Paris; Michał Sławecki)
22-23 November 2019 13th National Symposium and Workshops for Organists ‘Care for the organ instrument in historical, artistic and practical terms’ (guests: Phlipp Klais, Bonn; Tomasz Orlow)
2 December 2020 14th National Symposium for Organists ‘Architecture in improvisation or improvisation in architecture? The role of imagination in shaping liturgical space’ online edition (special guest: Philippe Lefebvre, Paris)
Current artistic activities:
Historical Organs of Lower Silesia – an educational and artistic series
Concerts and presentations of historical instruments have been held in Lower Silesia since 2008 (Zagrodno 2008, Jelenia Góra 2009, Lądek Zdrój 2010, Gryfów Śląski 2011, Chojnów 2012, Nowa Ruda 2013, Bardo Śląskie 2014, Łozina 2015, Parowa 2017; Wrocław 2018, Wołów 2019) enable students of church music to come into contact with historical instruments of exceptional value. The two-day workshops – lessons on the instrument – end with a full concert performed by students and teachers of the AMKL, preceded by a discussion of the historical and sound qualities and a presentation of the instrument.
The series was managed by the late Rev. Dr Piotr Dębski and Dr Marek Fronc. Currently, the managers are Dr Marek Fronc and Dr Dariusz Galewski
Advent Concerts at the Pauline Monastery – concert series
Held since 2009 at St. Anthony's Church (Wrocław), these regular concerts were initiated by the community (at the request of the Prior of the Pauline Monastery in Wrocław). Every year during Advent, two or three concerts present organ and choral music as well as vocal and instrumental works intended for this special liturgical period. The performers are students and teachers of the university. Each concert is preceded by a special musical programme.
Dr Marek Fronc is the artistic director of the series.
Lenten Concerts at the Carmelites In manus tuas – concert series
Since June 2015, we have been cooperating with the parish of St. Joseph's Care in Wrocław, where students of church music perform two or three concerts a year (including a musical adaptation of the Way of the Cross). The musical presentations are accompanied by specially prepared commentary.
The series was supervised by Prof. Marta Kierska-Witczak and Dr Tomasz Głuchowski. Since 2020, the series has been supervised by Amanda Zok, MA.
Organ and choral concerts
The concerts take place in various churches in Wrocław (the Church of the Holy Cross, St. Anthony, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Augustine, St. Adalbert, St. Joseph's Church) as well as at the Evangelical Centre for Diaconia and Education, where they are organised occasionally and as part of the diploma exams of final-year students.
Master Classes in Organ Improvisation
Master Class in Organ Improvisation - Wrocław 2012. Tomasz Adam Nowak (Detmold)
Initiative and organisation: AMKL Student Artistic and Scientific Circle of Church and Organ Music
Master Class in Organ Improvisation and Interpretation - Bardo 2014. Peter van Dijk (Utrecht)
Organisational management: Dr Tomasz Głuchowski
Master Course in Organ Improvisation – Wrocław 2018. Naji Hakim (Paris)
Organisational management: Dr Tomasz Głuchowski
Master Course in Organ Improvisation – Kobylin 2019. Karol Mossakowski (Paris)
Organisational management: Dr Tomasz Głuchowski
Past activities:
Music of the Old Masters
Between 2009 and 2019, on the initiative of the late Rev. Dr. Piotr Dębski, regular summer organ concerts were held on the historic Michael Engler organ in the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Krzeszów. The instrument, built between 1732 and 1736, is one of the best-preserved large Baroque organs not only in Poland but also in Europe. Concerts by students of the Academy of Music in Wrocław, as well as other universities (Warsaw, Poznań), were held daily during the summer months – in the basilica and in St. Joseph's Church on a small organ dating from the second half of the 17th century.
Initiative and substantive management until 2019 – the late Rev. Dr Piotr Dębski
Summer Organ Concerts at the Dominicans Audite et Videte
An initiative launched in 2013 involving weekly concerts on the instrument at St. Adalbert's Church in Wrocław performed by students of the Academy of Music in Wrocław, combined with tours of the church and monastery crypts. The initiative was part of the 300th anniversary of the canonisation of Blessed Czesław, patron saint of Wrocław.
Initiative: Norbert Oczkowski OP; substantive management: Dr Tomasz Głuchowski
Pro Musica Sacra Sacred Music Festival
Scientific supervision in 2009–2012 of a series of monthly concerts in the church in the spa town of Świeradów Zdrój; oratorio, choral and solo concerts served to support the idea of renovating the local organ, which was over a hundred years old.
Initiative and artistic direction: Jakub Choros
Music and liturgy workshops for choirs and choir conductors
Annual music and liturgy workshops for conductors and vocal ensembles. Full-day workshops of a popular and educational nature aimed at choirs and conductors of the amateur music movement, in the years 2006-2019, educated children, young people and adults in the performance of choral liturgical music. The basics of voice production, work on repertoire, and classes in liturgy and conducting complemented the programme, which was implemented with the participation of students from the Faculty.