MEET-AND-GREET WITH THE ENSEMBLES

The hosts are getting it all started! That is to say, the musical band of the MAŁE NISKOWIOKI Lach ensemble greets everyone with notes played and words sung. Present are delegations of all the ensembles: the leaders and select few children. Usually one girl and one boy.

With the vibrating sounds of his shepherd’s horn Krzysztof Trebunia-Tutka tries to pierce the coffered vault of the Town Hall’s main room, and then Andrzej Zarych, the director general of MCK SOKÓŁ and of the FESTIVAL OF THE CHILDREN OF MOUNTAINS - this time through spoken words, not sung ones - “greets everyone at the welcoming ceremony;” he greets everyone with pleasure and in the order established and unchanging, just as unchanging is the status of Nowy Sącz as the cradle of the Festival. The director presents comrade ensemble pairs, and then those who will be thoroughly and yet in a kindly manner watching the performances of the ensembles presented just a while ago, the honourable Artistic Committee.
 
At the welcoming ceremony, the municipal and regional authorities were represented by: Artur Bochenek, deputy mayor of Nowy Sącz; Michał Nowak and Andrzej Lis, councillors of the Nowy Sącz county; and Jan Wrona, the head of the Culture and Sports Department.
 
Patryk Rutkowski, the director of this year's Festival concerts, began with good wishes, to which he invited Mr Michał Nowak, and then Mr Artur Bochenek expressed his joy at the Festival time thus begun.
 
Before the traditional exchange of gifts takes place, Patryk Rutkowski introduces Juliana Pedraza Granados, a Colombian representing the CIOFF Youth, who will be animating the games during the forenoon presentations in the Old Market Square.

The leaders of the NISKOWIOKI, MALI LIPNICZANIE and ZASADNIOKI ensembles shared with everyone the joy of their first moments in Nowy Sącz, and the hope for a great time of friendship-building over the next few days. The have already had their first rehearsals of comrade dances.

 As for the foreign ensembles, the leader of the MISINA group from Hungary shared a beautiful observation. They set off from the mountainous surroundings of their hometown of Pecs yesterday, in the early morning, one might say ‘at dawn.’ The children fell asleep, and when they woke up on the winding roads in the mountains of the Sącz Beskids, they asked if they were back at home. This feeling of being at home was heightened by the warm welcome they experienced in Nowy Sącz. This section of the Hungarian ensemble has never attended a festival like this before, and the leader is sure that they would form deep friendships. These children guarantee that such festivals will be taking place in five and ten years’ time.

Bartłomiej Koszarek from Bukowina Tatrzańska, the leader of MALI WIYRCHOWIANIE, greeted the guests from near and far. He said that the FESTIVAL is an extraordinary time of shared experiences, an event that spreads light. It is here that created are - universal to every man - dreams, songs, and all that makes us human. 

This part of the meeting was briefly summed up by Roman Guzik, a representative of ZBYRCOCEK, who said that there is nothing more beautiful than seeing a happy child smile. He wished such a smile to everyone. 

Next to Christmas and Easter, the FESTIVAL OF THE CHILDREN OF MOUNTAINS seems to be the most important festival in the world’s calendar, so it is no surprise that it has worthy patrons: Hanna Wróblewska, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage; Łukasz Smółka, the Governor of the Małopolska Province; Ludomir Handzel, the Mayor of Nowy Sącz, and Tadeusz Zaremba, the Starost of the Nowy Sącz County.

To conclude, Dorota Majerczyk, the chairwoman of the Artistic Committee, addressed everyone, sharing a smile and heart on behalf of this noble body. She greeted the children and the leaders, thanks to whom it is possible to enjoy everything they have brought to this festival. She wished everyone positive emotions and, above all, joy derived from what they do. She congratulated the Polish ensembles in particular, knowing full well what a difficult road they had to travel to reach this point.