Final concert

How strange. For so many years, every time we met in the Market Square by the Town Hall, it was clear that this was the beginning – that everything was just getting started – that the children would be given the keys to the town, and the clinking of one key against another would mark the start of the comradeship festivities. Today, they are already comrades. It is not the beginning, but the very end. A crowning event.

As if coming from the sky - because from the Town Hall balcony - the Mexican musical band is sending down to us a tune we know so well; the Spanish singing gives way to Hania from MAŁY OWCOK ensemble, who sings: “Hey Nowy Sącz, this town belongs to the children, because when the Children of Mountains dance and sing here, the world shines with joy, love and peace.”

The Croatian girls surprised us at their national concert by taking to stage to the rhythm of their... footsteps, and that was the only sound that heralded their entrance. That’s exactly how they’re coming on now too – they’re bringing in pairs representing the other ensembles. They all slither along like a snake. Step, step, stamp... step, step, stamp. Miłosz from MALI MAGURZANIE plays the ocarina and sings: “Our comradeship building brings the world together; may the song of peace soar above the mountains.” And the ocarina again. The balconies around the Market Square come to life. They call out to us: A Croatian girl and a MAŁY OWCOK girl, from balcony to balcony, as if from a Polish mountain pasture to a Croatian mountain pasture. The Podhale bagpipes… along with their sounds children bring onto the stage red cardboard cut-out hearts with inscriptions: mum, dad, home, love and peace. Each heart is brought by three children from different ensembles. The trojak dance… performed by the MAŁY OWCOK musical band, and set to its rhythm: SURSUM CORDA!


“By virtue of age and the office,” the honour of playing the cuckoo naturally falls to PIĄTKOWIOKI. The flags of Poland, Małopolska, the European Union and CIOFF. As last Sunday’s parade got underway, the ensembles marching in order were a preview of the week ahead for us. Today, the representatives of the ensembles, marching behind their flags, are now just a memory of that time. 

A picture-like scene on stage? Well… It seems as though it was only a moment ago that they received the keys to Nowy Sącz from some Very Important Persons. And yet… it’s not raining! The weather suggests that this is, however, a different evening, although it would make more sense to have had sunshine last Sunday, and rain on this farewell Saturday.


The following are in attendance during the final concert: Iwona Gibas, member of the Małopolska Province Executive Board, and councillor of the Małopolska Province Assembly; Patryk Wicher, member of the Polish Sejm; Franciszek Kantor, member of the Nowy Sącz County Executive Board; Tomasz Baliczek, head of the Department of Sport and Tourism at the Nowy Sącz Municipal Office; Rev. Stanisław Kowalik, the Festival’s chaplain; Ioseb Khakhaleishvili, consul general of Georgia; Dariusz Gawęda, deputy for Investment and Cultural Activity at the Department of Culture and National Heritage of the Małopolska Province Governor’s Office; Jan Łosakiewicz, long-standing president of the Polish section of CIOFF; Andrzej Zarych, director general of the SOKÓŁ Małopolska Culture Centre, together with his deputies: Piotr Gąsienica, the Festival’s organisational director, and Liliana Olech, deputy director for Professional Arts; Monika Kurzeja, head of the organising office of the Festival of the Children of Mountains; Artistic Committee members: Dr Dorota Majerczyk, Dr Tomasz Nowak, Dr Evgeniya Grancharova, Benedykt Kafel, Baris Kop, Julieta Pavez Pizarro.

During the official part of the event, Iwona Gibas expresses her delight at being able to welcome everyone on behalf of Province Governor Łukasz Smółka. For the Małopolska Province Executive Board, folklore is an important part of their work. The board members are very proud that the region is steeped in folklore, and that each region has its own costumes and customs; they are all different, yet they all seem to be typically representative of Małopolska. She thanks the organisers, particularly the directors of SOKÓŁ MCC. MP Patryk Wicher says that we are in the most wonderful place in the world, between the Basilica and the Town Hall. We may differ in language and culture, but children show us how we can make the most of that. To conclude, he admits that there is nothing more beautiful than love; it will forgive you and carry your heart to the ends of the earth. He hopes for everyone to fall in love with Nowy Sącz. Franciszek Kantor, a member of the Nowy Sącz County Executive Board, on behalf of Tadeusz Zaremba, the Governor of the Nowy Sącz County, expresses his gratitude for the organisation of the Festival. Director Andrzej Zarych admits that the Festival of the Children of Mountains is a week of extraordinary events. Apart from Nowy Sącz, the Festival children have performed concerts in Krynica, Ludźmierz, Limanowa, Piwniczna and Szczawnica. They have visited the COGITEON Małopolska Science Centre in Kraków, and parts of this royal-capital city. The weather was good, and now it’s the best it could possibly be. He thanks the volunteers, ensemble guides, interpreters and the medical team. He expresses special thanks to his deputy, Piotr Gąsienica, and wishes him a good night’s sleep after the whole week's toil. One hundred twenty-five people have worked on the Festival. Almost four hundred children have spent a week living and playing there, and we’ll see the results in a moment. 

In addition to the persons mentioned above, the following are invited onto the stage: Stanisław Kowalik, the Festival’s chaplain; Mr Ioseb Khakhaleishvili, the Georgian consul general; and Dr Dorota Majerczyk, to fulfil the custom; and the custom concerned with this concert is that gifts are presented to the ensembles by Very Important Persons: fluffy lamb toys, ensemble photographs and sweets. A whole flock of Festival lambs will soon be grazing at the PIĄTKOWIOKI’s place, as the ensemble have already taken part in the Festival five times.

Jan Łosakiewicz and Tomasz Nowak, representing CIOFF, present the Artis Meritoria badges: a silver one to the PIECUCHY ensemble from Nawojowa, a gold one to PIĄTKOWIOKI from Chełmiec, a gold one to Benedykt Kafel for his scholarly achievements, and a gold one to the SOKÓŁ Małopolska Culture Centre.

And another important moment. A shepherd’s staff strikes the stage floor three times. The old hosts from PIĄTKOWIOKI hand over the staff to the next year’s hosts – the children from the BRZEŹNIOKI ensemble – whilst receiving a pledge from them that they will play the host’s roles with great dignity.

The cuckoo melody is a clear cue that it is time to step down from the stage, and now the stage is taken by Dr Dorota Majerczyk. The Chairwoman of the Artistic Committee reads out excerpts from the protocol drawn up by this distinguished body, encouraging anyone wishing to find out more to visit the SOKÓŁ website.

To round off the official part of the event, words of thanks are extended from the stage to the office staff, interpreters, ensemble guides, volunteers, assistants, photographer Piotr Droździk and the author of these words.


Less than an hour has passed since the Mexican band started playing on the town hall balcony, and the PIĄTKOWIOKI children have already begun their short performance. In no time they are joined by the Panamanian children. That’s the very essence of the Festival: COMRADESHIP expressed through a traditional Polish dance, followed by a Panamanian dance, before rounding off the memory of their Monday programme with a performance by the ensemble from across the ocean.

And so it goes in order: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday… first the Polish ensemble with our national dance performed together, then a dance by the foreign ensemble also performed together, and in conclusion a short performance by the foreign guests.

To see Georgians dancing to a tune from the Podhale region, and the Tatra highlanders dancing to the rhythm of the Georgian drum and accordion; to see a Mexican boy embracing a Polish girl, and a Polish boy embracing a Mexican girl in a dance from across the ocean… a priceless experience. Everyone in the world should visit this town at least once in their lifetime. Nowy Sącz probably wouldn’t stand it, but the world would definitely be a better place.

This is the most beautiful moment of the evening. The epicentre of the Festival. Last Sunday, each ensemble presented their own programme – or rather, some part of it – as a sort of teaser. Now they’re completely different children. They’ve acquired new friends, new experiences, new dances… One of the most cynical statements is: “people don’t change." That’s not true! We change with every passing moment, and even more so with every experience – and there are countless such experiences at the Festival of the Children of Mountains. And we know they stay with us for years to come. We also hope that they build that which was expressed by the tagline of the Friday concert: PEACE. 


We can feel that the end is drawing near. Inexorably.

PIĄTKOWIOKI play the krakowiak. The final note is taken up by Panamanian band; the Panamanian children dance until the melody is taken over by the Georgian accordion – a girl and a boy, black and white, an age-old contrast, near and far, delicacy and strength – and already, from the back of the stage, the sounds of the dulcimer ring out, whilst the Slovakian bows shoot across the strings. Just the lads, because it’s a verbunk. Rhythmically. And now just the lasses: a riot of colour, a riot of charm… that’s Mexico!

Comrade, friend, give me your hand
May love and friendship find a home with us.
Here's how, here's how, here's how we love mum 
Here's how, here's how, here's how we love mum 
Dad, home, love, peace…

To the rhythm of the song that ties all the Festival days together, all the children take to the stage and the ground in front of it. They encircle the audience with a snaking line coiled many times over…

And when everything falls silent, Hanka Rybka lulls us to sleep:

Good night, my dears,
Because it’s already getting late.
And we’ve got to hurry home,
Because mum is waiting for us.

Let us sleep well all night long,
Angels also watch over us,
We’re gonna see each other again tomorrow
And we’re waiting for you here!

Rev. Stanisław Kowalik reminds us: love? God is love! Deus caritas est! And there, above the rooftops of Nowy Sącz, rings out that prayer we know so well, sung aloud: “Dear God, dear God, do not forsake us, do not forsake us! For otherwise we will be lost beyond redemption.” The blessing of the chaplain of the Festival of the Children of Mountains descends upon those gathered here, and through them upon the Children of All the Mountains of the World.

Iwona Gibas, Andrzej Zarych and Piotr Gąsienica jointly recite the formula closing the 33rd Festival of the Children of Mountains. For the organisers, the thirty-fourth edition has just begun. See you next year!