The Polish Singers Alliance of America 1888-1998 : Choral Patriotism (Rochester Studies in Central Europe)

398 Pages·2005·2.67 MB·English

by  Stanislaus A. Blejwas

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The Polish Singers Alliance of America,
1888–1998
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Rochester Studies in Central Europe
(ISSN 1528–4808)
Senior Editor: Ewa Hauser, Director,
Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies,
University of Rochester
Post-Communist Transition: The Thorny Road
Grzegorz W. Kolodko
Globalization and Catching-up in Transition Economies
Grzegorz W. Kolodko
Polish Formalist School
Andrzej Karcz
Music in the Culture of Polish Galicia, 1772–1914
Jolanta T. Pekacz
Ideology, Politics and Diplomacy in East Central Europe
M. B. B. Biskupski, Ed.
The Polish Singers Alliance of America, 1888–1998: Choral Patriotism
Stanislaus A. Blejwas
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The Polish Singers Alliance of
America, 1888–1998
Choral Patriotism
Stanislaus A. Blejwas
University of Rochester Press
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Copyright © 2004 The Polish Singers Alliance of America
All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation,
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast, transmitted, recorded
or reproduced in any form or by any means, without the prior permission
of the copyright owner.
First published 2004
University of Rochester Press
668 Mt. Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620 USA
and at P.O. Box 9
Woodbridge, Suffolk IPI2 3DF
United Kingdom
www.urpress.com
ISBN 1-58046-147-6
ISSN 1528–4808
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationData
Blejwas, Stanislaus A.
The Polish Singers Alliance of America, 1888–1998 : choral patriotism /
Stanislaus A. Blejwas.
p. cm. — (Rochester studies in Central Europe, ISSN 1528–4808 ; 6)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 1-58046-147-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Polish Singers Alliance of America—History. 2. Choral societies—United
States. 3. Polish Americans—Ethnic identity. 4. Poland—History. 5. Poland—
Politics and government. I. Title. II. Series.
ML27.U5P65 2004
305.891'85073—dc22
2004001650
British Library Cataloguing-in-PublicationData
A catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library
Printed in the United States of America
This publication is printed on acid-free paper
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Contents
List of Illustrations vii
Foreword by M.B.B. Biskupski xi
Acknowledgments xvii
Introduction xix
1. “To Sing Out the Future of Our Beloved Fatherland” 1
2. Pieśni o ziemi naszej(Songs of Our Land) 22
3. The Convention of “Unhappy Memory” 36
4. “Active Duty” 50
5. “Cultural Care” 64
6. World War II and a New Immigration 88
7. The Czechlewski Years: The Ideological
Organization Redefined 110
8. Polish American Choral Culture 126
9. “Let Poland Be Poland!” 160
10. Quo VadisPolish Song in North America? 173
Appendices:
A PSAA National Officers 187
B National Conventions 194
C Individual Choirs 196
D Honorary Members 214
E Compositions of Antoni Małłek Celebrating the
Holy Trinity Immigrant Neighborhood in Chicago 226
F Membership 229
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vi Contents
G Hlond Trophy Winners 230
H Children’s Choirs 232
I Selected Biographies 235
J Competition Songs, Winning Choirs, and Free Selection
at National Conventions of the Polish Singers Alliance
of America 264
K Guest Artists and Selections Performed at National and
International Conventions of the Polish Singers Alliance
of America, 1905–1998 269
L Songs Sung by Choirs at Concerts of the National and
International Conventions of the Polish Singers Alliance
of America 275
M PSAA Districts and Choirs—1999 283
Notes 287
Bibliography 331
Index 345
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Illustrations
Preceding Chapter 1
1. Title Page of the Polish Singers Alliance of America original
minutes.
2. The first page of the Polish Singers Alliance of America original
minutes.
3. Antoni Małłek
4. Stanisław Pliszka
5. Maksymilijan Kucera
6. Polish composer Piotr Maszyński
7. Antoni Małłek
8. Antoni Małłek as a member of the Holy Trinity School Board.
9. The Saint Jadwiga Parish Choir organized by Antoni Małłek.
10. Róża Kwasigroch
11. Cover of the 18th convention program in 1913.
12. Antoni Małłek later in life.
13. Władysław L. Pietrykowski, PSAA President 1920–1928.
14. Cover of the convention program celebrating the PSAA’s 40th
anniversary, Cleveland, Ohio, 1929.
15. ŚwitChildren’s Choir.
16. Jerzy Bojanowski.
17. Group photo of the delegates to the XXIV PSAA convention,
New York, NY, 1934. Major Jan Niezgoda and President
Władysław Panka are seated next to each other in the center.
18. Delegate’s ribbon for the 9th annual convention of the Polish
Singers Alliance of New England, Chicopee, MA, May 19, 1935.
19. Major Jan Niezgoda in military uniform.
20. Group photo of the delegates to the 25th PSAA convention.
21. The convention issue of Przegląd Śpiewaczy(III, May 1937, No. 2).
22. Józef Trzciński as a young man.
23. Echo, No. 174 seated for a group portrait together with trophies
and prizes won by the Choir.
24. Harmonia of Cleveland, 1907.
25. Cleveland’s Harmonia hosting Buffalo’s Harmonia Choir.
26. The Philharmonic Orchestra of Cleveland’s Harmonia–Chopin
Choir.
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viii Illustrations
27. Harfa dressed in native costume.
28. Chicago’s Fhilharmonia seated for a formal group portrait.
29. The decorating of the standards of Polish organizations, including
the PSAA, by the Polish Consul in Chicago during the interwar era.
Following Chapter 10
30. Commemorative editorial cartoon from Dziennik Związkowy
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the PSAA, 1940.
31. Polish tenor Jan Kiepura and PSAA President Władysław Panka,
possibly at Chicago concert to raise funds for the Polski Fundusz
Ratunkowy, February 10, 1940. Gen. Józef Haller attended.
32. Delegates to the 27th PSAA convention, May 1944 in Cleveland, OH.
33. The Radio Free Europe Traveling Trophy.
34. The Moniuszko Choir performing before the RFE microphone.
35. Józef Czechlewski, PSAA President, 1950–1980.
36. Harmonia of Brooklyn, President Czechlewski’s home choir.
37. Theodore M. Niedzielski, PSAA General Director, 1944–1947 and
1950–1959.
38. Honorary award to the PSAA from the Zjednoczenie Polskich
Zespołów Śpiewaczych i Instrumentalnych, 1964.
39. Director and composer Kazimierz Obecny of Detroit’s Lutnia
Choir.
40. Lutnia No. 268 of Detroit and its Director Professor Kazimierz
Obecny.
41. Library of the Polish Singing Circle, Buffalo, NY.
42. Aleksander Karczyński, PSAA General Director 1929–1937.
43. Bronislaw Rybowiak, PSAA Music Director 1920–1923.
44. Cover of Echo Muzyczneof December 1925, with the iconograpy
symbolizing the PSAA repertoire.
45. Filharmonia No. 180 seated behind its prizes and trophies.
46. The Cardinal Hlond Traveling Trophy.
47. Detroit’s Filarets issued an album in which it publicized the Choir
as a winner of the Hlond Trophy.
48. The Pilis Adminstration.
49. The poster for the centennial convention in Hamilton, Ontario,
Canada, 1989.
50. Decoration by Polish Consul General Jerzy Surdykowski at the
1995 convention in New York of distinguished members of the
PSAA, including President Bernice Gruszka and General Secre-
tary Barbara Blyskal.
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Illustrations ix
51. PSAA General Choral Director (1995–1998) Andrzej Rozbicki.
52. Symphonia of Canada performing at the 50th anniversary of the
Canadian Polish Congress and on the occassion of the 150
anniversary of Polish settlement in Canada.
All photographs are used courtesy ofthe Polish Singers Alliance ofAmer-
ica, Daniel J. Kij, President