The Choir of the Collegium Medicum Nicolaus Copernicus University was established in 1985 in Bydgoszcz. During the first four years, it was a small vocal group managed by Halina Wieczór. Since 1989 the conductor and artistic manager has been Professor Janusz Stanecki. During this period, the group participated in many national and international events. The choir consists of students, graduates, and university employees. The choir won many awards from competitions and festivals: two prizes for three possible in selected categories in the 4th Freamunde International Choir Competition in 2016, Freamunde (Portugal); Grand Prix and a Special prize from the jury for the best performance of work by Yuri Falik during “The Singing World” International Festival and Competition in 2018, Sankt Petersburg (Russia); 1st Prize + Finalist status (overtime for Grand Prix), Special Award for the best performance of a piece by Tomislav Zografski in the International Choral Competition in Ohrid in 2019 (North Macedonia); 1st place in the choir and vocal ensembles category in the 28th Balkan Folk Fest in Varna in 2022 (Bulgaria); 1st prize and special prize for best performance of sacred music in the in Ohrid Choir Festival 2023.
The conductor and choirmaster Janusz Stanecki is a professor at the Music Academy of Feliks Nowowiejski in Bydgoszcz. In 1984 he graduated with honors from the Department of Choir Conducting and Music Education at the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz. His artistic and pedagogical achievements include numerous prizes and distinctions: the prizes of the mayor of the city of Bydgoszcz, the governor of Bydgoszcz, and the rector of the Academy of Music. F. Nowowiejski in Bydgoszcz.
At every rehearsal, our vocal development is also taken care of by Anna Kocent who serves as a voice emission specialist and Assistant Conductor of the Choir Collegium Medicum UMK in Bydgoszcz.
Country representing: Poland
Do you have any interesting stories about your group? One warm summer evening, just after the Greek concerts and right before the planned departure the next day, the drivers suspected something was wrong with the bus. They intended to check more thoroughly in the morning what was on their minds. Why didn’t they do it in the evening? Because a real driver knows a thing or two about repairs, and true to their Polish nature, they are not afraid of work and might even replace a part while they’re at it.
It turned out that the bus had broken down, and our wonderful experts just couldn’t fix this particular fault. We, all packed, were sitting on our suitcases in front of the hotel. It wasn’t enough that we had our suitcases; we also had a fridge with medicines, instruments, and packs of water. So, we sat patiently for several hours in front of the hotel, while the Greek sun was relentless and it was getting hotter. Fortunately, the hotel owners were so kind that we could use the hotel’s toilet during the breakdown despite having checked out earlier.
After many hours of roasting in the Greek sun like popcorn in a pan, something appeared on the horizon, and it wasn’t a mirage. A replacement Greek bus was coming. A golden bus, long-awaited. We packed up, bid a fond farewell to our Polish drivers, and then set off on our journey. We arrived in Macedonia. They dropped us on the street. We were in a foreign country, thousands of kilometers from home. Without a bus. We weren’t sure if the Greek understood the Pole, or the Pole understood the Greek, but fortunately, it turned out we were in front of a good hotel. We checked in and for a day worried alternately about whether we would make it to the competition and whether our drivers would be stuck forever in Greek Paralia.
Then came the moment, simple in its uniqueness – a wonderful navy blue Arko Tourist bus arrived with our beloved, broadly smiling, Polish drivers.
Finally, we could participate in the festival, and the golden bus was a prophecy of winning the golden band – the first prize!
How would you best describe your group? Our choir is a very diverse group. The choir members are of different ages, studying various majors or already working. We have young adults, engaged individuals, married ones, and some of us are already parents. Despite our differences, we get along great and form a cohesive team. Together, we celebrate important occasions such as birthdays or weddings. However, we also know how to support each other in difficult times. Our love for music unites us, and thanks to it, the differences between us lose significance. We love spending leisure time together, and thanks to the choir, many lasting friendships and even relationships have been formed!
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOXlDqXoLOY
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