Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 “To Sing Out the Future of Our Beloved Fatherland”
- 2 Pieśni o ziemi naszej (Songs of Our Land)
- 3 The Convention of “Unhappy Memory”
- 4 “Active Duty”
- 5 “Cultural Care”
- 6 World War II and a New Immigration
- 7 The Czechlewski Years: The Ideological Organization Redefined
- 8 Polish American Choral Culture
- 9 “Let Poland Be Poland!”
- 10 Quo Vadis Polish Song in North America?
- Appendix A PSAA National Officers
- Appendix B National Conventions
- Appendix C Individual Choirs
- Appendix D Honorary Members
- Appendix E Compositions of Antoni Małłek Celebrating the Holy Trinity Immigrant Neighborhood in Chicago
- Appendix F Membership
- Appendix G Hlond Trophy Winners
- Appendix H Children’s Choirs
- Appendix I Selected Biographies
- Appendix J Competition Songs, Winning Choirs, and Free Selection at National Conventions of the Polish Singers Alliance of America
- Appendix K Guest Artists and Selections Performed at National and International Conventions of the Polish Singers Alliance of America, 1905–1998
- Appendix L Songs Sung by Choirs at Concerts of the National and International Conventions of the Polish Singers Alliance of America
- Appendix M PSAA Districts and Choirs—1999
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Foreword
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 March 2023
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 “To Sing Out the Future of Our Beloved Fatherland”
- 2 Pieśni o ziemi naszej (Songs of Our Land)
- 3 The Convention of “Unhappy Memory”
- 4 “Active Duty”
- 5 “Cultural Care”
- 6 World War II and a New Immigration
- 7 The Czechlewski Years: The Ideological Organization Redefined
- 8 Polish American Choral Culture
- 9 “Let Poland Be Poland!”
- 10 Quo Vadis Polish Song in North America?
- Appendix A PSAA National Officers
- Appendix B National Conventions
- Appendix C Individual Choirs
- Appendix D Honorary Members
- Appendix E Compositions of Antoni Małłek Celebrating the Holy Trinity Immigrant Neighborhood in Chicago
- Appendix F Membership
- Appendix G Hlond Trophy Winners
- Appendix H Children’s Choirs
- Appendix I Selected Biographies
- Appendix J Competition Songs, Winning Choirs, and Free Selection at National Conventions of the Polish Singers Alliance of America
- Appendix K Guest Artists and Selections Performed at National and International Conventions of the Polish Singers Alliance of America, 1905–1998
- Appendix L Songs Sung by Choirs at Concerts of the National and International Conventions of the Polish Singers Alliance of America
- Appendix M PSAA Districts and Choirs—1999
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Shortly after completing this history of the Polish Singers Alliance of America Stanislaus A. Blejwas died. He was thus unable to discuss the several events occurring after 2000 that brought major changes in the Alliance. These developments must be recorded. However, I make no pretense to analyzing their meaning. Blejwas was able to immerse himself in the life and development of the Alliance for many years. He conducted interviews, poured over scattered manuscripts, vicariously relived the hopes and dreams of the Alliance over a century. Blejwas was the historian of the Alliance. Only he could provide us with a sophisticated understanding of the meaning of these events which death prevented him from analyzing.
After the Johnstown, PA, Convention of the Alliance, held in May, 2001, the assembled delegates decided to relocate the Central Administration of the organization. This was a decision of some moment, as the headquarters had been in greater New York City for many decades, the second home of the Alliance after an equally long sojourn in Chicago. The new home was within the Western New York-Southern Ontario region, so-called Buffalo-Hamilton or District IX. Concurrent with this relocation was the election of principal officers. Daniel J. Kij, an attorney, and long-time leader of Buffalo Polonia became President. Kij had long sung with the I. J. Paderewski Singing Society of Buffalo, #275. The other principal officers were: Adeline S. Wujcikowski, General Secretary (also from Paderewski #275); Janina Mazun, Vice Secretary General (Symfonia #291 of Hamilton, Ontario); Piotr Gorecki, General Choral Director; Dayle Vander Sande, Assistant General Choral Director; Zofia Kata (also from #291), First Vice President; Edward Witul, (Kalina #221 of Buffalo), Second Vice President; Theresa Rogowski (#275), Treasurer; Barbara Blyskal (Jutrzenka #226 of Brooklyn) and Frances X. Gates (also from #226), Librarians. The Board of Directors for 2001–2004 thenceforth consisted of Irene Dobinski and Adrienne Kusmierczyk (both from #221), Zdzisław Kata, Barbara Olejarz, and Richard Ziemba (all from Symfonia #291); Joseph Mazurkiewicz, Walter Muhar, and Fran Cirbus (Paderewski #275). The Johnstown Convention further decided to award Bernice Gruszka of Philadelphia and Barbara Blyskal of Staten Island the titles Honorary President and Honorary General Secretary respectively.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Polish Singers Alliance of America 1888-1998Choral Patriotism, pp. xi - xviPublisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2005