We bring you Christmas liturgical songs of the Rusyns from the Ulič Valley, part of the Poloniny National Park. On this CD album, you will find Rusyn carols in the form in which they have been sung for decades in the Greek Catholic wooden church of St. Michael the Archangel in Uličské Krivé. As a bonus, we bring you an archival recording of the Betlehemci from Uličské Krivé from 1992, which was recorded on January 7 during authentic caroling in one household in Uličské Krivé. The repertoire of this CD album is a reference to the distant past, which we want to preserve for future generations. It is also our goal to evoke memories of the most beautiful time of the year for many of you.
POLONYNA
For more than two decades, the female singing group Polonyna has been preserving the original song material of the Poloniny National Park. The members of the singing group have taken over a large part of their repertoire from the old women of Uličské Krivé. They had the opportunity to observe their active folklore activities and also experience their spontaneous performances when they sang just for fun or at performances. This mainly concerns Alžbeta Kontrová, an elder of several members of the group and her friends, many of whom are no longer with us.
DOMINIKA NOVOTNÁ – FOUNDER AND LEADER OF THE GROUP
Washing my face and hands with water in which coins had been floating, a silent prayer, a honey cross on my forehead, a table full of traditional Rusyn dishes, children's curiosity about what was hidden under the tree, and the sound of Roždestvo Tvoje Christe Bože naš! echoing through the church. This is how I remember Christmas.
The polyphonic church songs of the Eastern rite shaped my relationship to singing and our Rusyn folklore. Christmas carols are among the most popular songs in my repertoire and are a natural part of every Christmas. With Polonyna, we want to bring you the joy of Christ's birth and at the same time honor the memory of those who have preserved our cultural heritage to this day. I would like to thank the folk music group Soročka for joining us on this journey.
ŠIMON ČOP - FOLK MUSIC OF SOROCKA
The idea of preserving traditions and a feeling of home for people from far-eastern Slovakia fulfills us, members of „Soročka“ band, with joy and inspiration. When Dominika Novotná presented us with the concept of new Christmas album, which will bring back to our region even those people who only nostalgically remember the local Christmas atmosphere, our decision to join her in this project was quick. The work on the album is intensive and brings us a lot of experience, experiences and ideas. That is why we believe that with our original musical arrangements and renditions of carols, we will be able to capture the atmosphere of Ruthenian Christmas for all those who want to experience it.
We appreciate your support and thank you in advance!
We will use your support to pay for the music composition, recording studio and final mastering. The money we manage to raise thanks to this crowdfunding campaign will also be used for the production of the CDs themselves. Your financial support will also cover the costs associated with the preparation of the CD within the framework of the composition, photography and distribution of the CD.
We will release the CD album in December 2025, so that you can listen to these beautiful songs by the Christmas tree with your loved ones.
