By Anna Mioduchowska<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Seas, oceans or lakes move hearts, stimulate imagination and bring immeasurable joy to those who are on the water and what is on the shore, those who leave or return. And every port evokes a sense of nostalgia and joy.”<\/em> Jola Asenhaimer, author and director of Sea Tales.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n On Saturday, October 19, the stage at the Polish House in Edmonton turned into a seaport, where the ship’s singing crew entertained the full hall with shanties, i.e. sailing ballads. The crew consisted of dressed up members of the Polonia Choir, which staged its next cabaret, Sea Tales. <\/em>The choir was accompanied by musicians: Tomasz Lachacz, Dzidek Samos, Ewa Ma\u0107kowska and Andrzej \u0141ab\u0119d\u017a.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The joy was evident in the reactions of the many guests, many of whom took up our challenge to come in sailor or pirate costumes, and who responded vividly to the songs, interspersed with jokes and poetry, rewarding the artists with enthusiastic applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The evening began with a thunderstorm, which was arranged and conducted by Lidia Khaner, the new Artistic Director of the Choir. The stars of the cabaret are members of the choir who have taken up the task of singing solo or in small groups with the choir in the background \u2013 Iza Wlaz\u0142y, Gra\u017cyna R\u00f3\u017cycka, Ela Ostapowicz, Ula Jaworska, Mila Cynar, Elwira Walczak, Kasia Lachacz, Lucyna Lachacz, Andrzej \u0141ab\u0119d\u017a, W\u0142odek Kope\u0107, Andrzej Szyman\u00f3wka, Mila DeRegt, as well as guest performers \u2013 Ewa Ma\u0107kowska and the duo “Jed and the Valentine.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the performance, the artists were rewarded with loud applause, and each of them received a red rose from the audience (thank you to Sylwia Chrobak, representing the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies<\/em> at the University of Alberta \u2013 for this nice gesture!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both announcers \u2013 the director, Jola Asenhaimer and the set designer, Bo\u017cenka Wojno \u2013 efficiently controlled the performances. After the end, the hungry guests and crew sat down to a tasty dinner, which gave energy for further fun, during which there was a voting of four prizes for the best costumes among the audience; The interpretation was the length and intensity of the applause of the gathered guests. There was also a draw for three prizes for entry ticket holders. The music and dancing continued long after midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Singing is a magical power that connects souls”, these are the words attributed to Edith Piaf. They are engraved on a tuning fork, which during the evening Oksana Ostashevska (for a quarter of a century the beloved conductor and artistic director of the Polonia Choir) handed over to Lidia Khaner, the new Artistic Director – as a symbol of putting the conductor’s baton in her hands. Lidia Khaner eagerly undertook to lead the choir \u2013 and promised the grateful choir members \u2013 to stay for the next quarter of a century (this is how her words were read that “she will give her speech in 25 years”!). As Genia Serewko, our tireless president, emphasized, “The Polonia Choir is incredibly lucky to have talented conductors who have this magical power that they pass on to others.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Members of our audience are an inseparable part of this happiness. The Polonia Choir would like to thank all the guests who came to the event in such large numbers. We would also like to thank all individuals and all Polish diaspora organizations that have been so generously supporting the Choir for 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mountain is a Polish song!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hania Mioduchowska<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Anna Mioduchowska “Seas, oceans or lakes move hearts, stimulate imagination and bring immeasurable joy to those who are on the water and what is on the shore, those who leave or return. And every port evokes a sense of nostalgia and joy.” Jola Asenhaimer, author and director of Sea Tales. 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