Muzyka chóralna w diecezji lubelskiej w okresie posługi biskupa Stefana Wyszyńskiego

Abstract

The article presents the pastoral project of recreating the musical culture of the Catholic Church in Poland after World War II. The author outlines a broader context of pastoral activities undertaken at that time by the Primate of Poland, August Hlond. The pastoral work of Bishop Stefan Wyszyński in the Lublin Diocese was part of this nationwide plan to rebuild the role of music in churches, especially in the field of choral music. The article discusses the main assumptions of this work. It was based on Wyszyński’s understanding of choirs as a very important pastoral group in the Church, which should be constantly educated musically and religiously formed. The main liturgical task of the choir, as understood by Bishop Wyszyński, was to introduce new liturgical songs to the churches of the diocese. Choirs, as always, also performed polyphonic pieces. Together with the Diocesan Organist Commission, he precisely defined the repertoire of the choirs, both in terms of liturgical monody and polyphonic pieces. This procedure helped achieve two goals: raising the level of performance by drawing attention to valuable and original compositions and creating a diocesan choral community. The latter case was especially favored by the conventions of choirs of a competition and festival nature, which gathered several hundred people. Bishop Wyszyński’s extensive pastoral activities, also in the field of choral music, contributed to a significant revival of the diocesan choral movement and to raising the level of church music performed in the Diocese of Lublin.