More than 450 people took part in all stages of the 31st All-Polish festival “The Belarusian Song 2024″. The selections of the best singers and dancers took place in Bielsk-Podlaski, Hainówka and other places in Podlaskie voivodeship, and the winners – 37 collectives and individual performers gathered on March 3 at the Philharmonic Hall in Bialystok, where the gala concert of the festival took place.
The gala concert of “The Belarusian Song” in Bialystok is very popular. If someone wanted to buy tickets for it a few days before the event, then they would have failed, because they were all sold out. And indeed, all the seats in the hall of the Voivodeship Philharmonic, which is quite large in size, were occupied by those who wanted to listen to the Belarusian songs and see how the winners from Hainówka, Bielsk, Siemyatychy, Bialystok and other places of Podlasie sing and dance.
The gala concert began with the song “My Bialystok Country” based on poems by poet Aliaksander Borshcheusky. By the way, this song is a kind of anthem of the Belarusian Bialystochyna, which is performed quite often at such events. And what is the history of “The Belarusian Song” festival, which was held in Poland for the 31st time this year? We asked its organizer, Chairman of the Belarusian Socio-Cultural Society Vasil Siegień, about this.
“It used to be held in the rank of a competition for several decades. As far as I remember, this event has been in existence for more than 60 years. What we see at least this year shows that the festival is still alive and in the future, I think, it will develop, go in new directions with new people. In general, more than 450 people took part in all stages of our festival. There are 200 people at the gala concert. We also decorate this gala concert with the dances of the famous dance ensemble” The Podlaska Wreath”.
The number of participants is not decreasing, this is already a plus. If it is increasing? It is difficult for me to say now, but the quality is a very significant factor in this event and, in my opinion, very high. A lot of young people come, young people who are well-trained, educated in the field of music and the performance of Belarusian songs. And it also gives positive thoughts for the future.”