Festival “Tollite Portas” Celebrates 1,000 Years of Polish Kingdom

A significant cultural event, the festival “Tollite Portas,” will commence on October 17, 2023, in Kotor, Montenegro, to honor the 1,000-year anniversary of the Polish Kingdom. The festival opens with a concert titled “Anno Domini 1025 – 1,000 Years of the Polish Kingdom,” performed by the ensemble Peregrina at the Katedrala Svetog Tripuna at 19:00. Entrance to all festival concerts is free, making this a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with historical music.

The inaugural concert by Peregrina will transport the audience back to the year 1025, marking the coronation of the first Polish king. The program is designed as a musical journey through the ceremonial practices and ecclesiastical rites of the early Middle Ages. It includes works spanning from the 10th to the 15th centuries, featuring the oldest composition written in the Polish language.

Led by artistic director Agnieszka Budzińska-Bennett, the ensemble features vocalists Lorenza Donadini, Hanna Jarvelainen, and Baptiste Romain, who will perform using authentic medieval instruments such as the Romanesque harp and vielle. Their presentation will highlight the rich tapestry of early European music, showcasing the unique blend of multi-voiced female vocals typical of the era.

Concert Lineup and Historical Significance

The festival continues with the concert “Duždevi pifari i Zorzi Trombetta da Modon – Wind Music in Venice 1450–1500,” scheduled for the following day, October 18, at the same venue. The ensemble La Margarite will perform music associated with the Doge’s piper, Zorzio Trombetta from Modon. Trombetta was a Venetian mariner and the first professional trumpeter in service to the Republic of Venice, noted for his contributions to maritime culture and music. Records indicate he performed twice in Kotor, including at a wedding.

On October 15, another concert titled “Esperance & Oubli” will delve into philosophical and theoretical introspection regarding the psychological and spiritual powers of music, as interpreted by ancient and medieval theorists such as Guillaume de Machaut and Boethius. This event will feature the ensemble Labyrinthus and the festival’s artistic director, Danil Ryabchikov.

The festival will feature a performance of “Dobro ugođena lutnja Giacoma Gorzanisa” by Paul Kieffer on October 17 at the Church of St. Mary of the River at 19:00. The festival concludes with another concert by Labyrinthus titled “Armonia Concinans” on October 18 at Katedrala Svetog Tripuna, also beginning at 19:00. This final concert will explore the medieval Dalmatian cultural context and commemorate the anniversaries of the Split Church Councils of 925 and 928, which recognized Kotor as a suffragan diocese, alongside the 1,100-year anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom.

Organized by the Kotor Diocese, the festival has received support from the Municipality of Kotor, with partnerships from the International Festival KotorArt, the Ministry of Justice’s Directorate for Cooperation with Religious Communities, and the Union of Italian Communities in Montenegro.

This festival not only celebrates a millennium of Polish history but also revives the spirit of medieval Europe, emphasizing its spiritual and cultural roots.