Procession of bagpipers and impromptu concerts. The first festival “Dudarski Rey” took place in Hlybokaye.
Playing national motifs in the Hlybokaye Square of Famous Countrymen, the Scotsman James Reid spoke about the magical sound of the Belarusian bagpipe, which holds a place of honor in his collection of musical instruments, while the Czech Petr Sov'yak sang with a charming smile about love and the beauty of nature. Why did musicians famous in Europe gather in Hlybokaye, and what instrument is poised to become another brand of the region soon? Anyone who had the good fortune to hear the soulful playing of the bagpipers will be able to answer these questions.
Traditions of Different Peoples
For two days, musicians gave impromptu concerts not only in the district center but also in the agro-towns of Plissa, Prozoroki, Udela, and the village of Mosar. The bagpipe was played instead of the organ during a mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Udela.
– Music is the best advertisement for a creative meeting that we intend to hold every year, – said one of the festival organizers, Vital Voronov. – I want to express my sincere gratitude to the district leadership, and especially to the chairman of the district executive committee, Oleg Morkhat, who supported this idea. We chose the name "Dudarski Rey," recalling Yanka Kupala's famous poem dedicated to the performance of Ignat Buinitsky's troupe. His musicians knew how to lead, to be in charge, to set the tone. It is symbolic that at our celebration, melodies were played that were once played by the bagpiper of Adam Shulga's troupe.
The festival in Hlybokaye also features a presentation of regional bagpipe traditions of various peoples. For example, Rémy Decker from Belgium, a participant in one of Europe's renowned ensembles, represented two regions at the festival: Flanders and Wallonia. Dr. Lindsay Davidson from Poland played a large Scottish bagpipe, the loudest among the instruments presented at the event. And James Reid from Scotland brought a small bagpipe, whose sounds are also enchanting from the first minutes.
Dmitry Dyomin, a native of Hlybokaye currently living in Karelia, played an Estonian bagpipe. Participants of the "Kapela Dudaryu Velikopolskikh" from Poland also demonstrated their mastery. By the way, Romuald Jendraszak brought an ancient bagpipe with him, which, despite its age, sings as resonantly and melodiously as before. Famous Belarusian bagpipers Denis Sukhi, Yevgeny Baryshnikov, Sergey Chubrik, and Yuras Pankevich also visited the festival.
The Hlybokaye district has long-standing bagpipe traditions. This is confirmed by Vital Voronov, the author of the book "Bagpipe Hlybokaye," who lives in Poland but has not forgotten his small homeland. He is represented at prestigious foreign festivals precisely as a bagpiper from Hlybokaye.
– While studying the history of my homeland and the activities of famous bagpipers, I was particularly struck by the number of mentions of the bagpipe in the works of local writers, – noted Vital. – The heart of the bagpipe traditions was the vicinity of Lake Shо, the villages of Polivachi and Prozoroki, where Ignat Buinitsky's theater troupe operated. Piotr Burets is another famous local musician. The renowned compatriot Vaclav Lastovsky was also fascinated by the bagpipe. "Dudar" (Bagpiper) was the title of the debut poem by Yanka Pachopka, a poet from Hlybokaye.
Classics on Music
After the festive opening of the festival in the Square of Famous Compatriots, the musical procession of bagpipers proceeded to the family reading library for the presentation of the book exhibition "My Melodious Bagpipe." It features artistic, research, and popular science publications that mention the bagpipe and the bagpiper musician.
According to Valentina Spasibyonok, Director of the Glubokoye Centralized Library System, the exhibition features books by Belarusian classics, including those published in the early last century. Also on this day, the exhibition "Vialikopolskiye Dudy in the 21st Century" opened at the historical and ethnographic museum.
On the second day, pipers, along with creative groups from the Glubokoye region, took part in a festive procession from Victory Park to the central square. The celebration was attended by Ian Fox, Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy in Minsk, and delegations from the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania.
– It is with great pride and a sense of responsibility that we continue the glorious traditions of the region, holding celebrations and festivals, – emphasized Oleg Morkhat, Chairman of the District Executive Committee. – I hope that "Dudarski Rey" has given everyone the opportunity to showcase their skills, share their experience, and find new friends.
The final chord of the festival was a creative meeting of pipers with teachers and students of the Glubokoye Children's Art School, where Vital Voronov studied. The guests presented the institution with several musical instruments, CDs, and souvenirs. Young Glubokoye musicians demonstrated their abilities, playing wonderfully on the flute, trumpet, and dulcimer.
Dzyana BERNIKOVICH, photos by the author. "Vitebskiye Vesti".