Chopin Singing Society Hosts
Polish Singers Alliance of America Convention
Pleasant Memories Linger On
Bravo to the men of CHOPIN SINGING SOCIETY #182 of the Polish Singers Alliance of America for organizing and hosting District 7’s 64th Convention. For those who were unable to attend, they missed a wonderful experience. Lucky for all the convention took place on bright and sunny Saturday, May 30th, 2015 at the Polish People’s Home in PASSAIC, NJ because the next day the rains came and would have placed a damper on the events.
Delegates arrived early starting at 8 a.m. for breakfast. At nine, they assembled in the upper room of the Polish Home where Business Sessions began. Arthur Sroka, Pre-Convention Chairman welcomed all. President of the Central Administration, Mary Lou Wyrobek, came in from Buffalo for this convention which was dedicated to the memory of John Budzinski (who was looking forward to this day) who passed away in December 2014. She greeted the Delegates and with a prayer made everyone mindful of CHOPIN’s great loss.
Janusz Wolny, outgoing President of the District, officially opened the Business Session. Outgoing Officers were asked to come up to the dais.
Helen Pater, of Jutrzenka #226 was chosen to chair the convention proceedings, assisted by Debbie Majka of the Marcella Kochanska Sembrich Female Chorus #321.
Bozena Madej and Ewa Gazdzicka of Polonia Paderewski 287 & 311 volunteered to be secretaries of the Business Sessions of the 64th District 7 PSAA Convention Frances X. Gates- Jutrzenka #226 – became Sergeant-at-Arms.
The Agenda was followed. Committees were assigned. Reports of Officers and choruses were written, reproduced and distributed, and placed in folders prepared by the committee.
Adele Iwachow, Chairperson of the Mandate Committee reported: 16 Delegates, 7 Presidents, 4 Choral Directors and 10 Honorary Members were present, totaling 37 attendees.
Officers and Committees: Budget, Appeals and Grievances, and Resolutions Committees gave their reports.
The Nominating Committee presented the slate. Elected for the next one-year term of office are:
President – Yaga Chudy – Aria #303;
Vice President – Brent Iskra – Chopin #182;
Vice President – Bozena Madej – Pol.Paderewski #287;
Secretary – Katarzyna Wysocka, Jutrzenka #226;
Treasurer/Financial Sec’y – Frances X. Gates – Jutrzenka #226;
District Choral Director – Adrian Sylveen – Polonia-Paderewski 287 & 311;
Librarian – Mariusz Bryszkiewicz – Hejnal #323;
Publicity (English) – Barbara R. Blyskal – Jutrzenka #226;
Publicity (Polish) – Doubravka Krautschneider – Aria #303 & Jutrzenka #226
Sergeant – at – Arms – Cecylia Bidiuk.
After choosing the order of choral presentations at the competitions the order of appearance resulted as follows:
MIXED CHORUSES – first to sing:
Chorus #1: ARIA #303 of Wallington, NJ; Director: Joanna Mieleszko
Chorus #2: HEJNAL #323 of Brooklyn, NY; Director: Janusz Sporek
Chorus #3: POLONIA PADEREWSKI #287 of New Britain, CT; Director: Adrian Sylveen
MALE CHORUSES:
Chorus #1: OGINSKI#283, Hempstead,NY; Dir.Malgorzata Strzelecka
Chorus #2: CHOPIN #182, of Passaic, NJ; Directed by Anthony Tabish
FEMALE CHORUSES:
Chorus #1: JUTRZENKA #226, Brooklyn, NY–Director: Izbaella Kobus Salkin
Chorus #2: MARCELLA KOCHANSKA SEMBRICH #321 – Philadelphia, PA; Director: Janusz Sporek
Chorus #3: POLONIA-PADEREWSKI #311 – New Britain, CT; Director: Adrian Sylveen
Next in line to host the 65th District 7 PSAA Convention in 2016 is JUTRZENKA #226 of Brooklyn, NY.
Committees were disbanded and the Business Session ended with the new District Choral Director leading all in singing “Gaude Mater”.
After the competitions, choruses proceeded to St. Joseph’s R.C.Church for a short rehearsal and singing at the 5:00 pm Mass celebrated by Pastor Rt. Rev. Msgr. Stanley Lesniowski. His homily stressed what important role singing has in one’s life from the very start when a mother sings her infant to sleep, and so on. Immediately after Mass, the concert began. Each chorus got the chance to sing one of its favorite songs….
Choruses returned to the Polish People’s Home for their Awards Banquet and Dance at which they were thoroughly entertained with Anthony Tabish’s Orchestra featuring his “3 Po’ Tenors” and guest soprano. (Anthony is CHOPIN’s choral director.)
Trophies and diplomas were distributed to the choruses as a result of the judges’ point system.
In the MIXED DIVISION, HEJNAL #323 scored highest placing first with a score of 89.4; POLONIA PADEREWSKI #287 came in second with a score of 89.38 and Aria #303 came in third with a score of 89.0.
As for the MALE CHORUSES, OGINSKI #283 scored 91.14 placing first and CHOPIN scored 90.32 coming in second.
Lastly, the FEMALE CHORUSES POLONIA PADEREWSKI #311 earned a score of 84.44; receiving the third place trophy; JUTRZENKA scored 91.42 – second place; and Marcella Kochanska Sembrich scored highest points of all choruses with a score of 92.7. The chorus, besides receiving the first place in the Women’s Division, also took home the Traveling Trophy for Highest Points.
The convention turned out to be one which will never be forgotten. KUDOS to the men of CHOPIN and their leader Arthur Sroka. Working together as a team they made the singers happy and proud to be members of the Polish Singers Alliance of America … now in its 126th year in existence – the oldest Polish cultural organization here in the United States of America and Canada.
Submitted by BarbaraBlyskal
