Mist: Spotkanie na moście

The meeting of two artists, two stories and two traditions that, although close, are different. On a mist with which they pass between threads, themes, melodies. On a bridge that is too narrow to pass. On the vernacular reach. The peculiarity of the Ukrainian lyric tradition, resulting from their role as an 'intermediary' between the real and mystical worlds, resulted in a very hermetic environment, with most of the repertoire and performance techniques being passed down only in the oral tradition. To this day, it is still a very individual transmission that can be experienced primarily through personal contact. This happened a few years ago, when Jacek Hałas and Andriy Liashuk met at the Lirnitsa Pokrova in Rivne - a unique festival that refers to the tradition of lirnitsa conventions connected with the Orthodox feast of Покрови Пресвятої Богородиці (Care of the Mother of God), which fell on 14 October and gathered most wandering singers around Orthodox churches and monasteries. Other events followed, eventually culminating in a programme that traces the common in melodies, texts and stories from folk messages. Creating such artistic bridges is particularly important in a situation of political tensions, xenophobia and nationalism. It is equally important to talk about spirituality, intangibles, mysticism, and after all, these very themes are the content of the forgotten art of the grandfathers/lyrics.