Zespół Śpiewaczy z Łukowej IV / Vocal Ensemble from Łukowa IV

Łukowa, Lubelskie Voivodeship, Ziemia Biłgorajska (Biłgoraj Land)

The ensemble was formed in 1947. It is currently made up of seven ladies who are indisputable masters of the old songs from the village of Łukowa, which they always perform with artistic perfection. The ladies borrow their repertoire from the oldest local female singers and in their performances they carry on the traditional voice production, dialect and melodies. While singing in public, they always wear authentic folk costumes typical of the lands of Biłgoraj and Tarnogród.

The singers make a point of documenting the ancient compositions to preserve them for younger generations. They pass on their legacy to children and adolescents teaching them ancient carols from Łukowa as well as wedding songs.

They have taken part in recordings of albums featuring Łukowa’s age-old songs and wedding tunes. Using the ‘white voice’ to sing a rich repertoire of apocryphal carols, they have won multiple first places at the Powiat Presentations of Carols and Pastorales organised by the Municipal Cultural Centre.

The singers from Łukowa are renowned for their hard work and professionalism. They realise their passion with all their hearts spending long hours at rehearsals.

The ensemble have proudly represented their commune, district (powiat) and province (voivodeship) at such events as diocesan and district harvest festivals, song presentations, Easter fairs, fundraisers, summer bazaars and vernissages.

The ladies take an active part in cooking courses, patriotic concerts and partisans’ stations of the cross. Each year, they showcase beautiful harvest festival garlands and songs, which they themselves composed, during the Gminne Dziękczynienia za Plony Ziemi (Municipal Thanksgiving for the Crops of the Earth).

The ensemble are a five-time winner of the famed Ogólnopolski Festiwal Kapel i Śpiewaków Ludowych (National Festival of Folk Bands and Singers) in Kazimierz Dolny, including the coveted ‘Baszta’ (‘Castle Tower’) statuette – the highest mark of distinction to be awarded at the event.