Waterford central Library, in association with Waterpol (Association of Polish in Waterford) and the Irish Polish Society presented a teatime poetry event, Country Of The Mind. Featuring in song, story and visuals, the work of Adam Mickiewicz, the Romantic poet (1798 – 1955), who rated with Byron and Pushkin.<\/p>\n

The setting was good, libraries should be used more for readings, events, recitals and the Index Gallery is setting the trend here under Sinead O\u2019Higgins. A simple sound system, a projection screen for interesting visuals, and a mix of comfortable seats and sofas is much better than the \u2018suicide\u2019 seats at Greyfriars.<\/p>\n

It is wonderful to experience, in such a setting, an introduction in song and story, to a European poet, I knew nothing about and singer Rita Mari Schaper and narrator\/storyteller Ida Baj, created\/wove an easy-listening spell that covered the highlights of a tragic and heroic life.<\/p>\n

Like Byron, Mickiewicz got interested in revolutionary activity and it brought him into conflict with Russian authorities. He even fell in love with a Russian spy in the Crimea in 1825. He suffered from depression which suited the melancholia of Romantic sonnets and he attempted suicide, lost a good job teaching and fathered six children with a mentally ill wife. Chopin supported him in his final years and set some of Mickiewicz\u2019s poems to music.<\/p>\n

Rita Mari Schaper on guitar had a clear lyrical contemporary style that softened the high tragedy of Mickiewicz\u2019s poems and I loved the folky presentation in English. A small piece in Polish from Ida Baj made me wish for more in that tongue, but it\u2019s possible I have gotten used to International readings where the poem is read first in the original and then in translation.<\/p>\n

I loved the songs of gentle despair, ghostly lovers, folk tales, memory, draining a cup of passion, glorious uncertainty and the silence of the Black Sea.<\/p>\n

After the reading etc. there was tea and coffee with a range of Polish cake and confectionary. Nice one, Sinead.<\/p>\n

by Liam Murphy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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