Some 100 guests had come to Tauranga's Village Hall to “meet the Wawel Dragon” – the theme of the Polish evening on 18 November 2015. The event was part of the Living in Harmony series presented by Multicultural Tauranga. The programme had been developed and was presented by members of the Polish Community Trust.
Cracow, Wawel and the Dragon - theme of the event and focus of Part One
Emceed by Margarete Kraemer and her co-compere, Smok, the programme started with a reading of the legend of the Wawel Dragon to enable the audience to follow the plot of the ensuing theatre piece. The story was re-enacted in Polish by children from the Polish Language School under the guidance of their teacher, Magdalena James.
The first half of the evening concluded with a Krakowiak dance, thus rounding off the Cracow focus of Part One with a melodious tune and a colourful display of costumes.
Cracow, Wawel and the Dragon - theme of the event and focus of Part One
Emceed by Margarete Kraemer and her co-compere, Smok, the programme started with a reading of the legend of the Wawel Dragon to enable the audience to follow the plot of the ensuing theatre piece. The story was re-enacted in Polish by children from the Polish Language School under the guidance of their teacher, Magdalena James.
The first half of the evening concluded with a Krakowiak dance, thus rounding off the Cracow focus of Part One with a melodious tune and a colourful display of costumes.
In the second half the audience was treated to some infotainment about Poland. The slideshow 20 Weird and Wonderful facts about Poland was presented by MC duo Margarete Kraemer and Smok, the latter making cheeky comments every now and then to amuse the guests. A strictly factual slideshow had already been running before the official start of the programme.
Piano music by Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin was certainly the highlight of the evening. Magdalena James and Bethlehem College student Hector Fitzsimons each played two pieces, sharing the very essence of Polish romanticism in music with the audience.
The evening ended with a surprise birthday song, Sto Lat, for Marcin Polomka, father of four of the performing children, and the drawing of the raffle prizes – beautiful alabaster glass plates from Poland.
Event photos: Simi Merhar
Piano music by Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin was certainly the highlight of the evening. Magdalena James and Bethlehem College student Hector Fitzsimons each played two pieces, sharing the very essence of Polish romanticism in music with the audience.
The evening ended with a surprise birthday song, Sto Lat, for Marcin Polomka, father of four of the performing children, and the drawing of the raffle prizes – beautiful alabaster glass plates from Poland.
Event photos: Simi Merhar
