Someone said that the only place where a true Christmas can still be experienced today is the Polish countryside: stars shining in the dark night sky, the smell of hay and poppy-seed cake at home, the sound of carols and the church bells summoning people to the midnight Mass.  In this complex of elements, carols play the most important role.  They are an indispensable part of every Christmas and convey the fundamental message of Christmas: a call for peace and rejoicing.

The aim of this CD is to familiarize our audience with that part of Polish folk culture which is associated with Christmas and New Year.  This includes shephards songs (pastoralki), Christmas carols (koledy) and wishing carols, that is, carollers' songs performed while walking from house to house with customary greetings, mainly in the New Year period.  All three types are set to melodies performed by folk musicians.  Shepherds' songs both well known and less popular, are most numerous in this collection.
The charm of shepherds' song texts lies in the radically Polish treatment of the New Testament teaching of Jesus' birth, as well as the warm-hearted and direct, personal attitude to the Newborn Baby, characterized by a marked realism and lyricism, openness and tenderness, accompanied by the element of mild humor.  Most representative of this group is the Franciscan song, Oj Maluski, Maluski (Hey, The Little One), later attributed to highlander folk tradition, much loved and eagerly sung by Pope John Paul II (hence its recent name: the Pope's Christmas song").
Our choice of Christmas carols and songs for this CD was motivated by their degree of authenticity, preservation of the local dialect, as well as characteristic regional musical features.  Christmas carols and shepherds' songs represent a rich variety of forms differentiated melodically and rhythmically.  Shepherds' songs (pastoralki) are full of humor and abound in realistic details of village life.  They are sung in the local dialect and firmly anchored in the regional style.

Selections
1. Wsrod nocnej ciszy 01:45  
2. Dobrze zes sie Jezu 01:25  
3. Przybiezeli do Betlejem 01:17  
4. Narodzil siê Jezus 03:08  
5. Dziecina Mala 00:44  
6. Narodzil Sie w Stajni 03:17  
7. Pod Polana Szalasy 01:21  
8. Z Tamtej Strony Dwora 02:20  
9. A co To w Niebie Tam Tak Zagrzmialo 01:16  
10. W dzien Bozego Narodzenia 01:10  
11. Z Narodzenia Pana 01:28  
12. Mam ja skarb, Mam 01:18  
13. Pasli Pastyrze Woly 01:14  
14. Przyjechaly Chlopy, Stanely u Sopy 02:15  
15. W Betlejem Przy Drodze 02:17  
16. Cyja To Rolinka 03:10  
17. Zagrzmialo, Runelo w Betlejem Ziemia 01:49  
18. Bracia i Siostry, Tego Ziecora 01:27  
19. Cztery Lata Wolkim Oasal 01:18  
20. Pojdziemy Bracia w Droge z Wiecora 01:53  
21. Wigilijna 01:24  
22. Aniol Sie Zwiastuje Owczarzykom 03:07  
23. Swiety Szczepan Po Koledzie Gdy Chodzil 03:44  
24. Plynie Nam Rzeczejka 02:42  
25. Trzasl Ci Jasienko Na Gody Jablka 01:00  
26. Panie Gospodarzu Masz w Domu Gosci 01:24  
27. Szczodry Wieczor Gospodarzu 00:55  
28. Hej koleda Deska 01:35  
29. Oj Czy Jest, Czy Jest Gospodarz w Domu 02:07  
30. Leci Konisio Wyrywajacy 02:22  
31. Hej, na Mojem Jasiejku Kosulecka Lniana 01:49  
32. Zywiecka Koleda 01:02  
33. Wybieraj Sie Nadobna Maniusiu Powoli 03:17  
34. Pasterze Biezali 02:39  
35. Za Kolade Dziekujemy 01:52  
36. Idzie Hyr, Idzie Hyr Dziedzina 02:28  
37. Dzisiaj w Betlejem 02:07