Regional band "Brenna" named after Józef Mach
The Regional Ensemble "Brenna" named after Józef Mach was founded in 1963 in Brenna by Józef Mach. It presents the folklore of Cieszyn Silesia. During its many years of activity, the ensemble has given concerts in Poland and abroad. It has won many awards and distinctions, such as the Bronze, Silver and Golden Żywiec Hearts at the Festival of Polish Highland Folklore in Żywiec and the Bronze, Silver and Golden Ciupaga at the International Festival of Highland Folklore in Zakopane. In 2013, it was awarded the Oskar Kolberg Award. Currently, the director of the ensemble is the founder's granddaughter - Barbara Haltof.
At the International Festival of Highland Folklore in Zakopane, the "Brenna" Ensemble will perform in the category of traditional ensembles, with a program entitled "Przy łognisku na polanie piyrszego maja".
The tradition of the Brenna highlanders is the custom of lighting bonfires on May 1st. This element of the local folk culture created the basis for the residents to spend time together at organized bonfires, creating and confirming a strong social bond and the need for common music, i.e. fun. It fits into the sphere of customs filled with dance, music, and singing. Everyone came to the clearing: relatives, neighbors, friends, including musicians, who were not paid for music on that day. They came from the heart to meet and play for their neighbors and relatives.
In the first part of the show, a band with an archaic line-up will play: gajdy, violins, to which they danced, among others, the archaic owięziok dance. In the second part, a brass band will play, which in Brenna is already part of a tradition of over a hundred years and which always, after going around the houses where the "mine" was built on the night of April 30th, came to the meeting by the bonfire and, also for free, played from the heart for their neighbors, relatives and friends to dance. The bonding element, illustrated by the joint dance and music, is essential in this performance.
On stage we will see traditional dances of the Breń highlanders; with the gajdas: the aforementioned owięziok, czterok, and with the brass band: kociczka, koziorajki, gąsior, żabniok, wrona, debołek, sięka, jawornicki, świnok. The group performs in traditional highland costumes, which are very archaic.
