In 1990 the Polish poet Jerzy Pietrkiewicz, a close friend of my father’s, showed him a two-versed prayer, Modlitwa (1990/99), that he had written to the Virgin of Skempe. My father set the second verse and left the first verse to be narrated, saying that he didn’t want to obscure these beautiful words with music. Instead, he gave them a beautifully poignant and simple background, over which they could be recited. In 1999, a commission from the Lebanese Al Bustan Festival for a ‘Polish-themed piece’ coincided with Jerzy asking me to add to the song by setting the narrated words to music (which was by then 8 years after my father’s death). It was a very difficult decision to make but a dream about my father, encouraging me to improvise with him at the piano, persuaded me that it was all right to do it. The piano introduction is by my father, my part begins with the voice entry ‘Z jeziora na jezioro,’ and then I hand back to Dad at ‘Aniele Stróżu mój …’.

from notes by Roxanna Panufnik © 2014