“Moderato” Town Band

The first brass band in Warka was probably formed around 1910, at the volunteer Fire Department. Władysław Kamiński is said to have been its first bandmaster (until 1914). After a brief period of silence, the Band was revived in 1919. For several years, it was conducted by Stanisław Mikulski. After he left for America, the Band ceased to exist yet again. The musicians got together once more in 1927, thanks to a new parish priest named Fr. Plewka-Plewczyński, who had brought a new bandmaster Florczak from Warsaw. In the interwar era, the Band performed at town ceremonies, such as the Centennial of the November Uprising. The contemporary bandmaster was Michał Skrzypczak, who was murdered on the so-called “Bloody Sunday” on July 25, 1943 by German soldiers.

After the War, the band gave its first public performance on November 16, 1947. During communism, it was plagued by problems, including the lack of a permanent patron or building where the band could practice regularly. Money was almost always a problem, as opposed to musicians, who were never scarce. The band’s presence elevated local state and church celebrations. In the meantime, the public started to refer to the band as “Moderato”, which in terms of music means “in moderation.”

Later, the 1990s proved to be more difficult than expected. The band, however, survived thanks to its cooperation with the Culture, Sports, and Recreation Center (later Sports and Recreation Center), an institution managed by the local government. In 1998, “Moderato” performed at an international brass band festival in Pinneberg, Germany. It often complemented patriotic events organized by the Warka Branch of the Polish Tourism and Sightseeing Society.