Draft:Walenty Bonk
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Walenty Bonk | |
|---|---|
| Walenty Bąk | |
 Bonk playing the organ at St. Hedwig's Church in Floral Park | |
| Born | February 13, 1879 Poznań, Prussia |
| Died | October 1, 1961 (aged 82) New York, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, organist, conductor |
| Signature | |
 | |
Walenty Bonk (born February 13, 1879[1], in Poznań, Prussia; died October 1, 1961, in New York, United States.[2]), also known as Valentine J. Bonk and Val Bonk, was a Polish composer and organist active in the United States. He is especially renowned for his contributions to liturgical music and his impact on the musical life of Polish immigrant communities.
Early Life and Education
[edit]Born in Poznań, Bonk's father, a church organist, fostered his early interest in music. Completing primary school[3] in Rawicz[1], he faced limited opportunities under Prussian rule and emigrated to the USA in 1900. In April 1907, he married 16-year-old Elizabeth A. Lowicka[4]
Career
[edit]He initially worked as an organist and music educator in Reading, Pennsylvania, before becoming the organist at St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in 1906, a position he held until 1911[5]. Moving to Long Island, New York, in 1933, Bonk served as an organist in several churches, including St. Casimir's in Yonkers, Our Lady of Czestochowa and St. Casimir in Brooklyn, and St. Hedwig's in Floral Park[1][5]. Bonk was a member of St. Hedwig Association, the Polish National Alliance, and was the general director of the Polish Singing Societies of New York. In 1955, he received a papal blessing from Pope Pius XII for his 55 years of service as an organist and composer.[2]
His son Jerome and daughter Angela also pursued careers as organists. Bonk died on October 1, 1961, and is buried at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury, New York.[2]
Musical Works
[edit]Bonk's primary contribution was in liturgical and mass music for the Polish immigrant communities in the U.S. Operating Jordan Music Publishing Co. in Floral Park, he composed and published a vast number of pieces performed and printed across North America and Europe. His compositions include:
Secular Music
[edit]- Autumn Revery, Op.23[6]
- Colonial Guard March
- Ja kocham cię[7]
- Prof's birthday; a musical comedy playlet in 3 scenes[8]
- Two-Step
Liturgical Music
[edit]- Mass in E-flat Major - Over 15,000 copies printed, performed in over ten thousand Catholic churches in America.
- Jubilee Mass in D Major
- Mass in honor of Mother Frances Cabrini
- Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Mass in honor of St. Andrew Bobola
- Mass in honor of St. Stanislaus
- Palm Sunday Mass
- Requiem Mass
In total, he composed 382 musical works, including offertories, hymns, vespers, as well as secular pieces like waltzes and tangos.[1]
Selected Recordings
[edit]- 1906: Colonial Guard March – Edison Records, cat. no. 9441
- 1917: Ja kocham cie (I Love You) – performed by Piotr Wizła, Victor Records, cat. no. 72398-B mx: 72398B
- 2023: Jubilee Mass in D
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Golden Jubilee of the Ordination to the Holy Priesthood of Reverend Gervase W. Kuber (PDF). St. Hedwigs R.C Church. 1995-06-19. pp. 43–44.
- ^ a b c "Oct 14, 1961, page 19 - The Tablet". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ 1940 Census Population Schedules - New York - Nassau County - ED 30-77. Vol. 1913-1/1/1972. Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census.
- ^ "Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968". Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2016. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ a b "History of the Parish | St. Stanislaus Kostka". Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ Walenty J. Bonk: Autumn Revery, Op.23. Retrieved 2024-04-04 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Ja kocham cię (?, Bonk) : walc - Stare Melodie". Stare Melodie - przecudny zgrzyt ze starych płyt (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ Catalogue of Copyright Entries: Pamphlets, leaflets, contributions to newspapers or periodicals, etc.; lectures, sermons, addresses for oral delivery; dramatic compositions; maps; motion pictures. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1924.
Category:Polish composers Category:Polish organists Category:Musicians from Poznań Category:1879 births Category:1961 deaths