The arrival in Warszawa [pronounced Varshava] at the ugly Dworzec Centralny (Central Station) increases our woes. The city’s taxi drivers seem totally uninterested in their potential customers.  Finally, we find two "unregistered" drivers who take us to our hostel.  The fare is exorbitant, but we are too tired and stressed out to even consider public transportation.  We leave most of our luggage at the hostel called "Kanonia" (The Canonry), located at the Jezuicka 2 (the Jesuit Street) right on the edge of the beautiful Old Town, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Let's quote the UNESCO website again: "During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, more than 85 per cent of Warsaw's historic centre was destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today's meticulous restoration of the Old Town, with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.

"Warsaw was deliberately annihilated in 1944 as a repression of Polish resistance to the German occupation. The capital city was reduced to ruins with the intention of obliterating a centuries-old tradition of Polish statehood. The rebuilding of the historic city, 85 per cent of which was destroyed, was a result of the determination of the inhabitants and the support of the whole nation. The reconstruction of the Old Town in its historic urban and architectural form was a manifestation of the care and attention taken to assure the survival of one of the most important testimonials of Polish culture. The city – a symbol of elective authority and tolerance, where the first democratic European constitution, the Constitution of 3 May 1791, was adopted – was rebuilt. Reconstruction included a holistic recreation of the urban plan, together with the Old Town Market, town houses, the circuit of city walls, as well as the Royal Castle and important religious buildings. The reconstruction of Warsaw’s historical centre was a major contributor to changes in the doctrines related to urbanisation and conservation of urban development in most of the European countries after the destruction of World War II. Simultaneously, this example illustrates the effectiveness of conservation activities in the second half of the 20th Century, which permitted the integral reconstruction of a complex urban ensemble.

"The historic centre of Warsaw is an exceptional example of the comprehensive reconstruction of a city that had been deliberately and totally destroyed. A foundation of the material reconstruction was the inner strength and determination of the nation, which brought about the reconstruction of its heritage on a unique scale in the history of the world."

But we've no time to explore.  Arrrgh!  We gather our gear and rush to the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, where our next gig is to take place, and where no less a composer than Fryderyk Chopin received his education, hence the name.  The Poles are infatuated with their national hero and there's even a Chopin vodka brand, which says a lot about the country. Imagine Glenn Gould rye, eh?  On our way, we walk by the very house where the Genius lived!  Ah, the opportunity is too great to miss, and Jerry's camera clicks like a machine gun!  (Well, almost.)

On the way, first Charles, then Michelle "accidentally" talk to Piotr, giving him support.  Will it help?

The University itself was founded early in the 19th-Century (under a different name) and has over time established itself as one of the greatest European institutions of higher artistic learning.  The invitation came straight from the top, from the Rector (President), Professor Stanislaw Moryto, one of Poland's most original composers (that's the fact, no need for the standard pleasantries here), who appreciates fully the advantages of artistic exchange and the importance of presenting even the most advanced experiments at the University.  Our performance is part of the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of Chopin's birth.  Now, if anything goes wrong there we are finished for good, it's that simple.

Right at the main door we are greeted by Jaroslaw [pronounced Yaroslav] Regulski, one of the instructors at the Department of Sound Engineering.  Auspicious coincidence – he just stepped out for a smoke.  (Many people still smoke in Poland and at the time of this writing, November and December 2009, smoking is still permitted in the majority of cafés and restaurants.  This can make a North American tourist's life occasionally difficult over there.)

Jaroslaw leads us to the concert studio where we will perform.  The space is medium size and friendly – and there is no better, more fitting word for it.  Friendly it simply looks and feels.  It is not the easiest space for what we do, but Gerry, Michelle and Chris turn it into something well suited to our show.

Working together day in day out, we have learnt how important are these three from the point of view of the overall performance quality.  The musicians will be at ease anywhere, shielded as it were by their instruments, including Charles's beautiful saxophones, Jerry's striking electric black violin, and Piotr's elegant MacBook Pro.  Conversely, the dancer, the actress, the video artist can find themselves mercilessly exposed to discomfort and even physical pain by any object, any shade of which the given space is made.  Gerry and Michelle move a lot during performances – naturally! – and so does Chris.  Chris?  Yes, he may remain almost immobile behind his MacBook Pro and the projectors hooked up to it, but it is vital that he have enough space and freedom of movement in terms of video projection.  Our spectacles involve both interactive video and stationary lighting, and therefore these two elements must complement one another harmoniously in order to enhance the impact of the performance in all its aspects.  This truly is an æsthetic whole much bigger than its constitutive parts, i.e. dance, gesture, moving image, light, word, and sound.  This is why Gerry, Michelle and Chris must have preference when it comes down to who begins the rehearsal.  If Charles, Jerry and Piotr are our armoured division, the other three are our agile scouts and shock troops – nothing serious can be done without them. Gerry uses her choreographic knowledge to make sure that each space, no matter how difficult, is rearranged for the purpose of agreeable and unrestrained stage movement (practically all of us have assigned rôles and positions on stage). Michelle uses her acting experience to create proper composition of the spectacle in time, and Chris contributes significantly to the ambience.

The most encouraging sign is Jaroslaw's extremely friendly expertise and help.  He and more than half a dozen of his students are genuinely given to helping us. It is so reassuring to see and benefit from this spontaneous and yet professional support.  What a vast difference between this and the unfortunate Audio Art!  Two different Polands, the Poland of the still noticeable remnants of the Communist-like past, and the forward-looking Poland, the dynamic new member of the European Union.  Piotr cannot stop praising Jaroslaw and his ear as well as his superb command of audio gear; Chris is beaming (as always), surrounded by adoring representatives of the fair sex (try hard as he might to keep low profile, it always turns out like this); even Gerry and Michelle seem to be more relaxed, Charles and Jerry adding to the good vibe. It is tense, but not anxious.

We are rehearsing almost till the door is open and people start coming. And they keep coming and coming.  More chairs are needed, please!  More chairs are brought in.  Chairs, please!  And still more people are coming in.  We have well over a hundred spectators there, well over a hundred, our largest audience ever.  (After the show Professor Moryto told us there were about one hundred and forty people in there, more than full house!)  Oh, fuck, it'd better be good.

Lights go out – and we begin.  Slick!  It looks like we've finally—and deservedly—reaped rewards of our own hard work – and of the decent, professional support provided by the Chopin University.  Thank you, Warsaw!

From Edmonton's own Jacek Sobieraj's Saw to the US Avant-garde classic Sydney Wallace Stegall's Hambidge2Organa, written especially for us (oh yeah!), and with which we close our shows, there's in the air this something special, this almost electric and positive interconnectedness of minds: we and our audiences become one, the highest state of artistic communication imaginable.  This is maximum rock 'n' roll and it happens both on the instinctive and fully conscious levels, which makes the experience even more enticing.

People are clapping with honesty and genuine joy.  Like earlier in Gent, they were on our side all the time, they wanted us to succeed. Terrific audience!  There are no less than five curtain calls, except there is no curtain, ha, ha. This concert alone makes all the preparations and stress worth it.  Fantastic. Piotr, now completely different, relaxed and beaming with satisfaction, tells the others that neither New York nor London, let alone Toronto, have such audiences. These people here know this stuff inside out, or at least the context and the rationale behind projects such as ours. Many of the oldest, in their seventies, grew up with the "Warsaw Autumn", one of the biggest and at present arguably the most prestigious New Music festival in the world.  Many of the youngest, in their late teens and early twenties, already attend that festival every September.  What a tradition they have built in Warszawa – a place where New Music, New Art, is an everyday occurrence: understood, appreciated, no longer controversial, and yes – normal!  You can help people begin to appreciate new trends as long as you are willing to invest in it. There is no risk involved – only perseverance and persistence are needed. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to take certain Canadian orchestras' boards there? "Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear" (Jeremiah 5:21).  Enough said.

After the concert, Professor Moryto takes us to a stylish fin-de-siècle café where we can share in our delight. Two more outstanding Polish musicians join us, the conductor and composer Jacek Rogala, who has already appeared a couple of times in Edmonton (concerts sponsored by the Tonus Vivus – Society for New Music) and has consistently promoted Canadian music in Poland; and the legendary percussionist Stanislaw Skoczynski, whose talent just begs to be employed for the benefit of Canadian composers. Beautiful brains, beautiful chat. Perhaps surprisingly, Professor Moryto's speech turns out to be the highlight of this informal get-together. No-nonsense, profound yet light-hearted, it offers a message of universal importance, praising Art for its ability to unite even the most remote peoples and their cultures.

"I hope," he says, "that you, our guests, were as happy and appreciative of performing in Chopin's own school, on this special occasion celebrating his birth, as we were to see and hear your great performance."  This one sentence captures and reflects our feelings so well!  Indeed, we are happy.

Time to part our ways.  Our Polish hosts go back to their business, we to ours.  Now there is time to explore. Piotr decides to stay at the hostel and sleep. He is totally exhausted, but a different man, full of gratitude to Michelle, Charles, and the others. Yeah, this is what friends are for. And a friendship forged in a moment of challenge can only purify the soul.

The rest of us go exploring.  The northern city of Gdansk is our next destination – but Gdansk can wait for now, at least until tomorrow morning.  Let's have some Chopin vodka.  Cheers!