GOAT SPIRITS is a natural continuation of Trzaska’s musical exploration of Jewish memory in the context of authentic and contemporary expressions of Polish-Jewish identity.
The title refers to an ancient Szczebrzeszyn tale describing animals grazed by a Jewish shepherd, who are enchanted guides between two worlds, and have knowledge about the secret passage connecting Szczebrzeszyn with Jerusalem. The tale was translated and popularized by Tomasz Pańczyk, a researcher of the history of Szczebrzeszyn Jews.
From the very beginning Trzaska, who is a frequent visitor in the region, dreamt of playing in the building of the 12th century Szczebrzeszyn synagogue. He managed to secretly perform his first solo concert on a hot August evening with the participation of a small audience. He immediately felt the magic and acoustic possibilities of this place, “that night the sound spread soft and silver, while playing I felt in a dream”, recalls the musician. After a few months, he decided to return to record his latest album there.
Before his arrival, he prepared a list of compositions, hoping to recreate the secret summer mood. But as it usually happens, it was impossible to return to the same place. So he decided to give up and wait, after some time the music appeared like a spiritual guide in his head, as if listening to the walls of these walls was something like talking with ghosts.
The project was carried out in cooperation with Allianz Kulturstiftung.
