Poland holds composer Penderecki’s state funeral after delay

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The ashes of Poland’s award-winning composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki have been laid to rest in a state ceremony after a two-year delay. Poland’s President Andrzej Duda attended Tuesday’s service. The renowned composer died in Krakow on March 29, 2020, at 86, but COVID-19 restrictions postponed a formal funeral service. Penderecki’s urn will be interred among authors and scientists at the National Pantheon at Krakow’s St. Peter and Paul Church. He was one of the world’s most popular contemporary classical composers, with scores in films like “The Shining” and “The Exorcist.” His widow said he believed a composer “must bear witness to his times, to history, truth and beauty … we are better thanks to music, it helps us remain human.”