It is based on Christmas carols collected by the composer in 1946 in Poland at the request of the Director of the Polish Music Publishing.
In the years leading up to this event, occupation by Nazi Germany and The Soviet Union had had a devastating effect on Poland.
Aniela Szleminska (soprano) and Jan Hoffman then performed a part of the completed work in Kraków.
On December 14, 1990 the Chamber Orchestra of Scotland, with accompanying choir, played the work with soloist Susan Hamilton in Edinburgh.
Twenty Polish Christmas Carols have been likened to folk-song pieces by Ralph Vaughan Williams [citation needed].