All 70 members of both choirs, collectively known as the ‘Brotherhood Chorus’, will perform together for the first time in Western Canada.
Dubbed as the Brotherhood Concert Series, two of North America’s finest Ukrainian folk ensembles will join together with all 70 members for two memorable concerts on Friday in Winkler and on Saturday in Winnipeg at Pantages Playhouse.
Winnipeg’s Hoosli Ukranian Male Chorus (founded in 1969) and Detroit-based Tara Schevchenko Ukranian Bandurist Chorus (founded in 1918) will be performing traditional Ukrainian songs separately throughout the evening culminating in a joint collaboration by all 70 members of both groups at the end of the evening, under the moniker the ‘Brotherhood Chorus’.
The male choirs will be accompanied by Bandurists and accordion players. The Bandura, a stringed instrument, is the national instrument of Ukraine. One played alone sounds very nice, but there will be several featured at this concert, so it should prove to be a pretty amazing experience.
A unique feature of Ukrainian choral music is the majestic sound of four-part male harmony.
This is part two of the Brotherhood series which unites these two bands once again. The last series took place in 2012. This is the first time these two will be playing together in Western Canada.
Taras Shevchenko, 1859.
Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus are named after Ukraine’s most famous poet, Taras Shevchenko. This year celebrates the 200th year of the birth of Shevchenko so this concert series is quite special not only the band members but the Ukrainian people as well.
I spoke with Christopher Sklepowich, President of the Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus, and he told me that the group does a major concert like this about every five years, so unless you want to wait another five years, I would encourage you to check them out this weekend.
For more info:
Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus: www.hoosli.com
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus: www.bandura.org
Brotherhood Chorus (Hoosli & UBC combined)
http://youtu.be/9_nY8ESuD-A: “Good Evening My Love” (Ukrainian: “?? ????, ????”) – A love song depicting the courtship of a young couple.
http://youtu.be/rE8_5ugH5Jc: “The Mighty Dnipro” (Ukrainian: “???? ?? ?????? ????? ???????”) – Moving adaptation of Taras Shevchenko’s poem that depicts the grand and mighty river – a metaphor for the will and strength of Ukrainians.
http://youtu.be/QBYTG0r2nD8: “Many Years” (Ukrainian: “?????? ????”) – The traditional Ukrainian song of well-wishing for all occasions.
Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus
http://youtu.be/MgH3dh1z0wI: “The Harvesters On The Hill” (Ukrainian: “??? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????”) – Harvesters work on the hill as the Kozaks ride through the valley, shattering the silence with their boisterous singing, as they are led into battle.
http://youtu.be/8S_jdAcotjI: “Three Kozaks Rode In” (Ukrainian: “????? ??? ?????????”) – Three young men ride into town, all vying to marry the same young girl.
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus
http://youtu.be/LUPj7WmOGHE: “The Singing Forest” (Ukrainian: “?? ???????, ?????? ???”) – A merry folk song about courtship and love, and how a young couple plans for the future.
http://youtu.be/Y31hWHP4c3A: “The Ash Trees” (Ukrainian: “?????”) – Lovers plant beautiful ash trees to symbolize their happiness and love.
There are still some tickets remaining, but you may want to act quickly if you want to see this performance that’s coming up on October 3rd and 4th. That’s when a new chapter will be written in this incredible story – a celebration of the Brotherhood of Ukrainian culture.
Friday, October 3, 2014 – 7:00 p.m.
P.W. Enns Centennial Concert Hall – Winkler
Get your Winkler tickets here: http://www.ticketbreak.com/event_details/7977
Already have your tickets to the Winkler show? Tell all your friends on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1486293304949832/?ref=5
Saturday, October 4, 2014 – 7:00 p.m.
Pantages Playhouse Theatre – Winnipeg
Get your Winnipeg tickets here: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/11004CFDB02F72D0
Already have your tickets to the Winnipeg show? Tell all your friends on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/261979643998064/?ref=5
For a small taste of the power and majesty of the Brotherhood Chorus, check out this video from the 2012 Brotherhood Concert Series: http://youtu.be/QBYTG0r2nD8
Supplied photos
