The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus
European Tour

About the tour | Schedule

Manchester | London
Vimy and Paris | Strasbourg | St. Avold
Munich | Vienna

Other pictures

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

The chorus performs at the concert in the Royal Northern College of Music

The city of Manchester, England was the Chorus' last stop on its 1958 tour, and its first stop on the 2003 return. On June 27th, 2003 the Chorus presented its concert program at the Royal Northern College of Music in the Brown Shipley Concert Hall. The Chorus departed Manchester on June 28th for London, with a stop in historic Oxford along the route.

Zenon Krislaty and Michael Serdiuk behind the stage*

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LONDON, ENGLAND


Oleh Mahlay with his wife Natalia
walking in London near the Big Ben

In the midst of Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Millennium Wheel, the UBC made London its home for two nights. We started June 29th sharing our music by singing the Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of The Holy Family in Exile. That evening, the Chorus would present its music at the historic St. John's, Smith Square. Its location in the heart of Westminster makes it one of London's major concert venues. The actual construction took place in 1728, but was damaged during WWII before being restored.

The chorus sings the Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian
Catholic Cathedral of The Holy Family in Exile*

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PARIS, FRANCE

Kyrylo Rewa chats with friends outside the bus
in the Chunnel's train traveling under the sea*

On June 30th, we departed on another rainy morning for Paris. This travel day would take us through the Chunnel. Heading towards Paris, we stopped at Vimy Ridge to pay our respects to the Canadian soldiers who fought in WWI. Vimy Ridge is a strategic escarpment that overlooks the Douai Plain in France. The Germans controlled the ridge while 150,000 French and British troops died trying to take it back. The Canadians came in with their battle plan and over took the ridge, losing 3,600 soldiers if four days. The limestone memorial at Vimy Ridge with its twin stone pillars list the names of 11,285 soldiers who died in France. The Canadian members of the UBC sang their national anthem "O Canada", and the entire Chorus paid their respects to the fallen soldiers with Vichnaya Pamyat.

The chorus poses for the group shot at the base
of the limestone memorial at Vimy Ridge*

July 1, 2003 will reign as on of the group's most unique experiences in its long history. A short recital of sacred works was performed a capella and with banduras at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. With thousands of tourists visiting every hour, the Chorus had the opportunity to share its music with people from all over the world. By the end of the performance, over 1,000 people were sitting and watching the concert while hundreds more were watching from the side as the Chorus performed in the majestic and historic Cathedral. Oleh Mahlay as well as the UBC's assistant conductor, Ihor Kusznir, led the chorus. The reaction was overwhelming. We met many Ukrainians, Parisians, Americans, Canadians, and Chinese just to name a few who were enthralled with the song and the instrument. Many tried coming close to the altar to have a better look at the bandura.



Natalia Mahlay, Oleh Mahlay, and Andrij Bebko walk
towards the Cathedral of Notre Dame before the recital*

Ihor Kusznir conducts Kheruvymska in the Cathedral of Notre Dame*

The chorus poses for the group picture
at the Cathedral of Notre Dame

That evening, the Chorus performed a full concert to hundreds at the historic American Cathedral in Paris to a very enthusiastic audience of Ukrainians, Americans, and Parisians along with many Ukrainians from outside of Paris who organized bus trips to get to the concert. The American Cathedral origins date back to the 1830's. The church's current location was consecrated on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1886, coinciding with the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

Andrij Sklierenko tunes his bandura before the concert*

The chorus gathers before the final rehearsal
for the concert at the American Cathedral*

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STRASBOURG, FRANCE

Alex Kytasty and Andrey Syrko observe the town during the city visit*

On July 3rd, we departed Paris for the 500km (300 miles) bus drive to Strasbourg, France, which is close to German border in the Alsace region. Our concert was held the same evening of our arrival. Our venue, the Eglise du Temple Neuf, was a church in the middle of town center close to Strasbourg's famous cathedral. The intimate audience welcomed our music extremely warmly.

The chorus performs at the Eglise du Temple Neuf in Strasbourg*

Strasbourg is home to the Council of Europe, an intergovernmental organization that works to better the cultural, humanitarian, and political aspects of Europe. The Council of Europe is a distinct organization not to be confused with the European Union.

Anatoli Murha and Oleh Mahlay listen to the local official on stage*

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SAINT AVOLD, FRANCE

Oleh Mahlay with his wife Natalia visit the American Cemetery in St. Avold*

Here we find the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial that is the burial ground for 10,489 American soldiers from WWII. Saint Avold was a strategic communications center for the Third Reich during WWII.

Anatoli Murha meets the St. Avold's officials*

Over the years, Sir Benno Niedzielski, our host in St. Avold, and his fellow cultural enthusiasts in Saint Avold felt it was necessary to keep strong ties with America. When Sir Benno first heard of the UBC's tour, he asked our touring company, Classical Movements, to schedule a concert in Saint Avold to perform on July 4th.

UBC listed on the St. Avold's poster*

Our July 4th started with a commemoration visit at the cemetery where we were greeted by Sir Benno, and American military personnel from the cemetery. Here, flanked by local television, the UBC had an opportunity to sing Amazing Grace, God Bless America, and "Vichnaya Pamiat" out of respect for the fallen soldiers and to commemorate America's Independence. The cemetery is the largest burial ground of American soldiers in Europe, surpassing that of Normandy. After visiting the cemetery, the UBC was invited to the City Hall and presented with a gift on behalf of the Mayor of Saint Avold.

Taras Zakordonski and Mychail Newmerczkyj sing the Tiutiunnyk solo*

Later that day, we presented a concert to an audience of over 900 French at the Cultre Centre. This was one of the most enthusiastic audiences of the tour. For many in the Chorus, this was one of the greatest moments we shared as cultural ambassadors of our music and bandura, as the overwhelming majority was not of Ukrainian descent.

Oleh Mahlay presents the chorus at the end of the St. Avold's concert*

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MUNICH and REGENSBRG, GERMANY

Darius Polanski and Taras Zakordonski talk on the bus on the way to Munich*

On Sunday, July 6th, the Chorus departed for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Munich to sing the Divine Liturgy. Here, the Chorus sang to beyond capacity church. At the end of the service, each Chorus member was presented with a gift, a rose, as a token of appreciation by the church and community for the Chorus' participation in the liturgy. Later that day, the Chorus presented a full concert at the Goetheinstitut. This emotionally charged concert would be a constant memory for both performers and audience members.

The chorus Listens to the Liturgy at the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Munich*

Chorus poses with roses in the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Munich*

The following day the Chorus traveled to Regensburg for a homecoming. After being established in Kyiv in 1918, the next 30 years were not easy for the members of the Chorus. Eventually, the Chorus made its way to the displaced persons camps of Germany, and landed in Regensburg in 1948. Regensburg was home to the Chorus for 1948 and a portion of 1949, thus being its last European address. Fast forward to 2003 and the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus was about to be hosted by the donumenta club of Regensburg. The donumenta club is a leading cultural organization in Regensburg that was developed to promote cultural relationships with other countries. The year 2003 was devoted to Ukraine. Here, we as Ukrainian Americans and Canadians were once again playing our most important role of ambassadors of Ukrainian music and culture.

The chorus poses for the group photo at a
Regensburg landmark before the concert*

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VIENNA, AUSTRIA

The chorus walks towards the St. Barbara's
Ukrainian Catholic church in Vienna*

The chorus listens to the history of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Austria
inside the St. Barbara's Ukrainian Catholic church in Vienna*

Our last destination leads us to the home Johann Strauss and the infamous Imperial Palace. On the way to Vienna, we were able to quickly stop in Salzburg to visit Mozart's birthplace. Our final concert took place on July 9th at 8:00pm at the Dominikanerkirche. Built in the mid 1600's, the Dominikanerkirche is a well-preserved and sacred site that is very rarely used for public performances. At the decision of the council of monks at the Dominikanerkirche, the Chorus was granted permission to perform in this magnificent venue. Before the concert, the Chorus had the opportunity to visit St. Barbara's Ukrainian Catholic church and learn about the Ukrainian community in Vienna.

Oleh Mahlay thanks the audience during the concert*

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* Photographs courtesy of Roman Hnatyshyn

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December 20, 2003