.5-%2 -!2#( !4(523434 4/2/.4/ /.)33. Toronto Mandolin Orchestra a … · 2013. 7. 25. · .5-"%2...
Transcript of .5-%2 -!2#( !4(523434 4/2/.4/ /.)33. Toronto Mandolin Orchestra a … · 2013. 7. 25. · .5-"%2...
-
Toronto Mandolin Orchestra a triumph in Welland Virtuoso� performances� bring� crowd� to� its� feet� was� the� heading� in� the� Welland� Tribune� reviewing� the� concert� present-ed� by� the� Toronto� Mandolin� Orchestra� on� December� 4.
The� concert,� second� in� the� series� of� the� Welland-Port� Colborne� Con-cert� Association,� was� performed� to� a� sold� out� audience� of� over� 1,100.� The� concert� was� special� in� that� it� was� dedicated� to� the� memory� of� the� late� Philip� Crouch� who� was� “a� pillar”� in� the� � Association.� His� daughter� Leanne,� in� making� the� dedication,� noted� that� it� was� particularly� fitting� that� this� concert�
be� dedicated� in� his� memory� as� Philip� Crouch� was� of� Ukrainian� parentage� and� loved� and� appreciated� his� heritage.
Featured� performers� with� theToron-to� Mandolin� Orchestra� were� Tamara� Volskaya� and� Anatoliy� Trofimov� who� “…electrified� the� audience”� with� � “flying� fingers� demonstrating� extraor-dinary� skills”.� Tamara� Volskaya,� who� performs� on� the� 4-string� domra� is� a� Merited� Artist� of� Russia� and� a� winner� of� many� competitions.� She� has� trav-elled� widely� both� as� a� soloist� and� as� part� of� their� Russian� Duo.
Anatoliy� Trofimov� is� a� Professor� of� his� instrument� the� bayan.� His� arrange-ments� for� this� duo� and� other� groups�
Ira� Erokhina,� TMO� resident� domra� soloist,� amazed� the� Welland� audience.
The� “Russian� Duo”� Tamara� Volskaya� and� Anatoliy� Trofimov� kept� the� audience� spell� bound� with� their� “…extraordinary� skills…”on� their� respctive� instruments.
more on page 3
reflect� a� high� degree� of� musicianship� and� creativity.� The� repertoire� of� this� famous� Russian� Duo� ranges� from� folk� tunes� to� some� of� the� great� classics�
originally� written� for� violin.� The� Duo� presented� two� sets� of�
Russian,� Ukrainian� and� classical� selec-tions.� Specially� arranged� for� them� by� Anatoliy,� the� William� Tell� Overture� performed� by� a� single� domra� and� bay-an,� made� one� think� you� were� listening� to� a� complete� orchestra.�
Ira� Erokhina,� the� TMO’s� resident� soloist,� was� outstanding� in� her� perfor-mance� of� Russian� Gypsy� Variations� and� the� Introduction� and� Waltz� from� the� film� Dr.� Zhivago.
-
Amount
2
The� new� CD� of� the� Toronto� Mandolin� Orchestra,� a� retrospective� on� 50� years� from� 1956� to� 2006,� is� now� available.
It� covers� performances� from� vari-ous� venues� such� as� school� auditori-ums,� Massey� Hall,� Manitoba� Centen-nial� Centre,� Quinte� Arts� Council� in� Belleville� and� others.� Selections� on� the� CD� are� conducted� by� the� three� conductors� who� worked� with� the� TMO� over� the� fifty� years:� Eugene� Dolny� for� � almost� 30� years,� Andrew� Markow� for� 10� years� and� Alexander� Verprinsky� in� the� latter� 10� years.
The� price� of� the� CD� is� $20.00� plus� $4.00� shipping� and� handling� in� Canada� (USA� orders� $5.00� Cdn).� Interested� people� may� call� the� Ensemble� office� at� 416-533-2725,� send� an� e-mail� to:� [email protected],� � or� fill� out� and� return� the� order� form� below.
CD Programme
Hopak................... A. Shtoharenko
Musical Moment............ A. Petrov
Just a Plain Song......... B. Kiyanov
Caucasian Sketes............................
.........................M. Ippolitov-Ivanov Suite Nº 1
Solveig’s Song.................. E. Grieg from Peer Gynt
Russian Fantasy........N. Budashkin
Lad With a Concertina.G. Sviridov
Ukrainian Symphony........Unknown1st Movement
Eine Kleine Xylophone.. .M. SurdinSoloist: Lydia Ciglan
Polka................... D. Shostakovichfrom Ballet Suite Nº 2
Evening Bells...............A. Mosolov
Barrel Organ Waltz........................
............................ D. Shostakovich
La Paloma.......... Cuban Folk SongSoloist: Ira Erokhina, domra
Ukrainian Rhapsody... I. LevytskySoloist: Tamara Volskaya, domra
Burlesque............ D. ShostakovichFinale of Violin Concerto Nº 1
Soloist: Tamara Volskaya, domra
Flight of the Bumble Bee...............
.......................N. Rimsky-KorsakovSoloist: Ira Erokhina, domra
The� Toronto� Mandolin� Orchestra,� with� outstanding� instrumental� and� vocal� soloists,� will� present� the� “2nd� Annual� Romanza”� on� Saturday,� April� 9� in� the� King’s� Garden� Banquet� Hall.
Last� year’s� event� was� a� huge� success� and� people� are� now� looking� forward� to� another� night� of� “dancing� and� romance”� to� the� mandolin� music� of� this� exceptional� orchestra.�
Artistic� Director� Alexander� Veprin-sky� and� the� orchestra� are� working� on� a� new� program� of� waltzes,� polkas,� songs� from� operettas� and� classical� arias.�
� The� roster� of� soloists� to� appear� on� April� 9� includes� domra� virtuoso� Ira� Erokhina� with� the� “Waltz”� from� Dr.� Zhivago,� and� vocal� soloists� Helen� Spi-ers,� Artour� Razgoev,� Tetyana� Shkym-ba,� Tanya� Podolskaya� and� Herman� Rombouts.� The� mandolin� orchestra,� of� course,� will� provide� music� to� which� � the� audience� will� dance.�
In� addition� to� the� concert,� hors� d’oeuves� and� wine� at� each� table� is� � included� in� the� admission� price� of� only� $30.
Seating� is� limited,� so� we� urge� you� to� organize� your� table� party� (up� to� 10� per� table),� get� you� dancing� shoes� ready� and� order� your� tickets� now� by� calling� 416-533-2725.
Romanza2nd Annual TMO� Retrospective� CD
ORDER� NOWRETRO� CD:� 50� YEARS� TORONTO� MANDOLIN� ORCHESTRA
Please� send� me� � � � � � � � � � Retro� CD(s)� @� 20.00� Cdn� Plus� S/H� � $4.00� per� 1� CD� in� Canada� � � � $5.00� Cdn� on� US� orders
� � � � � � � � � � � � � TOTAL:� �
Mail� to:� SME� Productions,� 626� Bathurst� St,� Toronto,� ON� M5S� 2R1
Chq.� payable� to� SME� Productions� ❑ or� VISA� #� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Exp.
Name
Street
City� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Prov� � � � � � � � � � Code
-
3
Tetyana� Shkymba,� who� sang� the� Ukrainian� folk� song� Handzia� and� Karambolina� from� Kalman’s� operetta� “The� Violet� of� Montmarte”;� tenor� Artour� Razgoev� who� sang� Caruso� and� Nessun� Dorma;� and� clarinet� soloists� Mykola� Stadnyk� and� Pavel� Markelov� performing� Intermezzo,� were� all� “bril-liant� in� their� respective� performances”.� �
No� less� than� “heart� stopping”,� in� the� words� of� the� Tribune� reviewer,� were� the� dances� by� the� Desna� Ukrai-nian� Dance� Co.� which� were� received� with� loud� applause.
One� of� the� highlights� of� the� eve-ning� was� the� performance� of� Tamara� Volskaya� with� the� Toronto� Mandolin� Orchestra� as� she� played� Ukrainian� Rhapsody� by� I.� Levytsky� in� the� first� half.� At� the� end� the� concert� was� � brought� to� a� resounding� climax� with� her� performance� of� Gershwin’s� Rhap-sody� in� Blue� arranged� for� solo� domra� and� orchestra� by� Mr.� Veprinsky.
Volunteers� of� the� Concert� Associa-tion,� and� the� cooking� class� at� Centen-nial� Secondary� School,� � prepared� a�
TMO in Welland from page 1 delicious� hot� turkey� dinner� with� all� the� trimmings� for� the� performers.� �
Appearing� in� the� Dr.� Ennis� Audi-torium� of� the� Centennial� Secondary� School,� for� some� Ensemble� members,� was� déjà� vu. On� a� number� of� occasions� in� the� 1970s� the� Shevchenko� Male� Chorus� and� Toronto� Mandolin� Orches-tra,� then� under� the� direction� of� Eugene� Dolny,� performed� in� this� same� theatre.
Congratulatory� MessageFollowing� this� memorable� concert�
of� December� 4� congratulations� were� received� � from� Stella� Crouch,� Artistic� Director� of� the� Welland-Port� Colborne� Concert� Association.
She� wrote:� “What� a� wonderful� con-cert� the� Toronto� Mandolin� Orchestra� performed� for� the� Welland� audience!�
Desna� dancer� flying� high� in� Hopak!
The� saucy� Karambolina� aka� Tetyana.Artour’s� beautiful� tenor� voice� thrilled� the� Welland� audience.
Clarinet� duet� by� Mykola� Stadnyk� and� Pavel� Markelov.
Taking� a� bow� after� “Pedlars”� encore� performed� by� soloists� and� orchestra.
The� comments� we� heard� were� ‘best� concert� ever’� over� and� over� again.”
“The� soloists� played� brilliantly.� The� dancers� were� dazzling� and� so� precise� –� they� could� rival� any� other� profes-sional� dance� companies.� The� Master� of� Ceremonies� (Richard� Szymczyk.� Ed.)� did� a� superb� job� introducing� the� vari-ous� acts.� It� added� to� the� performance.”
Ms.� Crouch� went� on� to� say� she� would� be� “…happy� to� recommend� this� concert� to� any� other� presenter.”
Indeed,� the� performers,� including� Artistic� Director� Alexander� Veprinsky,� although� tired,� were� elated� knowing� they� had� been� rewarded� with� a� long� and� tumultuous� standing� ovation� by� a� capacity� audience� of� the� Welland-Port� Colborne� Concert� Association.
-
4
Alexander� Veprinsky� honoured� at� Annual� Banquet� The� Annual� Banquet� of� the� Shevchen-ko� Musical� Ensemble,� held� on� Sunday,� October� 24,� recognized� Alexander� Ve-prinsky,� Artistic� Director� of� the� Ensem-ble,� for� his� outstanding� contribution� to� the� artistic� life� of� this� performing� group� over� the� past� 15� years.
To� open� the� evening,� Master� of� Ceremonies� Edna� Rigby� welcomed� patrons� and� raised� a� toast� to� Alexander� for� his� continued� good� health� and� suc-cess� in� his� work� with� the� Ensemble.
After� a� delicious� Ukrainian� meal� in� the� King’s� Garden� Banquet� Hall,� Edna� read� greetings� to� Alexander� and� the� gathering� from� Tamara� Volskaya� of� New� York.� Recalling� her� first� meeting� with� Alexander,� Tamara� said� she� met� “...the ideal person to work with! an in-dividual with the same attitude towards music, the same energy and desire to fulfill ideas, the same emotions neces-sary to bring an orchestra to the heights of genuine musical achievement.”
The� main� presentation,� given� by� Ginger� Kautto,� related� some� of� Al-exander’s� background,� especially� the� high� level� of� education� and� training� he� received� at� the� Lviv� Conservatory� of� Music� in� Ukraine.� However,� this� did� not� � take� away� from� his� natural� talent� as� a� musician� which� he� displayed� as� a� young� child� when� his� parents� started� him� on� piano� at� the� age� of� five.� He� loved� the� piano,� and� showing� promis-ing� talent,� his� parents� enrolled� him� at� age� 7� in� the� all-day� music� school.� Alexander� learned� to� play� the� balalaika�
and� a� little� bit� of� domra.� Observing� his� teachers� and� other� musicians� in� theatre,� he� became� interested� in� the� magic� of� conducting� and� began� lessons� in� that� discipline� as� well.
When� he� completed� music� school� and� was� ready� for� high� school,� he� wasn’t� sure� he� wanted� to� continue� in� music.� He� liked� to� experience� differ-ent� things� and� was� particularly� keen� on� mathematics.� But� all� his� teachers� advised� that� with� his� gift� in� music,� he� should� pursue� that� field.� A� typical� teenager,� Alexander� pro-
tested.� He� wanted� to� try� something� else.� Finally,� in� order� to� convince� him� to� enter� the� music� college,� his� parents� bribed� him� with� the� gift� of� a� fancy� tape� recorder� of� the� day.
After� college,� he� entered� the� pres-tigious� Mykola� Lysenko� Conservatory� of� Music� in� Lviv� where� his� life� was� steeped� in� Ukrainian� folk� and� con-temporary� music,� music� of� the� great� classical� composers� of� the� western� world� as� well� as� Ukraine� and� Russia,� and� new� genres� of� music.� Majoring� in� operatic-symphonic� conducting� opened� his� eyes� and� ears� to� the� world� of� opera,� symphony� and� musical� theatre.
After� graduation� he� conducted� at� a� number� of� musical� theatres� and� it� was� during� this� period� that� Alexander� was� inspired� to� try� his� hand� at� composing.� One� of� his� major� accomplishments� was� creating� original� music� to� Olga� Kobylianska’s� story� “U� Nedilya� rano� zilya� kopala”� which� was� endorsed� by�
#1.Here‘s� ‘Billy� the� Kid’–� with� � long� mous-tache� but� without� the� gun� and� holster.� It’s� Alexander’s� graduation� photo� from� the� Lviv� Conservatory.� � We� used� this� photo� to� introduce� Alexander� to� our� readership� hoping� they� didn’t� think� we� were� changing� our� repertoire� to� coun-try� and� western.
#2.This� is� Alexander’s� famous� ‘louder,� louder,� arms-out-to-the-sides’� posture.This� is� one� of� the� basic� movements� which� you,� the� audience,� see� as� you� sit� back� and� enjoy� the� music.� But� let’s� go� to� the� other� side� to� witness� the� spectacle� from� the� perspective� of� the� singers� and� musicians.
#3.As� the� concert� begins,� you� can� see� that� Alexander� is� relaxed,� his� blood� pressure� quite� normal.� That� makes� us� feel� good,� confident� we� can� perform� well� and� not� only� please� Alexander,� but� the� audience� as� well.
#4.� Everything� still� going� relatively� smoothly,� no� anxiety� yet.� Alexander� gently� motions� for� the� mandolas� to� keep� it� at� a� pianissimo.� Blood� pressue� still� normal.
#5.� Alexander’s� still� tying� to� get� a� pianissimo� (we� are� often� slow� to� react).� He� is� still� quite� calm� and� this� gives� us� confi-dence� we� will� get� through� this� � half� of� the� concert� without� major� castastrophe.
#6.� This� is� a� very� unique� movement.� We� call� it� the� ‘raindrop� from� above’.� It� means…� and� here� I’ll� quote� Alexander…“JUST� CUT� IT!� I� SAID,� JUST� CUT� IT!”
-
5
the� Ministry� of� Culture� of� Ukraine.He� wrote� original� music� to�
Shevchenko’s� “Naimychka”� and� a� number� of� smaller� theatrical� shows.� Alexander� also� composed� a� number� of� songs,� some� of� which� took� prizes� in� competition.� His� most� recent� composi-tion� is� the� very� moving� song� he� wrote� to� his� eldest� daughter� on� the� occasion� of� her� marriage� just� two� years� ago.
In� 1993� the� Veprinsky� family� moved� to� Canada� and� shortly� after� Alexander� arrived� at� the� door� of� the� Ensemble� office.� Ginger� Kautto� recalled� that� day� “…for� a� minute� I� thought� I� was� looking� at� ‘Billy� the� Kid’� –� Alexander� with� a� long� western-style� moustache,� only� without� a� gun� and� holster.� In� beautiful� Ukrainian� Alexander� presented� his� credentials.� I� was� immediately� taken,� not� only� by� his� impressive� musical� education� and� experience,� but� by� his� modesty� and� sincerity.”
The� tribute� continued� to� speak� of� Alexander’s� creativity� which� has� brought� many� new� ideas� in� program-ming� to� the� Shevchenko� Choir� and� Toronto� Mandolin� Orchestra.� Alexan-der� pursues� his� dream� of� always� doing� something� bigger� and� more� challeng-ing,� regardless� of� how� much� work� it� means� for� him.� His� numerous,� and� very� challenging,� arrangements� and� orches-trations� are� a� fine� example� of� this.� All� this� has� significantly� raised� the� level� of� performance� of� the� singers� and� musi-cians� of� the� Shevchenko� Ensemble.
But� the� evening� wasn’t� all� a� serious� speech� about� a� serious� man.� We� also� wanted� to� acquaint� the� audience� with�
a� little� more� of� Alexander’s� life,� with� those� aspects� of� his� work� with� the� En-semble� with� which� the� audience� would� not� be� familiar.�
With� the� help� of� Byron� Kautto,� a� slide� show� was� presented,� complete� with� theatrical� narration� by� Ginger,� which� showed� � “A� New� Perspective� on� Alexander� Veprinsky”� as� seen� by� the� performers� but� never� the� audience.(Follow� the� photos� by� number� to� see� the� slide� show).
Although� taken� by� surprise� by� the� slide� show,� Alexander� composed� him-self� enough� to� sincerely� thank� every-one� for� the� evening� and� for� welcoming� him� and� his� family� into� the� Shevchen-ko� family.�
Another� highlight� of� the� evening� was� the� entertainment� by� the� “Prut”� � Band,� a� group� of� 5� musicians� and� vocals� on� accordion,� guitar,� violin,� and� saxaphone� who� played� a� set� of� popular� contemporary� Ukrainian� songs.� The� icing� on� the� cake� was� Alexander� join-ing� “Prut”� to� sing� “Chervona� Ruta”� in� his� fine� tenor� voice.
Edna� Rigby� then� called� on� Florenz� Seychuk� and� Stan� Nazarec� to� conduct� the� Grand� Final� Draw� of� the� 1000� Club� Lottery.�
Florenz� emphasized� the� importance� for� the� Guild� of� this� successful� fund-raising� event� and� thanked� all� partici-pants� for� their� generous� support� for� more� than� 30� years.� The� numbers� then� rolled� out� of� the� drum� picking� the� win-ners� of� the� Grand� Final� Draw.� � �
#7.� Now� we’re� about� half� way� through� and� feeling� pretty� good� about� ourselves,� although� it� looks� like� Alexander� is� having� second� thoughts� about� being� a� conductor� after� all.� But� some-thing� gets� his� attention…
#8.� YIKES!!�
WHO?� WHO� ON� EARTH� IS� PLAYING� IN� THE� WRONG� KEY??
#9.� Alexander’s� blood� pressure� is� rising,� he’s� motioning� to� us� (with� a� great� deal� of� emotion)� to� bring� the� volume� down� and� � WATCH� YOUR� NOTES!
#10.� We’re� heading� to� the� climax� of� the� concert� now� and� Alexander’s� piercing� eyes� are� a� clear� indication� that� we’re� not� doing� so� well.� Although� we� are� half� frightened� out� of� our� wits,� we� try� our� best� but� …
#11.“NO!� NO!� That’s� not� what� I� want!� And� cellos!� Cellos!� How� many� times� do� I� have� to� remind� you� that� you� have� 5� sharps??
#12.� Well,� we� survive,� as� we� always� do,� and� by� the� end� of� the� concert� Alexander� has� composed� himself,� his� blood� pressure� is� returning� to� nor-mal,� his� eyes� begin� to� sparkle� instead� of� pierc-ing� your� soul,� and� he� tries� to� put� on� a� good� face� for� the� � audience.� It’s� as� if� he’s� saying� –� “You� heard� them.� You� be� the� judge.”
#13.� Here� we� are� –� full� circle� –� witnessing� again� what� the� audience� sees� –� now� a� calm,� self-controlled,� and� even� smiling� Alexander,� a� man� who� graciously� and� modestly� accepts� their� standing� ovation� and� thunderous� applause,� making� it� all� worth� while� in� the� end.
-
Remembering� Bill� Morris� at� Shevchenko� Ensemble� Annual� ConcertThe� Annual� Concert� of� the� Shevchen-ko� Musical� Ensemble,� held� on� No-vember� 14� in� the� Isabel� Bader� Theatre,� was� dedicated� to� the� memory� of� Bill� Morris� who� passed� away� in� September� 2009.
A� long� time� member� of� the� Shevchenko� Male� Chorus� and� later� Shevchenko� Choir,� Bill� devoted� most� of� his� adult� life� to� the� growth� and� development� of� the� Ensemble� and� National� Guild,� serving� as� volunteer� President� of� the� Board� of� Directors� for� nearly� 30� years.�
The� Souvenir� Program� contained� a� story� about� Bill’s� life:� his� beginnings� in� the� Association� of� United� Ukrai-nian� Canadians,� his� active� role� in� the� Guild� and� Ensemble,� and� his� profes-sional� life� as� secondary� school� teacher,� guidance� counsellor,� president� of� the� teacher’s� federation,� union� negotiator,� and� active� member� of� many� commu-nity� groups.
Bill� was� very� proud� of� his� Ukrai-nian� heritage� and� in� the� Shevchenko� Musical� Ensemble� he� found� a� way� to� participate� in� the� preservation� of� this� culture� in� Canada.
The� concert� program� attempted� to� reflect� that� which� Bill� held� dear� to� his� heart� –� his� Ukrainian� heritage� and� his� unswerving� commitment� to� the� ideals� of� equality,� peace� � and� social� justice.
The� concert� opened� with� � “I� Love� You,� Ukraine”� a� song� of� passionate� love� for� Ukraine� with� soloist� John� Nieboer.
Songs� from� the� early� male� chorus� repertoire,� such� as� “Neighbour”� (Su-sidka)� and� “Bandura”� (Vzyav� by� ya� banduru)� with� soloists� Artour� Razgoev� and� Fred� Panasiuk� were� among� Bill’s� favourites.� They� were� performed� in� new� arrangements� for� mixed� choir� by� Alexander� Veprinsky.
Bill� had� a� strong� emotional� attach-ment� to� his� heritage.� Two� new� selec-tions,� “Nightingale� (Soloveyko)� with� soloist� Tetyana� Shkymba,� and� “Wild� Geese”� (Dyki� Husy)� beautifully� sung� by� Tetyana� with� choir,� reflected� Bill’s� beloved� heritage.
The� dances� by� the� Desna� Ukrai-nian� Dance� Co.� –� “Hutsulka”,� “Volyn”,� Bukovyna”� and� “Hopak”–� were� also� a� reflection� of� well-loved� Ukrainian� traditions� and� were� received� with� loud� applause� as� always.� �
Although� Bill� was� a� young� boy� dur-ing� WW� II,� he� had� a� profound� respect� for� those� who� served� in� this� tragic� world� conflict.� To� mark� the� 65th� Anniversary� of� � the� end� of� the� war,� the� choir� and� orches-tra� performed� “The� Cranes”� (Zhuravli),� a� plaintive� cry� to� put� an� end� to� the� madness� of� all� wars.
The� Toronto� Mandolin� Orchestra� performed� the� “Waltz”� by� E.� Doga� and� opened� the� second� � half� with� “The� Great� Gates� of� Kiev”� by� Mussorgsky.� �
As� President� of� the� Guild� and� a� member� of� the� Artistic� Committee,� Bill� encouraged� the� implementation� of� inno-vative� and� creative� programming� for� the� Ensemble.� The� performance� of� � “Night� on� Bare� Mountain”,� first� performed� by� the� orchestra� in� Glenn� Gould� Studio� in� 2009,� was� once� again� dedicated� to� Bill.
The� concert� program� also� reflected� the� diversity� of� the� Shevchenko� Musical� En-semble� with� “Russian� Gypsy� Variations”,� wonderfully� performed� by� domra� soloist� Ira� Erokhina,� and� the� outstanding� per-formances� of� Helen� Spiers� with� “Climb� Ev’ry� Mountain”,� � Artour� Razgoev� in� “Nessun� Dorma”� and� Herman� Rombouts� in� “Windmills� of� Your� Mind”.� � � � �
As� a� passionate� Canadian� Bill� was� proud� to� learn� and� perform� Canadian� folk�
Ira� Erokhina,� domra
Herman� Rombouts,� bass
John� Nieboer,� baritone
6
-
7
Taras Shevchenko
Remembering� Bill� Morris� at� Shevchenko� Ensemble� Annual� Concertsongs� and� encouraged� their� inclusion� in� the� choir’s� repertoire.� Included� in� this� concert� were� a� Newfoundland� folk� song� “Feller� from� Fortune”� and� “Un� Canadian� Errant”,� French-Canadian� folk� song.
The� inclusion� of� Bob� Dylan’s� “Blow-ing� in� the� Wind”,� arranged� for� mixed� choir� by� Veprinsky,� was� a� reflection� of� Bill’s� strong� ideals,� the� things� that� brought� out� the� fire� in� him.� This� particu-lar� song� mirrored� his� desire� for� a� world� at� peace,� and� his� belief� in� what� was� right� and� just.
The� songs� by� the� Shevchenko� Choir� were� well� blended� and� displayed� a� high� level� of� performance,� as� did� the� perfor-mance� of� the� Toronto� Mandolin� Orches-tra� in� its� orchestral� numbers� and� accom-paniment� to� the� choir� and� soloists.
The� finale� of� the� concert� was� a� return� to� the� Ensemble’s,� and� Bill’s,� Ukrainian� roots� with� the� Ukrainian� folk� song� “Un-harness� the� Horses,� Lads”� (Rozpryahaite,� khloptsi,� koni)� with� tenor� soloist� Artour� Razgoev.
The� narration� of� the� concert� was� once� again� well� performed� by� MC� Richard� Szymczyk.
Changing� the� date� of� this� concert� due� to� the� G20� Summit� from� June� 27� to� November� resulted� in� a� loss� of� the� usual� attendance� at� an� annual� concert.� Those� present,� however,� expressed� their� enjoy-ment� and� appreciation� with� a� standing� ovation� for� Artistic� Director� Alexander� Veprinsky� and� all� the� performers.
� � � � � � –� G.� Kautto
Tetyana� Shkymba,� soprano
Helen� Spiers,� soprano
Artour� Razgoev,� tenor
-
8
Choral� concert� delights� audienceGuest� artists� at� this� year’s� Choral� Con-cert,� held� on� January� 30� at� Columbus� Centre,� were� singers� and� musicians� of� Vox� Finlandiae� directed� by� Paul� Hietala.� “Vox”� was� founded� in� 1993� to� sing� music� of� the� rich� Finnish� choral� tradi-tion.� At� the� heart� of� Vox’s� repertoire� are� traditional� folk� and� popular� songs,� but� they� also� perform� classical� works� by� Finnish� composers� such� as� Jean� Sibelius� and� others.
The� Shevchenko� Choir,� conducted� by� Alexander� Veprinsky� with� piano� ac-companist� Elena� Zviagina,� opened� the� concert� with� their� first� set� of� Ukrainian� and� Russian� songs.
Their� wonderful� performance� re-sounded� loudly� throughout� the� Rotun-da� as� most� of� the� selections� were� fast� paced� and� lively.�
Andriy� Anissimov,� 14� year� old� domra� student� of� the� Shevchenko� School� of� Music,� performed� a� chal-lenging� medley� of� Russian� tunes� and� a� fast� Kozachok� accompanied� by� his� 17� year� old� sister� on� piano.� Both� were� � warmly� applauded.�
The� Desna� Ukrainian� Dance� Co.,� also� guest� artists� on� the� program,� per-formed� a� fiery� Gypsy� Dance� and� their� amazing� Hopak� where� one� could� hear� the� ooh’s� and� aah’s� from� the� audience� with� each� leap� and� twirl.
Vox� Finlandiae� is� comprised� of� � singers,� an� instrumental� group� called� Toronton� Pelimannit� and� a� vocal� quar-tet� called� The� Nice� Four� pronounced�
“nais”� � –� which� � means� � “of� women”.The� Toronton� Pelimannit� opened� their�
set� with� traditional� Finnish� dance� music.� The� Vox� then� sang� two� Finnish� songs� which� were� followed� by� the� Nice� quartet� singing� two� folk� songs� and� the� Vox� choir� finishing� their� set� with� another� two� tradi-tional� songs.�
The� calibre� of� performance� of� the� instrumentalists,� the� quartet� and� the� choir� was� not� only� very� good,� but� the� songs� they� chose� to� perform� were� very� interest-ing,� lively� and� very� entertaining.�
The� musicians� of� Vox� opened� the� sec-ond� half� of� the� program� with� lively� dance� music� followed� by� the� Vox� choir� singing� a� patriotic� song� of� Finland.� A� � highlight� of� their� performance� was� Vox� joined� by� the� Nice� quartet,� accompanied� by� Anita� Nutikka� on� her� 2-row� accordion,� singing� a� polka� in� which� the� human� voices� almost� appear� as� musical� instruments.
They� all� participated� in� their� final� numbers� “My� Roots� are� in� Finland”� and� another� lively� polka.
The� Shevchenko� Choir� returned� with� an� outstanding� performance� of� their� more� classical� repertoire� which� included� Mozart’s� “Ave� Verum”and� the� “Chorus� of� the� Hebrew� Slaves”� from� the� opera� “Nabucco”.� This� was� followed� by� a� moving� performance� of� Dylan’s� “Blowing� in� the� Wind”� and� the� Newfoundland� folk� song� “Feller� from� Fortune”.
The� finale� of� the� concert� brought� both� choirs� together� to� sing� a� Finn-ish� folk� song� and� the� wellknown� “Reve� ta� Stohne� Dnipr� Shyrokiy“� (The� Mighty� Dnieper� Roars).� Both� choirs� met� the� language� challenge� head� on� –� the� Ukrainians� singing� in� Finnish� and� the� Finns� singing� in� Ukrainian!�
What� a� climax� to� a� wonderful� afternoon!� Performers� and� audience� alike� made� it� clear� they� would� wel-come� back� this� choral� collaboration� any� time.�
Concert� finale� by� the� Vox� Finlandiae� and� Shevchenko� Choir� conducted� by� Alexander� Veprinsky
Vox� Finlandiae� with� Toronton� Pelimannit� conducted� by� Paul� Hietala Domra� soloist� Andriy� Anissimov
-
Russian� Duo� of� Volskaya� and� Trofimov� in� TorontoA� periold� of� ten� busy� days� was� in�
store� for� the� Shevchenko� Ensemble� when� Tamara� Volskaya� and� Anatoliy� Trofimov� came� as� guests� of� the� Guild� to� perform� in� Toronto� as� their� “Rus-sian� Duo”� and� in� Welland� with� the� Toronto� Mandolin� Orchestra.
� � The� guests� arrived� from� New� York� and� were� treated� to� a� concert� in� the� beautiful� new� Koerner� Hall� of� The� Royal� Conservatory� of� Music.� In� addition� to� enjoying� an� excellent� performance� by� the� student� symphony� orchestra,� they� were� pleased� to� see� a� plaque� on� one� of� the� auditorium� seats� which� reads:� “In� honour� of� Ginger� Kautto� for� her� dedication� to� music� through� the� Shevchenko� Ensemble”� � which� was� purchased,� on� the� initiative� of� her� son� and� his� family,� by� Ginger’s� family� and� her� friends� and� colleagues� in� the� Ensemble.
� Rehearsals� with� the� TMO� in� prepa-ration� for� the� concert� on� December� 4� in� Welland� were� scheduled� and� in� between� these,� Tamara� and� Anatoliy� presented� a� number� of� smaller� perfor-mances� in� Toronto� communities.
Earl� Bales� Community� Centre� � � On� Sunday,� November� 28� they�
performed� in� the� Earl� Bales� Commu-nity� Centre� in� north� Toronto.� Although� advertisements� were� placed� in� Rus-sian� and� Ukrainian� papers� and� flyers� were� distributed,� both� in� Russian� and� English,� the� size� of� the� audience� was� disappointing,� especially� for� artists� � of� this� stature.
� But� Tamara� and� Anatoliy� did� not� disap-point� those� who� were� present.� They� performed� a� complete� program,� with� introductions� by� Tamara� herself,� of� folk� and� clas-sical� numbers� which� left� � the� audience� in� absolute� awe.
Christie� GardensOn� Friday,� December�
3� the� Russian� Duo� was� invited� by� Ruth� Budd� to� perform� at� Christie�
Gardens,� a� Toronto� residence.� Here� they� performed� for� a� very� apprecia-tive� audience� of� over� 150� people,� most� of� whom� had� never� heard� a� domra� or� a� bayan� before� and� certainly� had� not� heard� the� calibre� of� musicianship� of� these� performers.
City� of� Welland� The� next� day� it� was� off� to� Welland�
for� the� concert� sponsored� by� the� Welland-Port� Colborne� Concert� Asso-ciation� at� which� Tamara� and� Anatoliy� would� be� featured� as� the� Russian� Duo� and� Tamara� as� soloist� with� the� Toronto� Mandolin� Orchestra.� After� a� very� suc-cessful� performance� and� extremely� warm� reception� from� the� Welland� audience,� the� following� day� yet� another� appearance� was� scheduled� for� the� duo.Club� 626� Christmas� Party
On� Sunday,� December� 5,� Tamara� and� Anatoliy� provided� the� entertainment� at� Club� 626� Seniors� Annual� Christmas� Party.� And� what� a� treat� they� were.� Among� their� many� outstanding� selections� was� one� which� brought� back� memories� to� manyof� the� seniors� –� the� duo’s� arrangement� of� “Meadowland”� made� popular� during� WW� II.�
The� party� also� provided� for� a� day� of� relaxation� for� Tamara� and� Tolya� with� old� and� new� friends.
Even� with� this� busy� schedule� of� rehearsals� and� performances,� Tamara� with� her� boundless� store� of� energy,� gave� a� two� hour� master� class� to� an� exceptional� domra� student� of� the� Shevchenko� School� of� Music.� � � �
Tamara� being� congratulated� by� audience� members� Mary� and� RudyWasylenky
Tamara� thanking� the� audience� for� their� generous� applause
Russian� Duo� at� Earl� Bales� Community� Centre
An� artist� hard� at� work
9
-
FROM� TORONTO:� DVP� north,� merge� into� Hwy� 404,� Exit� 31� West� on� Major� MacKenzie� Dr.� until� Yonge� St.,� take� Yonge� St� North� for� 3� traffic� lights,� then� turn� left� on� Wright� Street.
FROM� WEST:� Hwy� 401� East,� Exit� Yonge� St.� North,� travel� North� of� Major� MacKenzie� Drive� 3� traffic� lights.
FROM� NORTH:� Hwy� 400� South,� Exit� Major� Mackenzie� Drive� East,� � turn� Left� on� Yonge� St.,� take� Yonge� Street� North� (3� traffic� lights).
FROM� 404:� Hwy� 404� South,� Exit� Elgin� Mills� Road,� West� to� Yonge.� Left� on� Yonge,� South� 3� traffic� lighs.
PARKING:Free� parking� from� 8am� to� midnight.� 250� parking� spots,� north,� south� and� west� sides� of� theatre.�
Public� Transportation:� TTC� /� VIVATake� the� Subway� to� Finch� Station,� exit� subway� and� the� VIVA� buses,the� Yonge� Street� Bus� 99� takes� you� to� Dunlop� Street� -� across� from� the� theatre.
Richmond� Hill� Centre� for� the� Performing� Arts
Since� the� closure� of� Leah� Posluns� � Theatre� two� years� ago,� the� Shevchen-ko� Musical� Ensemble� has� found� it� difficult� finding� a� theatre� in� Toronto� which� 1)� is� available� at� a� reasonable� cost,� 2)� can� accomodate� up� to� 90� per-formers� on� stage� as� well� as� in� dressing� rooms,� and� 3)� has� a� seating� capacity� not� too� large� and� not� too� small.
Our� most� recent� performance� in� Toronto� was� held� at� the� Isabel� Bader� Theatre.� While� the� auditorium� and� other� facilities� for� the� audience� were� very� good,� the� stage� is� tight� and� the� dressing� rooms� are� lacking.� Parking� in� the� area� was� an� issue� with� many� who� attended.� In� our� search� for� a� venue� which� will� easily� accomodate� the� choir,� orchestra� and� dancers,� we� found� the� relatively� new,� and� very� beautiful,� Richmond� Hill� Centre� for� the� Perform-ing� Arts.�
This� theatre� has� a� large� stage� and� the� latest� technical� equipment� which� is� required� by� a� group� the� size� of� Shevchenko� in� order� to� present� the� best� show� possible.
Shevchenko Ensemble Ventures into New Territory
By� presenting� our� Annual� Concert� in� this� Centre� we� hope� to� achieve� two� things.� First� of� all,� we� want� to� pres-ent� the� most� professional� performance� possible� for� our� loyal� followers� who� always� attended� Ensemble� concerts� in� Toronto.
A beautiful new venue for the Shevchenko Musical EnsembleJoin� Us� in� this� New� Venture
We� hope� that� same� dedicated� audi-ence� will� join� us� in� Richmond� Hill� and� experience� our� performance� in� a� first� class� theatre.
For� those� who� don’t� drive� and� may� anticipate� difficulty� in� getting� to� Richmond� Hill,� the� Shevchenko� Guild� will� assist� by� helping� to� organize� car� pooling� from� among� its� members� and� friends.� When� ordering� your� tickets� all� you� have� to� do� is� indicate� your� need� for� assistance.
The� second� thing� we� want� to� achieve� is� to� welcome� many� new� concert� goers� to� our� concert� from� the� area� of� Thornhill� and� Richmond� Hill.� By� doing� this� we� will� introduce� an� entirely� new� audience� to� an� outstand-ing� Canadian� performing� group� of� approximately� 90� singers,� musicians,� soloists� and� dancers,� a� spectacle� of� a� unique� combination� of� performers� not� often� seen� on� stages� anywhere� accept� for� the� large� professional� musicals.
Watch� your� mailbox� in� the� months� to� come� � for� further� information� and� details� of� this� exciting� new� venture.�
Directions� to� Theatre
10
-
Friday, March 11Shevchenko Choir ConcertChristie Gardens602 Melita Cres, Toronto7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 20Tribute to Wilfred Szczesny and Peter Krochak12 noon • $351604 Bloor St. WCall Vera 416-253-9821
Saturday, April 9 “2nd Annual Romanza” by the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra & SoloistsKings Garden Banquet Hall7:00 • Only $30 Table reservatons invited [email protected]
Sunday, April 10Concert Hahilka Singers & Welland Mandolin Orchestra342 Ontario RdWelland, ON
Sunday, May 1Concert Hahilka Singers & Welland Mandolin Orchestra1604 Bloor St. W
Sunday, May 15Mother’s Day CelebrastionFRC • 6 Denison Ave$25 • For reservationsCall Nita 416-769-3402
Saturday, May 28AUUC Annual BazaarBaking, White Elephant, Tarot Cards. Rent a table.11:00 a.m. 416-588-1639
what’s happening?
Wednesday, June 1 Club 626 Seniors Volunteer Luncheon12:00 noon Canadiana Restaurant
Sunday, June 19, 2011Shevchenko Musical Ensemble in Concert 2:00 p.m. Richmond Hill Centre for the Arts • $35See advertisement fordetails • 416-533-2725
Friday, July 1Canada Day CelebrationsAUUC • 1604 Bloor St. W
Sunday, August 14Club 626 SeniorsBar-B-Qat the home of Stan NazarecCall 416-622-1870
Sunday, September 11Banquet marking 85thAnniversary of AUUC 1604 Bloor St. W
Sunday, November 13Remembrance DayAUUC • 1604 Bloor St. W Sunday, Nov. 27 • 2:00 Toronto Mandolin Orchestra Glenn Gould StudioCBC • 250 Front St .WDetails to follow
Sunday, Dec. 4Club 626 SeniorsChristmas Party12 noon •1604 Bloor St. WCall Stan Nazarec 416-622-1870
The� BULLETIN� � Published� semi-annually� with� the� support� of� the� City� of� Toronto� through� the� Toronto� Arts� Council� •� Issued� by� the� National� Shevchenko� Musical� Ensemble� Guild� of� Canada,� a� federally� incorporated� charitable� cultural� institution,� Reg.� Nº� 11905� 1910� RR0001.� 626� Bathurst� St,� Toronto,� ON� M5S� 2R1� Phone� 416-533-2725� Fax� 416-533-6348E-mail:� [email protected]:� Ginger� KauttoPhotography� by� Wayne� Gilbert� of� GPS� Digital� Photo� Images� unless� otherwise� noted�
In Fond MemoryThe� National� Shevchenko� Musical� Ensemble� Guild�
of� Canada� gratefully� acknowledgescontributions� in� memory�
of� the� following:
John� Thoroski2010
Merv� Fydenchuk2010
Mary� Mihay2010
Walter� Hunka2010
John� Evanylo2011
June� Beard2011
Greg� Morris2011
Mary� Prokop2011
11
-
SHEVCHENKO MUSICAL ENSEMBLEAlexander Veprinsky, Artistic Director
featuring� Outstanding� vocal� &� instrumental� soloists� in� a� program� offolk,� world� &� classical� song,� music� and� dance
Guest� ArtistsDESNA� UKRAINIAN� DANCE� CO.Yuri & Luba Grekov Choreographers/Directors
an� “international� journey”� in� song,� music� and� dance
Sunday,� June� 19� •� 2:00� p.m.Richmond� Hill� Centre� for� the� Performimg� Arts$35� •� $15� student/childVISA� orders� add� $2� per� ticket
416-533-2725E-mail:� [email protected]
How� to� get� thereTurn� to� page� 10� to� read� what� this� beautiful� theatre� has� to� offer� and� how� to� get� there.
12