Nearly 200 people came to the Chapel of St Cross to attend a vibrant and powerful lunch-time concert presented by members of the Ukrainian community currently living in Winchester.
It was a convincing demonstration of the colour and joy inherent in that country’s culture but was also a valuable fund-raiser for efforts to support this war-torn land.
Kalyna, a community choir, was led by Olena Batovska, possessor of a rich mezzo soprano voice, whilst a children’s choral group was directed by Lala Smaglova, another highly professional solo singer.
Lala performed two items on her own accompanied by accordionist Volodymyr Vasylenko. Here was a virtuoso instrumentalist creating evocative national sounds and elaborately decorative passagework. The adult singers even reproduced round dance choreography which along with their beautiful folk costumes brought everything alive and engaging.
READ MORE: Romsey care home Durban House hosts Carousel Theatre
Ethnic authenticity was further achieved by some impeccable solo dances. Ameliia Batovska’s Dance with Maces was both graceful and athletic and Anna Paniotova showed how expressive and elegant, as well as sunny, Ukrainian folk steps can be.
Another solo contribution of a very high order was Margaryta Dorosh’s cello rendition of Gabriel Faure’s After a Dream. This music, ably accompanied at the piano by Olga Batovska, was hauntingly beautiful and perhaps spoke wordlessly for the hopes of a sadly oppressed nation.
The Brothers of St Cross are to be congratulated for organising this impressive display of the resilience and commitment of a community being welcomed in the city.
The next concert in the series will feature Chenyu Wang, a pianist from the Royal Academy of Music. This will be held at the Chapel of St Cross on April 27 at 12.30pm.
Review by Derek Beck
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here