Friday, December 2, 2016

A Bandura Christmas tomorrow on 7th Street



Via the EVG inbox...

The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus returns to New York City with a special holiday program "A Bandura Christmas," on Saturday, December 3rd!

Founded in 1918, the all-male Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus has captivated audiences in major concert halls in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Ukraine since immigrating to North America from Europe in 1949. Under the current artistic direction of conductor Oleh Mahlay, today's chorus of bandura players and singers hail from all throughout North America, each volunteering their time and talent for the mission of the ensemble.

Combining the musical characteristics of both the lute and the harp, the Ukrainian bandura is more than a national musical instrument: it is the voice of Ukraine, its history closely tied to the turbulent history of the Ukrainian people. Producing a sound similar to a harpsichord but with a wider range and tone, the modern bandura has between 20 and 65 strings and is tuned like a piano rather than a guitar. The concert variety (the kind played by the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus) has levers that allow the 'bandurist' to quickly change keys during a performance.

Join us this Saturday, December 3rd, as these talented musicians and all-male chorus perform traditional Ukrainian Christmas Carols in the beautiful setting of St George Ukrainian Catholic Church...

The church is at 16 E. Seventh St. (across from McSorley's!) near Cooper Square. The concert begins at 7 p.m. Find ticket info here.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, this is going to be good! And, the Ukrainian Museum (around the block on East 6th) is having its bake and holiday sale on Saturday - yum!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the heads up; just got tickets! Bandura music is so very beautiful; can't wait.