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17 Photo: Marta Pryshliak Mostovych At the conclusion of the Kennedy Center performance, with the orchestra and choir behind her. in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Washington Group and the Ukrainian Embassy. She also organized a concert with the Grammy-winning Paul Winter Con- sort, Julian Kytasty, and a group of singers. All the while, Marika also wrote articles, includ - ing “A Gateway to Ukrainian Choral Music” for the Choral Journal , a magazine with a subscription base of about 22,000 choral directors across the U.S. “I couldn’t fight on the battlefields, but I could send songs and information to audiences far and wide. Every single person I know with a drop of Ukrainian blood and any music background, or connections, has been working non-stop to raise awareness of Ukrainian culture and to raise funds. I am one of many in this battalion,” says Marika passionately. Her book project began in 2021. “Cambridge Scholars Publishing had approached me to write a book, and I proposed a book about Ukrainian Christ - mas choral music. I argued that there is a standard anthology of carols that English-speaking directors consult: The Oxford Book of Carols . That source has hundreds of carols from many centuries and many cultures, including America, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Eastern European coun - tries like Poland and the Czech Republic. However, it has no carol from Ukraine, which is ironic, since one of the most beloved and ubiquitous of carols internationally, the ‘Carol of the Bells,’ originated in Ukraine. Also, Ukraine has such a uniquely rich and vast repertoire of koliadky and shchedrivky .” The publisher accepted her proposal. A few months later, russia’s full invasion began, and Mari- ka’s project and mission became much more expan- sive and impassioned. There are so many impor - tant stories within each composer’s biography and within each carol. The first part of the book, which has been published and can be purchased on the Cambridge Scholars Publishing website, features a chapter on the history of Ukrainian choral music within Ukraine’s political history, a chapter with bi- ographies of fifteen composers, and a chapter with a description of Ukraine’s holiday traditions and ritu- als. The second part includes music scores to 26 mu- sic pieces spanning early chant to a carol composed recently. After sending the manuscript to the pub- lisher, Marika organized a recording of various carols with her choir Ensemble Cherubim (a choir whose recording of the Bortniansky’s choral concertos was critically acclaimed) to accompany the book. Because Marika has led a life in international choral music, as a professor and director of choir in the prestigious music department at the Univer - sity of California – Berkeley, and collaborated with renowned conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel and Kent Nagano, she was in a unique position to create cultural bridges. Writing this book and making this recording, she feels she has come full circle. “I am so grateful for the legacy of carols that was passed down from ancient times through my own predky to me. These are some of the very first songs I heard and sang as a child. As I recorded some of those very carols with the singers of Ensemble Cheru- bim, I felt profoundly fortunate to have the voic - es and spirits of my ancestors within me and the voices and spirits of these sensitive singers before me. Such abundance, such shchedrist [generosity] is what these carols, Ukraine’s land, our Ukrain - ian people, our culture embody. This is what we are fighting for,” Marika emphasizes. She is raising funds to release the recording and hopes that fund - ing will be in place when the sessions are complet - ed in January 2025. In early August, Marika performed as chorus - master in concerts of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Freedom Orchestra of Ukraine at the Ca- thedral of St. John the Divine in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, to sold-out audiences. In December, she will lead the critical- ly acclaimed choir Cappella Romana in Portland and Seattle with concerts entitled “Christmas in Ukraine.” Marika continues to advocate for Ukraine however she can, one carol and song at a time. The UNWLA is proud to support her musical advocacy for Ukraine. НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ • Листопад 2024
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