Ukrainian women delight, enchant and entertain (11/17/96)

Ukrainian women delight, enchant and entertain

by Jeff Picknicki Morski

WINNIPEG - It was "ear candy" at its best on the evening of Sunday, September 29, as three prominent Ukrainian women from the world of contemporary music took to the stage at the Provencher Ball Room of Winnipeg's Hotel Fort Garry. The concert, coordinated by the Alpha Omega Alumnae and produced by Bohdana Bashuk, featured the performances of Darka Konopada-Halatyn, Irena Welhasch-Baerg and Alexis Kochan in an evening that delighted, enchanted and entertained.

Ms. Konopada-Halatyn, whose performance in "Trio" marked her Winnipeg debut, demonstrated ably her talents as soloist, song-writer and lyricist in selections such as "Chaika Stepova" and "Ya ne Khochu." Joined also by her husband and musical partner Slavko Halatyn, the duo performed "Ya Znov Tobi," "Mamo" (a song from their first album) and the Indigo Girls' "Galileo," among others.

Ms. Welhasch-Baerg, a soprano whose offerings included a Hutsul folk song, three Puccini arias, a selection from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera" and the wonderfully tongue-in-cheek "Prima Donna" (which she also performed as an encore), was born in Winnipeg and developed her career at the Manitoba Opera Company.

Winnipeg's Ms. Kochan, the last of the trio to perform, offered an ancient Bukovynian wedding song, "Tuman Yarom" and "Shchedrivka z Sumshchyny" and others. Accompanied by three musicians, including Julian Kytasty on bandura, Ms. Kochan also treated the audience to a selection from her upcoming album "From Paris to Kyiv Variances."

The finale featured the trio performing its rendition of "Amazing Grace" with verses sung in English and Ukrainian.

The concert, a resounding success despite its late start and, for some, rather lengthy intermissions, was attended by approximately 300 people, including Ukraine's ambassador to Canada, Volodymyr Furkalo, and his economic counselor, Mykhailo Tytarenko.

Orysia Tracz, president of Alpha Omega Alumnae, praised the work of all those involved in making this a truly memorable evening.