THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (07/12/98)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

UNA holds 14th annual Fathers' Day celebration at Soyuzivka

by Andre Worobec

KERHONKSON, N.Y. - On June 21 the weather was beautiful and the UNA successfully celebrated its 14th annual Fathers' Day at Soyuzivka. Some 500 guests visited Soyuzivka during this weekend and about 400 filled the Veselka auditorium.

After the divine liturgy at the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church, special prayers and sermons in English and Ukrainian by the Rev. Oleksa Shuter, for all fathers, the guests assembled at the Veselka Hall for the afternoon concert.

The concert featured two acts from Montreal, the Troyanda Ukrainian dance ensemble and flamenco guitar soloist Andrey Kutash, as well as Liuba Shchibchik, lyric soprano from Kyiv, accompanied by accomplished pianist Oksana Revliuk Protenic.

Troyanda was founded in 1989 by Ukrainian folk dance enthusiasts Tanya Harasymowycz and Bohdan Klymchuk, who are also the ensemble's artistic directors. Past appearances have included performances at the renowned Place des Arts, Montreal's Arts Center, the Dummondville folk festival, the largest international folk festival in Canada, and for Ukrainian and Canadian audiences in Quebec.

Closely associated with Troyanda is a young Ukrainian virtuoso flamenco guitar soloist, Andrey Kutash, who has been performing independently as a guitarist before Ukrainian and Canadian audiences, and on Montreal and Quebec radio stations, and is also a dancer of Troyanda.

The concert began with introductions and greetings delivered by Daria Nyzhankiwsky and Lilia Tashchuk. Andre J. Worobec continued as master of ceremonies for the rest of the program.

Ms. Nyzhankiwsky and Ms. Tashchuk alternated as mistresses of ceremonies in Ukrainian and English, greeting the audience, introducting the performers, wishing a happy Fathers' Day to all fathers in the audience and asking it to honor them with the singing of Mnohaya Lita.

They also introduced UNA dignitaries: UNA President Ulana Diachuk, with her husband; former Supreme President John O. Flis with his two granddaughters; current and newly re-elected UNA Advisors Stephanie Hawryluk and Alex Chudolij, who was present with his wife and his son; Nicholas Fil, chairman of the UNA Albany District; Leon Hardink, chairman of the Woonsocket District and secretary of Branch 206; Dmytro Sarachmon, fraternal activities director of the Woonsocket District and president of Branch 206; Paul Shewchuk, former chairman and honorary chairman of the Troy-Albany District Committee and secretary of Branch 13; Mr. Worobec, newly elected advisor and secretary of Branch 76; Ivan Pryhoda, secretary of Branch 200; Janet Bardell, secretary of Branch 241; Michael Sawkiw, secretary of Branch 57.

Special thanks went to guests from the Albany-Watervliet area for coming in large numbers, and to Mr. Fil for organizing the trip, to guests from Rhode Island and Mr. Sarachmon, respectvely, for organizing the bus trip from Woonsocket.

Troyanda began the performance with a well-executed opening dance Pryvit (Greeting) and was followed by Ms. Shchibchik's beautiful rendition of two songs, Liszt's canzona (song) "Liebenstrom" and Arditti's "Il Baccio."

Mr. Kutash followed with a beautiful pastoral scene, seated amid six young girls in Ukrainian folk costumes. He played "Znaidenyi Rai" (Newfound Paradise), "Nebo i Zemlia" (Heaven and Earth) and "Oi u Hayu" (In the Forest Glade). The skillful performance blended the visual and the audio into a beautiful tableau.

Ms. Shchibchik followed with two beautifully sung arias, Puccini's "Cio-Cio-San" from the opera "Madame Butterfly" and Margaretta's aria from Gounod's opera "Faust."

Troyanda followed with the dance, "Moya Ukraino" (My Ukraine).

Between numbers Mr. Worobec introduced one of the oldest UNA members, Mychaylo Shypula, of Branch 361, New York, who turned 100 years old and passed his 50th anniversary as a UNA member. The audience welcomed him appreciatively with a loud round of applause.

Mr. Kutash followed with three guitar songs, "Zoriane Nebo" (Starry Sky), "Ivanku" and "Tykho nad Richkoiu" (Quiet Beside the River). Ms. Shchibchik completed her recital with two Ukrainian songs, two Lysenko arias, Halia's ariozo (small melody) from the opera "Utoplena" (The Drowned Maiden) and Natalka's aria from "Natalka Poltavka."

Troyanda brought its performance to the end by executing its final number with an adroitly, high-spirited, yet graceful grand Hopak.