A simple koliada
by Orysia Paszczak Tracz
They were friends, buddies on the highest level, bonded by their love and knowledge of Ukrainian music. And yet, in their correspondence, they still addressed each other as "Vy," the formal, respectful way. Oleksander Koshetz [Koshyts] and Pavlo Macenko were musicologists, conductors, composers, arrangers, professors. Born in Ukraine, but through circumstances of history living the rest of their lives in North America, each contributed his enormous talent to the rich heritage of Ukrainian liturgical, classical, and folk choral tradition.
Koshetz and Macenko corresponded between New York and Winnipeg. In 1954 Pavlo Macenko published the letters he had received from Koshetz in "Vidhuky mynuloho: O. Koshetz v Lystakh do P. Matsenka" [Echoes of the Past: O. Koshetz in Letters to P. Matsenko] through Kultura i Osvita, the publishing wing of the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Center in Winnipeg (which Macenko and Koshetz's widow, Tetiana, helped found in 1944).
Along with his great knowledge of Ukrainian music and its history, the letters reveal a picture of Koshetz's hard life struggling as a musician, his concern about aspects of Ukrainian culture and life in North America, some kind and some caustic observations about other musicians and their work, his health, and his worry about his wife's well-being after he is gone.
Koshetz had collected and arranged very many Ukrainian ritual songs, including koliadky (carols) and schedrivky (New Year's songs). These arrangements are an integral part of many choirs in the world, especially of the Oleksander Koshetz Memorial Choir in Winnipeg, which originated as a choir during the Ukrainian Cultural Courses in Winnipeg in the 1940s, at which Koshetz taught. This letter to Macenko written on December 24, 1941 (the recipient's birthday), is devoted to a koliadka, "Narodyvsia Nam Spasytel."
This koliadka has been recorded by the Koshetz Memorial Choir, and is a delight to hear and sing. It is an example of the many Christian koliadky in which Ukrainian peasants saw the Holy Family as very human. In the lyrics, there is concern for the Baby's warmth, with both the angels preparing the silken layette and Joseph folding diapers. The latter are especially important, as any mother - human or divine - knows from experience. Many different koliadky express concern about diapers for the Christ Child. The Holy Family and the saints go about everyday household and farm tasks, including hauling water, plowing the fields, and breaking up rocks in the fields.
Here is a translation of a portion of Koshetz's letter about this koliadka:
"I sent you a greeting in pencil, and along with it some [music] notes. This time, I am sending you an interesting koliadka, which I received from Porfiryi Demutskyi, and one which old timers also sang in my village. It is a joy to see how our people see even religious feast days in light of their own humor, such a gentle and inoffensive humor, that it harms neither the feast day nor religious feelings. One needs to understand and know the creativity [folklore] of our people for this to be clear ..."
So, at home this koliadka was sung on the level of all others. But imagine if it were sung here, in America, among our church hypocrites. What a ruckus there would be: an affront! an offense against God's majesty!, etc., etc., all the usual high-falutin' words. I am reminded of that [other] koliadka written in the finest religious vocabulary, but with the melody of a simply vulgar "polka," which you can hear on the albums of the Lviv seminarians. That one they sing out, in churches and homes, the faithful, seminarians and the clergy, but this one they would not sing!
The humorous lyrics are infused with such tenderness, and the heavenly powers so gently are invited to this humble joy! This must be understood and felt along with that completely Ukrainian ornamentation - that Moroz [frost] and Andriy [the feast day of St. Andrew is on November 30, or December 13], who on a ladder-sided wagon over frozen clods of earth hurry to us with horilka [vodka] already a month before Christmas, on horses, and probably even with rope bridles ... And the clods on the road are frozen; there is, no snow. The straw is flying off the wagon in the wind, and your soul is being shaken out of you on that wagon!
Even if this were a "bursa koliada" [one composed in the college/seminary dormitories centuries ago], its folk elements are wonderful. I believe this is a completely original folk [koliada], but the bursa [boys] gave it choral harmony...
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 3, 1999, No. 1, Vol. LXVII
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