Newark schoolchildren perform concert of Christmas carols

NEWARK, N.J. - The students of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic School presented a Christmas carol concert on December 17, 2000. The church resounded with Ukrainian- and English-language "koliady" and carols performed by the choirs of the lower and upper grades, including the youngest schoolchildren, the kindergartners.

The annual program also included recitations, a Christmas pageant presented by the lower grades, a traditional Ukrainian "vertep" (Nativity play) prepared by grades 6, 7 and 8, plus music played by the school's sopilka and bandura ensembles.

A special attraction was the performance of the seasonal favorite "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" by an ensemble composed of St. John's staff, and a medley of carols sung by Olha Stashchyshyn and Maria Wolansky, respectively, a teacher and a former teacher at St. John's.

At the conclusion of the concert, the church's pastor, the Rev. Bohdan Lukie greeted the audience and thanked the young performers and their teachers, Sister Evelyn SSMI, principal, and especially choir director Michael Stashchyshyn for the wonderful afternoon of Christmas traditions. The concert concluded with all present singing the beloved Ukrainian koliada "Boh Predvichnyi."

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 21, 2001, No. 3, Vol. LXIX

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