Art of Singing Master Class brings choir directors and choristers to Toronto (11/28/04)

Art of Singing Master Class brings choir directors and choristers to Toronto

by Olena Wawryshyn

TORONTO - Wherever there is a group of Ukrainians, there is often a choir. This backbone of Ukrainian community life was bolstered through the Art of Singing Master Class that took place on September 11-12 at St. Vladimir Institute. At this event, presented by the Ukrainian Canadian Choral Federation and the Canadian Ukrainian Opera Association, members of various choirs had a chance to improve their vocal techniques by learning from the international opera singer Pavlo Hunka.

Close to 90 singers of all ages from Toronto and several other communities in Ontario, as well as from British Columbia and Alberta took part. Each participant received sheet music and a CD in advance to help them prepare for the sessions. Registration packages had to be reprinted several times due to the strong response.

"I am pleased that so many people were keen to receive some of the knowledge and experience I have gained from the music world over the last 20 years," said Mr. Hunka.

Mr. Hunka, who was born in England as the son of a Ukrainian father and an English mother, qualified as a linguist and practiced as a lawyer in the United Kingdom before embarking on a singing career. The bass-baritone began his vocal studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and completed them in Switzerland with Maria Sandulescu.

Mr. Hunka has performed in many of the world's leading opera houses, including those in Paris, Vienna, Munich, Florence, Amsterdam, London and Salzburg, under the baton of eminent conductors such as Claudio Abbado and Zubin Mehta. This year, he sang the title role in the Canadian Opera Company's production of "Falstaff " and the role of Hunding in the COC's "Die Walküre."

Mr. Hunka coached the Art of Singing Master Class participants in small group sessions on evenings leading up to the master class weekend. Participants were originally divided into three groups, which were led by Mr. Hunka and three chorus masters, giving them exposure to different conducting styles. Subsequently, they all joined forces and further put the lessons learned into practice during a joint session. They also had a chance to get additional tips from Mr. Hunka during a question-and-answer period.

"People were hanging on to every word that he [Hunka]was saying," said Mykola Maskulka, who was one of a large group of members of the Canadian Bandurist Capella who took part. A longtime community-choir singer, Mr. Maskulka is also a member of the St. Demetrius Orthodox Church Choir in Toronto.

"I've taken singing lessons before," said Mr. Maskulka, "but I was impressed with how quickly Paul Hunka could zero in on some of the specific problems that people would have."

Ms. Yaschyshyn, a longtime member of the Vesnivka Choir was also impressed by Mr. Hunka's teaching style. "He's able to be so personable. When he says: 'these are the three most important things I've learned,' I totally believe him and want to do exactly what he says. He's very positive and it's so easy to take in what he says you're capable of doing."

"I learned an awful lot. The master class was very beneficial to conductors, not only singers," said Halyna Kvitka Kondracki, the founding music director and conductor of the award-winning Vesnivka Choir and the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Chorus.

Under Ms. Kondracki's leadership, the Vesnivka Choir has been awarded many honors, including first prize in the folk competition at the International Eisteddfod in North Wales, first-place honors in the cultural category of the CBC National Choral Competition and a silver medal at the 2002 Choir Olympics in Linz, Austria.

Ms. Kondracki was one of three Toronto-based conductors who served as chorus masters and who led sessions at the master class. She and William Woloshcuk, the founder and music director for the Counterpoint Chorale and the music director for St. Vladmir Orthodox Cathedral in Toronto worked as a team with Mr. Hunka during sessions. They led the participants through music, while Mr. Hunka interjected where appropriate, coaching on aspects of vocal technique.

The third choral master, Myron Maksymiw, conductor of the Musicus Bortnianskii, the Boyan Choir and St. Demetrius Choir, also offered his expertise.

Despite a long day on Saturday, which included a full day of singing followed by a reception, "the participants were enthusiastic, attentive and receptive - three elements essential to the enjoyment of the learning process," said Mr. Hunka. "By the end of the weekend, each singer was embracing the sprit of the songs, was singing with considerably more gusto and in short time, expressing many of the emotions in the music."

Expressing emotions and connecting with audiences is one of Mr. Hunka's key strengths as a professional singer, for which he is often praised by critics. "Hunka is one of the great singing actors of our time ... he can really command the stage," said Richard Bradshaw, general director of the Canadian Opera Company.

Mr. Hunka's method of learning and interpreting music offered many master class singers a novel approach. Said Mr. Maskulka: "In my previous experience, when I was learning a score, I would begin with the music and then the words come in, whether it's German, Italian or French. With Pavlo, it was the reverse. He would say, 'begin with the words and then go onto the rhythm, then finally at the end you would come to the music.' It was something new to me."

Ms. Kondracki concurred: "In a lot of instances we always attacked the music first. And, once you understand the words and the meaning behind the words, the music becomes easier to learn."

In addition to the lessons on interpretation, many participants developed useful vocal techniques. Ms. Yaschyshyn found the instruction on breathing before a phrase and forming vowels particularly helpful. "I'm much more conscious of trying to make sure that singers around me, including me, are forming our vowels the same way so that we produce a preferred sound," he said.

The practical benefits of lessons such as these were evident during the first rehearsal, after the master class, of the Ukrainian Chamber Men's Choir. "I have noticed a very big difference," said Ms. Kondracki. We have applied his [Pavlo's] warm up exercises. ... and making sure that vowels are placed exactly the same all the time consistently has made a big difference ... The sound is fuller, it's rounder. I have only 11 or 12 men. It sounded like 25 guys, so that's great."

As a result, Ms. Kondracki said she would like to see similar master classes held again regularly in the future. "It's not to promote one or another person, it's for the betterment of every single choir in the community and to raise the level of our choral singing.

"In the 50s and 60s we were a much stronger choral group but right now we've kind of left it. It's not all that important to the Ukrainian community here. We need to raise the level of our choral singing and not be pleased with mediocrity, on any level, so I think master classes such as this are a must," she said.

"It brings back all of the things that maybe we have learned but have forgotten because of time. It refreshes, brings back the important aspects of choral singing that we forget. Everybody needs a little shake-up once in a while," Ms. Kondracki explained.

Like Ms. Kondracki, Mr. Maskulka said he would like to see master classes taking place in the future. "I hope it was financially successful, as people walked away asking when will we have another one," he said.

The organization of the event was widely praised. "Everything went like clockwork" said Mr. Hunka, who was flown in by the committee especially for the event. "It went so smoothly," said Mr. Maskulka, "people walked away very impressed. Everything was timely and the people were catered to or should we say pampered."

In response to the overwhelming support and thanks to the sponsors, a second master class is being planned for 2005 in Toronto. It is hoped that it will also be led by Mr. Hunka, who will be in Toronto at that time to perform the role of Alberich in the Canadian Opera Company's production of Richard Wagner's "Siegfried." The COC production in which Mr. Hunka will appear takes place January 27 and 30 and February 2, 5, 8 and 11, 2005.

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