MIAMI – The day before their arrival in Pompano Beach, Fla., on October 14, I received an e-mail from a friend announcing a concert of the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at a local Presbyterian Church. Since the appearance of Ukrainian artists from Ukraine is a rarity in South Florida, I immediately contacted other Ukrainians in the area about the concert. It was last minute, but certainly worth the effort.
This group of 34 singers and eight instrumentalists from Kyiv came as a missionary group sponsored by the Music Mission Kiev headquartered in Casselberry, Fla. Their program, titled “ A U.S.A.-Ukraine Friendship Tour,” is a fund-raising vehicle for humanitarian support for victims of war, widows and orphans in Ukraine. They have given concerts in Ukraine, Canada, Estonia and in the United States.
Since September, they have traveled throughout the U.S., giving concerts almost every day; they were to wind up their U.S. journey at the end of October in Grove City, Pa. (Unfortunately their PR department does not have contact with all our Ukrainian churches.)
Dr. Wes Janzen is the president of the mission and head conductor and artistic director. Prior to taking on this missionary work, he was a professor at Trinity Western University in Canada and served on the jury for many of Europe’s most important choral competitions. Dr. Janzen has ties to Ukraine from his grandparents who as Mennonites were forced out of Ukraine by the anarchist Nestor Makhno, who worked on his grandparents’ estate.
Devoted to his ministry and his love for Ukrainians, he spoke of the dire needs of widows, orphans and those injured in the recent war in Ukraine. From the contributions given at these concerts and promotions of their work, the mission since last December has taken 27,000 food packages, blankets and candles to towns and villages where they are most needed. According to Dr. Janzen, his efforts have been praised by Major Archbishop emeritus Lubomyr Husar and Patriarch Filaret.
Prior to the musical program, giant screens on both sides of the church’s altar displayed PowerPoint images with descriptive information about the help being given to Ukrainians and why it is so important to provide for them. Although there was no fee for the concert, contributions were encouraged.
To connect spiritually with those who perished on the Maidan, Dr. Janzen keeps a cobblestone – a piece of the “holy ground” of the “Nebesna Sotnia” (Heavenly Brigade) – on a small table covered with a Ukrainian flag at his side at his performances.
The concert of highly trained musicians was a gem. The voices soared into the heavens with delicate controlled and sustained tones of beauty. The instrumentalists accompanied or performed separate compositions, such as Myroslav Skoryk’s “Melody.” Most of the program in the first half was sacred music from various countries, ranging from American spiritual hymns to Ukrainian religious compositions.
In the second half of the two-hour program, the performers changed from black and white concert attire into Ukrainian costumes and sang Ukrainian traditional folk songs, with some new arrangements by V. Hritsyshyn, a young composer who performed with the group.
This was a unique performance with a unique purpose and at the same time a rare opportunity to hear such glorious music from Kyiv.