Yaro Bihun
WASHINGTON – Much to the delight of Ukrainian Americans and many others, Ukrainian Christmas caroling came to the Washington area this year in the form of “Koliada and Music from the Carpathians,” featuring the Koliadnyky from Kryvorivnia, Ivan and Mykola Zelenchuk, and the “troista” musicians Mykola Ilyuk, Vasyl Tymchuk and Ostap Kostyuk, singing and playing on such traditional instruments as the trembita, tsymbaly, drymba, floyara, violin, flute and drum. At their performance on December 14, 2014, in the large parish hall of the Ukrainian National Catholic Shrine of the Holy Family, they were joined by the well-known bandurist Julian Kytasty and the local Spiv-Zhyttia choir. The following evening, the ensemble (minus the choir) presented an encore performance at the Embassy of Ukraine. The concert tour was sponsored by Yara Arts Group and The Washington Group Cultural Fund. – Yaro Bihun