NEW YORK – Friday and Saturday, December 6 and 7, 2019, proved to be exceptionally active days at The Ukrainian Museum in New York City. There was the annual Christmas Bazaar, where one could buy books, embroideries and woodcuts, and select from a huge variety of delicious home-made pastries, medivnyky and cookies. Lubow Wolynetz and other baking specialists led a workshop in Ukrainian Christmas Traditions. The exhibit by painter Mikhail Turovsky, “From Darkness to Light,” was available for viewing in the main gallery. “The Impact of Modernity” was up in the second floor gallery, and an exhibit of “Selected Works” by Alexander Archipenko in the entry gallery. The “piece de resistance” were the Koliadnyky from Kryvorivnia, who had last been at the museum in 2015.
“Koliada and Music from the Carpathians” presented the traditional winter ritual of songs that are performed at each household to ensure health, love, wealth and happiness for all members of the household and a bountiful harvest for the homestead in the coming year.
The Koliadnyky consist of Ivan Zelenchuk (the “bereza” or lead singer), Mykola Zelenchuk (singer, trembita [mountain long horn], drymba [jaw harp] and bubon), Mykola Ilyuk (singer, fiddle, drymba, and folk flutes), Vasyl Tymchuk (tsymbaly), and Ostap Kostyuk (duda [goatskin bagpipes], floyara [overtone flute], drymba, flutes and trembita).
On both Friday and Saturday evening before sold-out houses, they performed the traditional koliada as they have done for countless years in the Carpathian Mountains. These events, presented by artistic director Virlana Tkach, are the first of a year-long celebration that marks the 30th year of the Yara Arts Group, which she heads.
This ritual began with the Koliadnyky ringing hand bells and blowing blasts on the trembita, casting a mystical spell on all who heard them. They announced their presence outside the “house” (the performance space at the museum) with a “Plies” (a winter dance) and then sang “My Kolidnychky.” Next, “Tsy Doma, Doma, Tsey Pan Hospodar” inquired if the master of the house was in and would he invite them in. Mr. Kostyuk then played a tantalizing melody on the duda. With Mr. Ilyuk on violin, the koliadnyky sang “A My Sobi Zaspivayem” finishing with the “Trypotinnya,” its rhythmic footwork meant to shake off the snow from their garments.
Certain songs in this ritual are directed to a specifc person who is mentioned by name in the song. “V Nashoho Pana” is to the hospodar of the house, in this case, an esteemed gentleman in the audience. After their “vinshuvannia,” in which they wished him much plenitude and wealth and bounty in the coming year, Mr. Kostyuk played a melody on the floyara. The koliadnyky sang “V Nedilyu Rano” to the hospodynya of the house, in this case Maria Shust, the director of the museum.
With these greetings concluded, the four musicians played a Hutsul melody on tylynka, tsymbaly, violin and bubon, starting the festive portion of the evening.
Dressed in beautifully embroidered traditional folk costumes, Iryna Voloshyna, Laryssa Czebiniak, Ezra Halleck and Asia Mieleszko of the Ukrainian Village Voices entered, their four voices brilliantly blended on “Shcho Na Richtsi, Shcho Na Yordani.” In response, Mr. Kostyuk and Mykola Zelenchuk greeted them with a lively “Plies z Dzvinkamy” stepping dance. The response to the Koliadnyky was the shchedrivka “Shcho v Pana Khazayina,” sung as a round, with the foursome now in two duos creating an intricate and lyrical weaving. Ms. Czebiniak concluded the quartet’s visit with a vinshuvannia for the koliadnyky.
Continuing the festive tone, the trio of Mr. Kostyuk, Mr. Ilyuk and Mykola Zelenchuk performed a medley of folk melodies on their drymby. The four musicians then performed a sensuous “Hutsulka” that segued into a very lively “Arkan.”
Renowned bandurist and composer Julian Kytasty joined the Koliadnyky. He sang “Oy Krasenyu Yasniy” a koliadka from the steppes of the Sumy region of Ukraine. The audience joined the ensemble for a hearty “Dobryi Vechir Tobi, Pane Hospodariu.”
“Ishly Molodtsi,” a very old koliadka, followed, sung by Mr. Kytasty, as he played on his Kharkivska bandura accompanied by the Koliadnyky. Soloing on the tsymbaly, Mr. Tymchuk played a selection of Hutsul dance melodies, displaying his mastery of the instrument and technique with ever-quickening finger work.
With Mr. Kytasty playing an overblown sopilka, and accompanied by Ms. Voloshyna on a hand drum, the duo sang “Stone Age Carol (Na Chystim Poli),” a piece developed by Mr. Kytasty and Alexis Kochan.
When the duo departed, the Koliadnyky launched into a Hutsul dance medley, which again allowed Mr. Tymchuk to display his mastery of the tsymbaly. They then performed the “Kruhlyak” ritual round dance for the bees, so that they may have robust hives and proliferate in the pollination of flowers.
The Koliadnyky left the house accompanied by the “Plies (My Kolidnychky)” and the “Teche Richka” spivanka. Their departure was heralded by a round of soundings of the trembita. The audience’s response was a heartfelt and passionate standing ovation. The Koliadnyky simply had to return, and they did, singing “Slavni Kolidnychky,” extolling their fame. The audience joined them to sing a rousing “Nova Radist Stala” and after several more well-deserved ovations, the musicians sat down and performed a lively Hutsul dance melody to end the evening.
Besides performing at The Ukrainian Museum, earlier that Saturday the Koliadnyky held a “Hutsul Winter Songs” workshop in conjunction with the Ukrainian Village Voices. Sunday, December 8, saw them performing with Julian Kytasty and the Accolada Chamber Choir at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in Jenkintown, Pa. They again performed with Julian Kytasty on Sunday, December 15, at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, NY. On December 21, they appeared with the Nova Opera from Kyiv and the Yara Arts Group in Ms. Tkach’s production of “Winter Songs on Mars” at the LaMama Experimental Theater in New York City.