In the heart of London’s Covent Garden, the tiny St. Paul’s Church is bustling midweek. Inside, a hundred Ukrainians are seated in a throng, but when silence finally reigns, the atmosphere is tense, and the band begins to sing.
Listening to them sing Verdi’s operatic aria under the direction of the conductor of the Royal Opera House in London, it is hard to imagine that these 130 Ukrainians are only singing together for the sixth time, and even less that they are all singing. they are not professional.
The group, accompanied by 45 members of a choir from a prestigious London institution, will sing on March 16 in the context of a sold-out concert dedicated to their country, many of whom fled there a year after the Russian invasion. “We were known as a nation that loved to sing, and music is an important part of our culture.”Irina Stepanova, a 32-year-old Ukrainian who lived in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine before moving to the UK in May 2022, told AFP. “I think today, more than ever, we need to culturally protect Ukraine.”thinks the young woman who answered the call to join the chorus from the Royal Opera House.
“We were hoping to get 45 singers, we had 360 applicationsenthuses Gillian Barker, the institution’s director of education. About 130 Ukrainians of all ages, mostly women.men fightwere finally selected to participate. Some are professionals, others have never sung before.
“Real exchange”.
“The crazy thing is that they didn’t know each othersays Mrs. Barker. “It’s just people who found each other and formed a communion by singing together“. on timeThe first rehearsal they were singing to each other and we were standing there crying because the sound was so powerful“, he adds. “It’s an incredibly exciting experience“hear”special connection between native country, language and music” says Royal Opera House Chorus Director William Spaulding, who conducts the choir before the performance.
To make the project work, the organizers worked on a repertoire of operatic ariaswhich can be sung by non-professionalsand Ukrainian patriotic and folk music. “They sing their Ukrainian repertoire and we bring the opera repertoireexplains Gillian Barker. “And we do a concert, which is a real exchange.»
For Irina Stepanova, who used to be a member of a choir in Ukraine.it’s amazing to sing with the royal opera“but”it’s not easy, they are really very professional“. A week before the concert at the Royal Opera, he is a little stressed. “But above all, I can’t wait because I think it will be a unique experience for all Ukrainians“. As a professional singer, Dmitry Hovorov admits that he was afraid of singing with amateurs. “But I was really surprised, the level is very high.»
Originally from Cherkasy, the 22-year-old was already living in the UK before the Russian invasion. “A Ukrainian choir with Ukrainian songs is really powerful and this sends a message that we are still fighting, we are still strong, we will win and we will be fine“, he says. After the Royal Opera, Ukraine will be at the center of Eurovision in May in Liverpool. The country won the 2022 edition, but cannot host the event on its soil because of the war.
HAVE ALSO – Emmanuel Todd – Ukraine.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.