UKRAINIAN BANDURIST CHORUS RECORDING RELEASE

Detroit - The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus (UBC) is pleased to announce the release of its newest recording, Brothers! We Shall Live. The launch of this album follows a concert series that featured pieces from the recording and was attended by over 2,000 people in New York City, Philadelphia, and Manitoba.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Taras Shevchenko, the iconic Ukrainian poet after whom the UBC is named. Over forty bandurists and vocalists from all over North America came together under the direction of Oleh Mahlay to record compositions and arrangements by Verykivsky, Kuchuhura-Kucherenko, Stetsenko, Lysenko, Potapenko, Mahlay, and Revutsky — all set to Shevchenko’s timeless poetry.

The listener will be surprised to hear new music to Shevchenko’s great words as well as some audience favorites. This thirteen-track recording features works such as “Why Have You Blackened, O Green Field?” about the Battle of Berestechko, the largest European land battle in the 17th century. “Girls, Do Not Wonder” features two humorous vignettes from Shevchenko’s epic poem Haidamaky. And finally, “Bandurist, You Gray Eagle,” which compares the bard to this powerful bird with the wings and the strength to fly to Ukraine, to seek the freedom found in the expansive steppes of the poet’s homeland. Soloists from the recording include Andrij Birko, Zenon Chaikovsky, Andrew Hladyshevsky, Yarema Hryciw, Ihor Krislaty, Zenon Krislaty, Adrian Kwitkowsky, Andrij Kytasty, Luke Lashchuk, Yuriy Metulynsky, Yurij Petlura, Nicholas Schidowka, Vasyl Troyanovych, Lyubomyr Yakimiv, Taras Zakordonski, and Oleh Zmiyiwsky.

Brothers! We Shall Live was possible because of generous individual, family, and community business sponsorships, along with countless online donations. The recording sessions took place at Grace Lutheran Church in Lakewood, Ohio in April, May, and June of 2014 with sound engineer and recording mixer Alexander Fedoriouk; mastering was completed by Paul Hamaan of SUMA Recording Studio. Photos were provided by UBC members Andrew Zwarych and Julian Hayda. The recording booklet and CD artwork were designed by Tanya and Mark Mykytiuk of the Toronto-based Ptashka Arts.

To order a copy of Brothers! We Shall Live in time for Christmas, please visit www.bandura.org or call 734.953.0305.