From The Podium: Roots II: Korinnya

Dear friends and supporters of Pro Coro Canada

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this musical exchange: Roots. It is a great honour for Pro Coro Canada to work with renowned conductor Mykola Hobdych, and to perform in this beautiful and culturally significant sacred space, St Josaphat’s Cathedral, seat of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton.

Over the last few years, I have worked with choirs from the Ukrainian community on many occasions, recording the Resurrectional Liturgy by Father Sembrat and a CD with Hymns and Carols of the Nativity, leading Axios, the Ukrainian Male choir and Dnipro in concerts and workshops, on tour and here in Alberta, and generally experiencing the friendship of the Ukrainian community. In many of these exchanges, other members of Pro Coro Canada took part as singers. I’ve come to appreciate the dedication to rituals and traditions, the effort to preserve language and culture and the many bonds between the homeland and the diaspora.

Pro Coro Canada’s multi-year series Roots is a celebration of our  - Edmonton’s - diverse culture, made up of indigenous peoples, Canadians and immigrants from all corners of the world. Some of us have roots in Alberta reaching back generation, others are transient and here for a short time; all contribute to our multi-facetted society through cultural life. Shining the musical spotlight onto one part of our community, gives the ‘outsider’ a possibility to experience new spaces and locations, i.e. this magnificent cathedral, and to listen to new sounds in music and language. On the other hand, we have a specialist - Mykola Hobdych - who is presenting a cross section of one thousand years of Ukrainian history through music, highlighting similarities and differences across borders in art, culture and even politics. In the end, we all experience some of the Roots of our Canadian society here in Edmonton.

Guest Conductor Mykola Hobdych

Pro Coro Canada is part of the cultural fabric of this city, and we happily recognise that our series Roots was created in parallel with the 10-year arts and heritage plan Connections & Exchanges. This endeavor seeks ‘to infuse culture, arts, and heritage into every aspect of civic fabric, support cultural makers and interpreters, and grow Edmonton's arts and heritage audiences.’

I’d like to thank again our guest-conductor Mykola Hobdych for the passion, knowledge and skills with which he inspired our ensemble to learn about Ukrainian choral music. Our thanks also to the Ukrainian community for welcoming and supporting our event. Thank you all for being here today and we hope you enjoy the concert.