The Homin Choir, directed by Vadym Yatsenko, will perform all choral works by the prominent Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in celebration of his 150th anniversary. The concert is scheduled for August 31 at 19:00 in the Lviv Organ Hall.
This information comes from the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.
This event marks the first in a series of concerts titled "Leontovych. Homin Choir." The program will feature the performance of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
"Mykola Leontovych's choral arrangements are not just harmonizations; they represent a profound reinterpretation, refinement, and exceptional creativity in working with folklore," the message states.
The ministry noted that tickets for the concert were sold out back in June. Therefore, the choir will record the performance, which can be viewed through the Ukrainian Live mobile app.
Mykola Leontovych was born on December 13, 1877, into a family of a clergyman. His mother often sang Ukrainian folk songs, and his siblings learned music from a young age and became singers. Mykola's father, Dmytro, although a priest, was skilled at playing various musical instruments and became his son's first teacher.
At the Shargorod Spiritual School, he learned to sing from sheet music and could read complex parts in church choral works.
In 1892, Leontovych entered the Podilian Spiritual Seminary in Kamianets-Podilskyi, where he continued his music studies, focusing on singing techniques, violin, piano, and more. Around this time, he began arranging folk melodies, inspired by the works of Mykola Lysenko. He even dedicated his second collection of Podilian songs to him in 1903.
Leontovych's body of work includes over 150 choral arrangements of folk songs, including "Shchedryk," "The Cossack is Being Carried Away," original choral compositions, sacred music (Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom), and the unfinished opera "On Rusalka Easter."
The composer created unique choral compositions based on folk melodies. His Christmas carol "Shchedryk" has become a symbol of the New Year celebrations worldwide.
