Paska with Saffron
AUUC VANCOUVER-Ukrainian Cultural Center
Keeping Ukrainian-Canadian culture alive since 1918
AUUC National Orchestral Workshop
November 8-10, 2024
Vancouver, BC
The performing arts have long played an important role in the life of our organization. They have sustained us and have provided us with a means by which we can celebrate our Ukrainian culture. Long before the first shovel was placed in the ground in the building of our Cultural Centres, our forefathers were practicing their art. Be it through the early drama groups and reading circles or through the orchestra and dance groups that quickly followed, they found comfort in the familiarity of their native tongue in the songs they sang and in the dances they performed.
Over the many years that followed, the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians and its forerunners continued the tradition of supporting the arts. Be it in the many workshops and seminars they sponsored, or in the major National Festivals beginning with the first one held in Toronto on July 15, 1939. Our organization has always invested in the performing arts, recognizing the importance of them in connecting our centres amongst each other as well as to connecting them to the broader community.
And so it was that after many months of planning and organizing, the National Performing Arts Committee (NPAC) of the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians along with the support of the National Executive Committee and the National Committee, hosted the National Orchestral Workshop in Vancouver, BC on November 8-10, 2024.
The AUUC Cultural Centre at 805 E. Pender Street served as the venue for the workshop transforming the upper Hall into the main rehearsal space while the lower Hall was used for gatherings, socials, food service and on one occasion served as a separate space for a sectional rehearsal.
Musicians from Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton and Calgary joined those in Vancouver. In all, there were 46 in attendance which included 3 of our incredibly talented conductors – Pavel Rhyzlovsky, Vancouver, Annis Kozub, Winnipeg and Slava Prysiazhniuk, Winnipeg.
Four pieces of music were chosen for this workshop.
Conductors: Annis, Pavel and Slava
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Ukrainian Suite – composer - Zenon Dashak, arrangement – Myron Shatulsky, adapted by – Pavel Rhyzlovsky, conducted by – Pavel Rhyzlovsky
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Ukrainian Suite – composer – Ilya Vilensky, conductor – Annis Kozub
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Slavonic Dances, Op. 72, No. 2 – composer – Antonin Dvořák, conductor – Pavel Rhyzlovsky
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Arkan (Ukrainian Traditional) – Arrangement – Viacheslav Prysiazhniuk, conductor - Viacheslav Prysiazhniuk
Following the “Meet and Greet” Friday evening, the musicians dove into their first rehearsal with determination and enthusiasm aware of the task before them. They were to learn 4 pieces of music over the weekend, ready for a final recording on Sunday afternoon. It was an intense weekend but all rose to the challenge with a resolve to demonstrate the incredible talent we have in our organization. Those in attendance understood the importance of this opportunity and worked hard to learn the material being presented. There were many incredible musicians in attendance each rising to the challenge to bring the pieces together beautifully. There was general consensus that the pieces chosen for the workshop were excellent choices. These are pieces that will now become part of our national repertoire and will hopefully set the stage for future collaborations.
There were many volunteers who helped to make the workshop the success it was. From the drivers who transported the participants, to those who provided delicious meals. The menus were varied, tasty and healthy and everyone was satisfied with the quantities and choices. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Vancouver Branch who provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere to our guests.
Vancouver Branch Volunteers
The National Orchestral Workshop was an incredible event providing an opportunity for the musicians to improve their technique, learn new pieces and to take these pieces back to their centres. Such workshops push the level of performance and learning higher, especially when musicians meet those from other centres. They also help to strengthen relationships between AUUC participants whether reacquainting them with old friends or making new ones.
Mir Huculak, Honourary Consul for Ukraine in B.C. dropped by to see the workshop and bring greetings. He was very impressed with the musicians and announced that they were ready for a performance!
Every musician left the workshop with improved technique, new friends and connections, and hopefully an elevated enthusiasm and determination to share their Ukrainian culture with the wider community. Such workshops form the cornerstone in developing an ongoing programme to grow the AUUC and its profile in the Ukrainian Canadian community. One that began many years ago.
Workshop Coordinator Debbie Karras and
Consul for Ukraine in B.C. Mir Huculak