Ukraine and South Sudan Benefit Concert Featuring the Yale Russian Chorus Set

SEYMOUR – A Ukraine and South Sudan Benefit Concert Featuring the Yale Russian Chorus (YRC) will be held Saturday, April 12 at 2 p.m. at the Seymour United Methodist Church, 90 Pearl Street, Seymour. The event is part of the Music for Peace concert series.

The YRC has been singing music of the Slavic regions since 1953. They have travelled to Eastern Europe 22 times. The group has a dee affinity with the people and the music of Ukraine. This concert will feature patriotic music of Ukraine. Also exuberant and sometimes mournful folk and liturgical music of Ukraine, Macedonia, Latvia and Czechoslovakia will be featured.

Come sing with a mass choir of local folks singing the traditional Molytva za Ukrayinu (Prayer for Ukraine) and Mnohaya Lita (Many Years), a traditional Ukrainian song of well-wishing.

Alex Kuzma, a Ukrainian speaking former director of the YRC, states “the…Valley has long had a very vibrant Ukrainian American community. with legendary figures like Igor Sikorsky and Sam Jaskilka. But it’s only recently that we’ve been able to revive the great tradition of Ukrainian choral music in this area,” He recently visited Ukraine in his capacity serving in development with the Catholic University of Ukraine. He notes. “with Ukraine’s heroic people fighting against a massive Russian invasion, this concert offers a great opportunity to share some of Ukraine’s beautiful artistic spirit and to raise funds for humanitarian aid for some of the embattled communities.”

The concert is free. Donations are being sought to help the grass roots Ukrainian Charity named Promoting the Protection of Solonyanshchyna. The charity work is conducted through the Intercession Church at Solony. A number of parishioners including the parish priest have gone off to the fighting.

The organization Love Ukraine will also benefit. It was founded by Ke Yi, a popular Chinese artist turned humanitarian. He works in Kherson, just a mile from the front. The people he serves are facing devastating consequences of the conflict. The stories he tells of suffering and loss, especially among the women and children, are heartbreaking.

For South Sudan, the Silesian Sisters of Don Bosco and their work at the leper colony at Laicock, South Sudan will benefit. They need everything: food, soap, mosquito nets. Sadly, suffers of the disease leave the colony and treatment there, because there is no food.

Also, MAMA Project International has built 5 Health care units and drilled or repaired 16 wells in the refugee camps of Warrap State South Sudan. MAMA Project has been in existence for 37 years. It began in this parish, Seymour United Methodist Church. The organization now works in South America, Africa and India.

Reserve tickets at Eventbrite.com or get tickets at the door.