Ukrainian Art Song Project – Round 5

Posted on August 29, 2023

Sunday afternoon in the Temerty Theatre, the participants in this year’s Ukrainian art song intensive presented the results of their efforts during the week.  There were eight singers (nine if one adds in mentor Benjamin Butterfield, who came in for a couple of numbers).  Steven Philcox and Leanne Regehr shared the piano parts.

Like previous years it was staged “in the round” in Temerty with the piano at centre and the audience ranged around it on all sides.  Singers came and went, singing from the centre or the periphery.  It was really quite slick and ensured that the two halves of the programme flowed.  A variety of composers and poets from the 19th century to the present were featured.  A lot of Ukrainian art song has significant folk influences, but it seemed particularly strong in the twenty-odd songs chosen this year.