Ukrainian Christmas Festive Songs

Ukrainian Christmas & Epiphany carols sung to the accompaniment of traditional Ukrainian musical instruments. [БУДЬ ЛАСКА, НЕ ВАГАЙТЕСЯ ЖМИКНУТИ НА 'SHOW MORE' ВНИЗУ - PLEASE DON'T BE AFRAID TO CLICK ON 'SHOW MORE' BELOW FOR DETAILS OF ALL 11 TRACKS IN THIS COMPILATION]

This album was recorded in England in 1987 in celebration of the Millennium of Christianity in Ukraine (988-1988).

Musical arrangement and album cover artwork - Yuriy Babchuk.

[00:00] Track 01 - Rozhdestvo Khrystove - Рождество Христове - The nativity [3.18]
[03:14] Track 02 - Khrystos rodyvsia - Христос родився - Christ is born [4.14]
[07:25] Track 03 - V Halyts'kiy zemli - В Галицькій землі - In the land of Galicia [3.13]
[10:15] Track 04 - Oy zza horoyu za zelenoyu - Ой зза горою за зеленою - Beyond the green mountain [3.48]
[13:59] Track 05 - Boh predvichnyi - Бог предвічний - Eternal God [2.36]
[16:33] Track 06 - Novaya radist' z neba zahostyla - Новая радість з неба загостила - New joy from heaven [2.54]
[19:22] Track 07 - Stan' Davyde z huslamy - Стань Давиде з гуслами - David praise our Lord [3.58]
[23:20] Track 08 - Nyni sia yavyla - Нині ся явила - A revelation this day [6.36]
[29:53] Track 09 - Oy u sadu, sadu - Ой у саду, саду - In the vineyard [2.32]
[32:21] Track 10 - Nova radist' stala - Нова радість стала - Glad tidings today [4.08]
[36:18] Track 11 - Hrayut' kobzari na zolotiyi tsymbaly - Грають кобзарі на золотії цимбали - The golden tsymbaly [2.27]

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Українські колядки й щедрівки виконані, при супроводі традиційних українських народніх інструментів, квартетом 'Кобзарське братство' з Англії. Музичне оформлення та художнє зображення Юрія Бабчука.

Запис зроблений в 1987р. для відзначення тисячоліття хрещення Руси-України (988-1988).

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The KB timeline begins in October 1982.

A group of traditional Ukrainian singers-musicians, the KB draw inspiration and motivation from their celebrated Ukrainian troubadour forefathers - the kobzars.

The KB's musical director and long-serving tsymbaly (hammer dulcimer) player with the 'Orlyk' representative folk dance ensemble of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB), Yuriy Babchuk, also plays the Chernihiv style bandura - "chernihivka", the kobza - from which the word kobzar (a kobza player) derives and the lira (hurdy-gurdy), an instrument he has made replicating one in an historical archive photograph of a traditional Ukrainian lira player - a lirnyk.

Bass voice, Iwan Hnylycia [ + 18.04.2008 ] plays a "chernihivka", Ihor Luczka (tenor) plays a "poltavka" - the Poltava style bandura and Lubomyr Mazur (tenor) plays a "poltavka" and flute. For many years they were members of various Ukrainian choirs founded in England, notable amongst them being the internationally renowned 'Homin' representative male voice choir of the AUGB and the Ukrainian Youth Association's (CYM) 'Trembita' mixed voice choir.

Since their world premier stage appearance in Christmas 1982, the KB has given hundreds of performances both inside the UK and abroad. Amongst their more memorable international appearances are:

- Munich, Germany (October 1983) - the 40th Anniversary of the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations.

- Vienna, Feldbach and environs, Austria (May-June 1984) - touring with the "Orlyk" representative folk dance ensemble.

- Munich, Germany (October 1984, 1989) - the 25th and 30th Anniversary commemorations of the assassination of Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN).

- Waterloo, Belgium (March 1987) - together in concert with the "Hoverla" folk dance ensemble (AUGB Derby).

- Munich, Germany (July 1987) - the 1st Anniversary commemoration of the death of Yaroslav Stetsko, Prime Minister of Ukraine in 1941 and OUN leader.

- Rotterdam, Holland (May 1988, 1993) - the 50th and 55th Anniversary commemorations of the assassination of colonel Yevhen Konovalets', commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

- Hamburg, Germany. (August 1988) - the Millennium of Christianity in Rus'-Ukraine celebrations.

- Ontario Place, Toronto, Canada (August 1989) - programme participants along with renowned Ukrainian female trio 'Zoloti klyuchi' in the annual Ukrainian "Heritage Day" Celebrations.

- The "Easter in Ukraine" Concert Tour (April 1991) - together with Ukrainian folk group L'vivski Muzyky and troubadour Oleh Martsynkivs'kyi performed in L'viv, Kyiv, Kaniv, on Ukrainian Central TV, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Pochayiv, Kremenets', Luts'k. Guests of the L'viv regional Chervona Ruta Festival.

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The KB media catalogue comprises 2 audio and 1 video recording:

* 'Кобзарське братство' (The Kobzar Brotherhood) - LP - audiocassette - CD

* 'Колядки й Щедрівки у тисячоліття хрещення Руси-України' (Christmas and Epiphany carols in celebration of the Millennium of Christianity in Ukraine) - LP - audiocassette - CD

* 'Великдень на Україні' (Easter in Ukraine) - audiocassette - videocassette - DVD

Видео Ukrainian Christmas Festive Songs канала Kobzars'ke bratstvo - The Kobzar Brotherhood