A Life in Song
The Choir
When you’re two university students with a keen interest in liturgical music, what do you do? Why, start a church youth choir of course. Back in 1985, Roman Hurko and Taras Kovalchuk, two first-generation Ukrainian-Canadian university students, were looking to develop and pursue their passion for liturgical music. Recruiting fellow students from various Ukrainian Canadian youth groups, as well as recent young immigrants of Ukrainian descent from Poland and the former Yugoslavia, Roman and Taras established the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church Youth Choir. In 2000, the Youth Choir was formally designated as the official parish choir of the Toronto-based St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church. Almost four decades later, not only do a significant number of original choristers continue to be active with the choir, its ranks have also been filled with new volunteers from both local Ukrainian-Canadians and recent immigrants from Ukraine.
With its repertoire of sacred music in the Ukrainian Byzantine Rite, the choir not only celebrates Sunday Divine Liturgy and high holidays at its home parish, it also represents St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church at various events locally, nationally and internationally. Making good on its mission to preserve and promote Ukrainian sacred music from the seventeenth century to the present day, the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church Choir also fosters new compositions, arrangements and regularly incorporates original compositions of Ukrainian Canadian composers, (Roman Hurko and Adrian Ivakhiv to name but two), into its offerings. It has previously recorded a CD of Ukrainian sacred music titled Блажен / Blessed (2002).
One thing is for certain. Members of the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church choir are bound by their passion for Ukrainian sacred music and choral singing. The choir readily welcomes all like-minded admirers of classical and modern Ukrainian liturgical music into its ranks.
Zhanna Zinchenko
Artistic Director & Conductor (2004 to Present)
Recruited by founding conductor Roman Hurko, Zhanna Zinchenko accepted the conductor’s baton in 2004 and has remained the choir’s conductor and artistic director to the present day. A laureate in international choral and conducting competitions, the multitalented Ms Zinchenko not only has extensive experience conducting a range of choirs from student choristers to professional singers, she is also a soloist, vocal coach, piano teacher and is known for her work with children.
Zhanna Zinchenko has a talent for finding the sweet spot in her choristers’ voices. Under Ms Zinchenko’s direction, the choir’s contemplative interpretations of Ukrainian sacred music have made the St, Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church choir an essential element of parish life. Add to that an ambitious program of concerts, festivals and recordings, has exposed the choir to audiences beyond the parish both at home and abroad.
“People should pray not only in spirit, that is, with their mind and heart, but also in body and with everything that they assess both in their souls and bodies, with everything that they can use to praise the Most High . In song humans give their lungs, hands, knees, all their body, voice, tongue; their sense of beauty, of melody, rhythm and harmony, in short — their whole selves - in service to the Lord. Sung prayer corresponds to human nature and to the natural obligations of humankind towards the Most High..”
— Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, Decree of the Lviv Archeparchial Council “Regarding Church Singing”, April 25, 1941
CORNERSTONES OF THE CHOIR:
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Our Parish
Since its establishment in 1950, St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church has been a leader in the effort to preserve, deepen, and develop the rite and faith that inspired its founders. The Parish Choir is proud to be an integral element of the continuation of this tradition through its commitment to the study, composition and performance of Ukrainian sacred music both within the parish and beyond.
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Musicianship
Without doubt, past and present conductors of the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church Choir are a talented group of artists — all of whom have contributed to the trove of Ukrainian sacred music.
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A Helping Hand
Our choristers love to perform — especially for a good cause. Combine a love of singing with determined organizational skills and a group commitment to pay it forward and fundraising concerts are a natural result.
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Community
The St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church Choir actively participates in community life. From expanding its role as a traditional church choir, to linking Ukrainians with the broader Canadian community, to developing ties between Canada and Ukraine, the choir actively pursues opportunities to join forces with like-minded individuals, organizations and ensembles.
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On the Road
Choristers have raised their voices in song and prayer on four continents: North America (Canada and the United States), Europe (Italy and Ukraine), Asia and Africa (Israel and Egypt). Not bad for a parish choir!
