More than words: PCUH lecture music to ears of those interested in Ukraine

In culmination of its 25^th anniversary celebrations, the Prairie Centre for the Study of Ukrainian Heritage (PCUH) hosted ethnomusicologist and folklorist Dr. Brian Cherwick for a lecture-presentation entitled “Sounds You’ve Never Seen Before,” featuring 40 Ukrainian folk instruments on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

The main gallery of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada was filled with an enthusiastic and awed audience for this wonderful event, which informed everyone not only about the mechanics and musical qualities of the instruments themselves, but about the relevant ethnographic and historical context of each. Dr. Cherwick is the leading scholar in this area in North America, and has a gift in making such topics accessible and entertaining for his audience. The relevance of the many distant historical themes discussed were not lost on the audience, as Ukraine nears 600 days since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion into its territory. The historical ballads performed from the 1500s about fighting for Ukraine’s independence ring eerily true today.

We could not have asked for a more poignant way to wrap up our 25^th anniversary events. Our gratitude to Dr. Cherwick for his expertise, to the UMC for their beautiful space and cooperation, and to both our dedicated supporters and the many new faces that were present that evening.