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Ensemble Khreshchaty Yar
Volume Two: Traditional songs from Ukraine (Face Music)
$17.99

Notes on the songs

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The musicians:

• Volodymyr Budz (leader): voice, bandura (Ukrainian lute-zither / psaltery), accordion, sopilka (Ukrainian duct flute, 30-40 cm long, with 6 fingerholes), tylynka (large endblown flute without fingerholes made of a 60-80 cm long metal tube), frilka (small duct flute with 6 fingerholes made of a 20-50 cm long metal tube), sosulya (vessel flute, uses to imitate bird calls such as that of the cuckoo)
• Volodymyr Biletsky: voice, soloist, bukhalo (drum), buben (tamburine)
• Valentyna Bogdanova: voice, soloist
• Ivan Volynets: voice, soloist
• Valery Golub: voice, folk fiddle
• Vasil Palanjuk: voice, tsymbaly = cymbal (dulcimer), sopilka (Ukrainian duct flute), dvodenzivka (double duct flute), rebro (panpipe), sosulya (vessel flute or cuckoo), drymba (jew's harp) - Anatoliy Kurylo: voice, bukhalo (drum), hupalo ("hooter")
• Yuri Berbenyuk: voice, double bass
• Guest: Ivan Tkalenko - bandura

  The record label says:
  The ensemble Khreshchaty Yar was founded in June 1990. All its members have studied either at the conservatory or at the music academy in Kiev and are now musicians by profession.

  The name of the ensemble can be explained in two ways:

  - Yar = "gorge, ravine" and Khreshchenye = "baptism". There is a main street in Kiev with this name and it is said that in 988 AD, prince Volodymyr led his people on this road (at that time it was a country road) to the river Dnepr for baptism.

  - The second explanation derives from an archaic meaning of the two words: Khreshchaty = "to be reborn again and again, having reached immortality"; Yar or Yarylo meant "Sun God". Thus, the two words combined stand for the "eternal, immortal or everlasting sun".

  The repertory of the ensemble comprises traditional songs and instrumental pieces from Central and Western Ukraine, e.g. orally transmitted folk songs telling about every day happenings or songs that belong to particular Ukrainian ceremonies or festivities, as well as historical songs, songs of the Cossacks and ballads. The performance of the songs is either polyphonic or solo with instrumental accompaniment. The musicians play the following traditional instruments: sopilka (duct flute), dvodenzivka (double duct flute), fiddle, bandura (Ukrainian lute-zither / psaltery), tylynka (long endblown metal flute), frilka (short metal flute), rebro (panpipe), sosulya (vessel flute or cuckoo) and chromatic accordion.

  The artists of Khreshchaty Yar wear local costumes for their performances and in their programmes, they have dances that reflect the living tradition and great variety of Ukrainian folklore.

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