Almost Through - One Post-Concert Post Left!

Penultimate Entry

July 29

Jetlag has a curious way of interrupting life while one is in the midst of it. Frequent flyers understand this, and come to expect it. It is not usual to suddenly drift off in the middle of the evening news, or to awaken in the early hours of the morning, raring to go! A brief conversation with one’s body tells it “reset the internal clock please, it’s not time to get up yet.” Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s not worth the fight. Time for sleep will come another day, or maybe even this afternoon? Today, I awake to a peaceful, morning soaking rain. Having missed out on the heat wave of the past several weeks, and having enjoyed the temperateness of the past two days since I came home, this rain is a welcome change of pace.

I awoke to today’s entry in my online daily devotional:

O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. Psalms 63:1

Are you constantly busy but accomplishing very little? Do you feel like your life is always revving in high gear but you are stuck in neutral? It is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of life we are spinning around in circles and lose all sense of direction for our lives.

That first sentence caught my eye: “Are you constantly busy but accomplishing very little?” I have to say sometimes yes to the first half of that, but no to the second half. Actually, I was just thinking about how un-hectic this summer has been, perhaps this is the best and truest summer I have had in a long time. Have I accomplished a lot this summer? Yes, I have. And, summer is definitely not over yet.

Then the question comes: “Do you feel like your life is always revving in high gear but you are stuck in neutral?” Absolutely not, online devo! That is exactly the opposite of how I am experiencing life today, post-Ukraine Trip #8. I am most definitely not currently “revving in high gear” but I am definitely not stuck in neutral. More precisely, I am resting in, and definitely caught up in “the whirlwind of life” [in the best and most spiritual “Ruach” sense of that word] but I am certainly not  “spinning around in circles” nor have I lost direction for my life. I still seek the Lord this morning as I should every morning, and I still need to thirst more and more for His hydrating presence in my life. But, I am not lacking in direction or feeling like I am stuck. Most definitely not. In fact, after these amazing three weeks in Ukraine, I feel more directional, with a clearer call on my life and a more specific set of “marching orders” than I have in a long, long time.

As my jetlag recedes more and more, I am left with such sweet memories of this time. So much of it is chronicled in the previous posts I have made. Anticipating our final home concert later this week, it will be such a wonderful reunion with the other members of Evangelion (sadly, without our Ukrainian “Magnificent Seven” but happy to reunite with our Home Chorale members). Olesya, Marina, Anya, Oxsana, Vitaly, Serhiy and Sasha – we already miss you and wish you could be with us this Thursday for our home concert at Benson Great Hall. But, you WILL be with us – in Spirit – and we will sing once again that beautiful song “Sweet Home” with two countries in mind – yours and ours. I know “Prayer for Two Countries” will have a deeper and more bittersweet taste to it for me (and for many of us) without all of you there with us. Veenker and I will do our best to be the chanting priests in the Gretchaninoff, and I know the rest of the program will be a wonderful musical reunion. I’ve missed singing it. I’m sure the rest of the Evangelion members have, too.

O God, you are my God; early will I seek you…

It’s not even 8am yet. Now to get hydrated and to ready to experience a great day of worship, family and a celebration of Christian community. No drought here – there is Living Water galore.

Postscript and preamble to this day:  This afternoon I am headed south to the wedding of a dear former student from NWC. He was on the Baltic Tour with the Northwestern College Choir back in 2010. Somehow, there is a special symmetry to the timing of this wedding, as it falls on the heels of my Ukraine trip where I spent such quality time with Sasha and his family, Serhiy (the still newlywed) and Vitaly, and in the homes of dear Ukrainian friends. The family continues to grow. Slava Bohu!

Only two days left!

Monday-Tuesday

July 23-24

Sorry I have not posted until now, but after the unrelenting activity of the previous days, Monday was “recovery day.” I am so happy I stayed these extra days – it has truly been a bonus week, plus. Hectic at times, yes. But, so very worthwhile. As I said, on Monday, I mostly rested, but also spent some time out walking and shopping in the market/bazaar places a few blocks away from the church. It’s a fascinating cross-cultural experience to be in the open air fresh meat market, also surrounded by mounds of fresh fruit (I bought Ecuadorian bananas), and little alcove supermarkets full of breads and sweet bakery items, dried and canned goods, refrigerated cheeses and cured meats! In many of these places, they are still using an abacus for calculating prices – handy that business can continue even without power! Some have battery-run calculators, but even those were rare where I was shopping. My wandering around the Podil neighborhood and part of town where I am staying has really paid off in making me feel at home. I enjoyed sticking my head into little Orthodox churches new and old (they all look incredibly old, and there’s at least 10 in this neighborhood), with my camera in hand – being Mr. American Tourist, but also trying to fit in as much as possible for a bald, pudgy Amerikanski.

After heading back to the church, I lay down to rest for just a bit, and ended up taking “the mother of all naps” – you know, one of those that when you wake up, you really don’t have a sense of how much time has elapsed or what time it is. Well-deserved and much appreciated, but also a little disorienting. I think during that nap, I dreamt that someone was knocking on my door. Shortly after, I heard a knock at my door and it was Serhiy, reminding me of the evening Youth Choir rehearsal in the lower “Café” level of the church. They would be preparing songs for the August conference in L’viv. It was mostly familiar music, some of which Heather, Steve and I had brought with us when we were here back in May 2011 – the Ukrainian Alleluia and hymn arrangements by Craig Courtney, If My People, and others. But, there were also some real Slavic gems which were new to me – a beautiful Otche Nash by Leontovich, a piece called Soli Deo Gloria which I also liked a lot, and you could tell they did too. (I showed them my tattoos of SDG…couldn’t resist, with a song by the same title. Hope I have not started anything I will regret!)

After the Youth Choir had finished around 9pm, of course it was time for dinner!  I was to be a guest of the House of Ryabiy, a large and growing family who live out in the suburbs, the best way I can describe it. I was driven there in style - in an S-Class Mercedes with A/C by our dear friend and newlywed Masha, Her new husband Victor or “Vitya” as he is called, her younger sister Anya, and her older brother “Tall” Sasha Ryabiy and his wife Ira and their little son (who just turned 2 years old) also live in this home. It is a lovely home, and in typical Ukrainian style, the extended family all live in the same building, which grows to accommodate the changes in marital status and the arrival of children. The last time I was here, Sasha and Ira were busy building and renovating their part of the “nest.” Masha and Vitya are building on their addition right now, and I got to see it in process. They hope to move into it in September. We shared a lovely meal well into the night (another Ukrainian custom – eating late!) which consisted of grilled meat, boiled potatoes with dill, a vinegary salad with cucumber, tomato and dill, grilled vegetables, fresh fruit, bread (white and brown), toast with orange fish eggs (couldn’t do it), cold Coca Cola, Sasha’s American-style lemonade (it was good!), hot tea and two kinds of cake, and a round of cherry and licquer-filled dark chocolates. Just an ordinary Monday night special Ukrainian dinner! Vitaliy drove me back to the church, and I fell into bed full of wonderful Ukrainian food, and memories of laughter around a table where most of the conversation was spoken in a language I did not know, but somehow I understood. Such a mystery!

Tuesday was fun. A strategic planning day, and then also some strategic sightseeing. It was a picture perfect weather day – clear blue skies and 70’s. Great weather makes everything so much easier when navigating a foreign place! The four of us - Sasha Kreschuk, Serhiy Bilokin, Vitaliy Bolgar and I met at our beloved Puzata Hata – dreaming of what could be, planning with calendars and schedules. That excited me. This was followed with a few hours of seeing places in Kyiv I had not spent much time seeing (or ever) in the past: checking out new hotels for future group travel to Ukraine, and exploring some new landmarks. Sasha drove and Sasha Jr. (Sashko, my new buddy) also joined us. He’s a cute kid, and remarkably patient for a 7-year-old. He was reading “A Horse and His Boy” by C. S. Lewis, in Russian.

I spent part of the time traversing Shevchenko Street, checking out the Hotel Ibis (loved it) and Hotel Express (didn’t) and measuring the walk from Ibis to the rehearsal hall. Those cross-unders are handy on a busy street like Shevchenko! The real gem of discovery today was St. Katherine’s Lutheran Church, a small but pristine German Lutheran congregation whose building was built in 1847. It was just up the hill from the Kreschatyk Street McDonalds (AKA The American Embassy), near the Presidential Palace and Residence. Somehow, in all my trips here I had missed seeing this. We were blessed that the pastor, a German man named Ralf was there to talk to us, and we shared some of our ideas with him. The conversation took place simultaneously in English, German and Russian, in which all three of us participated in pieces of each language. I wish I had a videotape of it. It was fascinating, but also tremendously exciting to imagine what could be.

Following some time taking photos of the Palace and Residence with it’s quirky rooftop gargoyles and chimeras and interesting architecture, the three of us then actually visited “The American Embassy” on Kreschatyk Street for some A/C, WiFi, cold Coke, fries and ice cream cones!

The two Sashas continued on together for some dad/son bonding time, and I ventured into the underground Globus Mall under Independence Square for a little “retail therapy.” That was not very successful, so I headed back to the church via the Metro (on which I feel like a pro now!) with a bit more random shopping as I went. It’s great not to have any more deadlines! Back at the church, I took another nap (that’s a theme and variations) and about 7:30pm, Sasha picked me up to drive me out to Irpin for dinner at their house. On our drive to Irpin, we picked up Nikolai, daughter Diana’s fiancé. Then, we picked up daughter Alina from work. Then, we drove past the gleaming new United States Embassy (and this time I don’t mean McDonalds) on Sikorsky Street. It was cool, and impressive. I took photos of it. The American passport in my pocket kind of glowed in the dark. I also felt just a twinge of homesickness for the U.S. of A.!

Irpin has grown exponentially since I was last there in 2009. The new 4-lane lighted highway, new homes and apartments, stores and shops amazed me. When we were at the Baptist Union’s retreat center back in 2007, it was still quite new and a bit rustic, a work in progress. Now, the large new church is almost completed, another set of new dorms are nearly finished, a new soccer field with artificial turf is in place, and new landscaping and other additions have combined to make this a first-rate retreat center. I hope we can do a summer music camp there sometime soon – maybe even next summer!

Dinner at the Kreschuk home was delightful and thoroughly Ukrainian. Sasha’s wife Ira is a great cook. The meal consisted of breaded and fried chicken, boiled potatoes with dill, a vinegary salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and dill (theme and variations), zucchini with mayonnaise, garlic and dill (didn’t try it), corn on the cob, followed by hot tea and two kinds of cakes, and fresh melon and peaches. Just another light dinner at 10:00 at night! Truly delicious. 

Just after we finished dessert, I had opened my computer to download some of Sasha’s pictures, and connect to his Wifi, when Heidi’s name popped up on my Skype application, and there she and Emily were, on my computer screen! (Sorry to miss you, Erika) What an amazing thing, that our two families could be united instantaneously via my computer, when just a few years ago, a phone line was so expensive that WiFi would not even have been possible! And, now it is. I was able to introduce my family to the members of the Kreschuk family who were there (Sofia and Vika are in Sweden at a music camp) and also to give them a virtual tour of the Kreschuk home’s first floor. This was followed by a mini recital of 4-year old EllaVera playing several notes on her new 1/16 violin, and Sasha Jr. singing “Ode to Joy” in Ukrainian. Then, the new kitten named “Notes” made her recital appearance by walking on the piano keys (I was thinking The Monk and His Cat by Samuel Barber). It was magic. Since it was quite late, I was whisked back to the church (there was vitually no traffic at midnight) by Sasha with Ira and the two young ones in the back seat. I fell into bed, happy, exhausted, but filled with so many good things. Thank you for refreshing me, dear Ukrainian friends. May God in return refresh you. Your generosity Is deeply appreciated and I know it will be repaid by the Lord on my behalf!

Proverbs 11:25

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

A Sabbath, but not much rest!

Sunday, July 22

Today was a fairly typical Ukrainian Sunday. The original plan was for our men’s choir – which I have temporarily named Cantus Kairos (abbreviated “CK” but not Calvin Klein; means “Singing in God’s time”) - to participate in three worship services: 10, 2 and 6pm. Given that these services usually run 2+ hours each, it seemed a bit optimistic when I first heard the plan. Stay tuned….

The day began with an adventure in the middle of nowhere, yet still in Kyiv. The men all converged from their various home stays on the church grounds for a warm up and rehearsal a little over an hour before the service was to begin. It was truly in the middle of a jungle-like parcel of land from which you could see all the gleaming new high rise apartments not far off the freeway en route to Boryspil Airport. Where we were was more like a forested de-militarized zone, dumping grounds, abandoned trucks and cars, furniture, junk, general stuff no one wanted. And, out of this, apparently thanks to a great deal with the Yushenko government (past) this tiny congregation had carved this church complex with a sanctuary that seated about 50 people. (the sanctuary was actually smaller than the Evangelion tour bus) With 14-15 of us, we more than filled the altar level of the church, which also had a piano strategically placed on one wall, a pulpit, and a few green plants.

They had done a great job with this place; I was so impressed. The inside of the room was pristine, with new walls and flooring, fresh paint, clean light fixtures, new chairs, and new German-made windows. Like many people, the outside didn’t look like much at all, but the inside was truly amazing. (This was, ironically, also the topic of today’s sermon by the pastor of that church!) The fast-paced, trim and well-organized 2+ hour service included at least 10 different musical pieces – six anthems by the men’s choir, a solo (by a male member of the church) and duet (Mikhail and his wife Yulia), and two selections by a young virtuoso pan-flute player (yes, you read that correctly) named Benjamin, a member of CK. I have never heard such music, and this young man is nothing short of amazing. He is the one with the smile that could turn a cloudy sky into blue and sunshine. I’m not sure I would ever hear this kind of music anywhere but Eastern Europe or South America. I remember hearing pan flutes in Peru, but this is a professional model and nothing at all like the good old “El Condor Pasa” sounds of my childhood!

After the service, a quick lunch while standing around a “ya’ll come and grab a sandwich, cucumbers and tomatoes” table, complete with Kvass to drink, and we were back in the cars and headed back across the Dnipro. Our destination was up onto the expensive house hill, on which the church known as Slovo Zhitya (Word of Life) is situated. Literally perched on the side of a hill with a panoramic view of the Statue of Liberty-esque statue to the Motherland, or the Rodina Mat, otherwise known as “Baba” (no, it’s not “Bubba”…DP!) and the whole Dnipro river flats and high rises below. This church is the dream of old Pastor Kunyets, still going strong. Many of you will remember that he is the grandfather to translators Masha Ryaba (now Dunina) and really tall Sasha Ryabiy. (Those of you on the Colonial Chorale tour in 2005 and the NWC Choir tour in 2006, will recognize these names, perhaps.) We once again participated in a worship service. This time, it was with A/C running (off an on, but still running!). I can still remember how hot this room was back in 2005 with the Colonial Chorale.

It was so great to see the towering walls of the new Slovo Zhitya church rising. Last time I was here, it was just a poured concrete foundation and a few rounds of bricks. I will say again, if only I were rich, I would give them what they need to get it done and they could move in later this fall. Building projects move so slowly here…. Lord, can you help them soon? Or, come soon? Either one would be wonderful. Pastor Kunyets is not getting any younger! His dream is not yet fulfilled.

Thankfully, this was to be our final service of this marathon day. There would be no participation in an evening service. After 8 and ½ hours of actively participating in worship and traveling around, this was more than enough for one day. During the last service, I wearily asked for my translation to stop. I just could not bear to cram any more words – of English, Russian or Ukrainian – or any language for that matter - into what was left of my brain. After the second service, we had a nice group tea in a small room in the other half of the hilltop compound. It was bittersweet, because our time together was coming to an end. Yuri Sliva, our wonder-bass (who sang a low A below double low C this morning – that is, three octaves and a minor third below middle C!), spoke for the group. It was heart-warming and sad at the same time. They always want to know when I am coming back. And, I can never say. Only God knows. They prayed for me, for Steve Benham and others they know love Ukraine, and for the continued ministry of each of the men who had participated in CK. After a few goodbyes and “dopobachinya’s”, we all went our separate ways. Vitaliy Bolgar dropped me off at the church, and I stumbled bleary-eyed into my room. I lay down to rest for a couple of minutes, and 30 minutes later I woke up from what was already a sound sleep. I forced myself to get up, and walked around the block to Sorrento, the new Italian restaurant right by Central Bapt. where I treated myself to a 3-hour Italian dinner as I downloaded a Mission Impossible movie onto my iPad. I needed something completely different tonight! It was actually refreshing to hear people talking Italian around me – which I understood most of. I was so happy to be able to Skype with Heidi and Erika tonight (sorry to miss seeing and talking to you, Emily!). I am so much closer to home than I was a week ago – I can feel the pull. But, I am determined to make the most of the next three days! More to come. Dopobachinya

Psalm 133:1-3

How good and pleasant it is when brothers (NWV: God’s people) live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Last Saturday in Kyiv

Saturday, July 21

Not Just Another Saturday

It’s hard to believe I am headed into the final weekend of my Ukrainian adventure 2012. This has been a great day. The day started with another invigorating ride on the Metro en route to see Wes Janzen at the KSOC offices once again. He had two surprises for me. First, was the chance to be introduced to nearly 200 Ukrainian widows and widowers at Music Mission Kiev’s Saturday morning Bible Study and food ministry to these dear people, some of whom have suffered so much, and have so little. Wes is basically a “rock star” with the widows. Just saying. When he came in the room, there was general hubbub surrounding his entrance, so much so that he needed to go in front and take the microphone from Diane McMurrin to say hello to everyone! He introduced me to all of them. That was another first in Ukraine for me: meeting 200 widows all at the same time. 

As we walked back to the KSOC offices for a rehearsal of a 16-member KSOC chamber choir, he asked me to conduct them, and teach them the Thomas Tallis “If Ye Love Me” from scratch. What a marvelous opportunity! They sight-read wonderfully, and responded well to all of my tinkering, even as I moved them around to maximize their sound. One of the tenors, Serhiy - a relatively young conducting professor at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, translated for me. I must have done OK, because Wes has asked me to become Guest Conductor of the KSOC on an ongoing basis. I am thrilled, of course, and in this very new role (less than 12 hours), I have already started to dream. I dream of the ways the important work that the McMurrins and Wes Janzen have done with KSOC can finally intersect with the years of faithful teaching and training which has happened within the Church through the Christian Music Academy and the tireless efforts of Sasha Kreschuk and Steve Benham of Music in World Cultures (which I serve as a board member and faculty member), and through the lives of so many of our amazing students. The fact that I am even here because of the ministry of Evangelion also factors in, because of the inspiration that has taken place in the lives of so many people through Dennis Port and the Wicklunds, Beckers, Ueckers, Holmens and many others at The Shepherd’s Foundation. The time is ripe for something new, and it is emerging right before our eyes. What is it? Only God knows. Dream, pray and go there with us, will you?

But, I’m getting ahead of myself! After the rehearsal, I said goodbye to the KSOC singers and headed back to Central Baptist for the final rehearsal of our hearty band of men, who had already been singing their lives away for the past 2 days! What troopers they have been. When I returned, they looked weary. A little friendly backrub session, including a little brotherly “pummeling” and they perked right up. Works every time. Made me homesick for my NWC men’s chorus! We polished up Witness (which had been a long, hard labor of love but they finally have it), Grace (arr. Mark Hayes), a Gloria from a mass by Franz Josef Haydn, the Tallis If Ye Love Me and several other Slavic pieces by Chesnokov, Bortniansky, Stetsenko, etc. One of the most surprising moments for me was to hear a Ukrainian version of the gospel song Walk in the Light, which actually caught me off guard! They seemed to know it well, but I had never heard them sing it before. Always delightful surprises here in Ukraine!

At the end of our rehearsal, it started to rain. A welcome sound, and that intoxicating smell of fresh rain in the cool air; there will be great sleeping tonight in Kiev. It’s already in the mid-50’s and I just might have to close my window! It’s a distant possibility the blanket might even make its appearance tonight. I was so tired after this very full day, I decided not to even try walk to find food, but instead ate supper in the church dining hall together with a group of Salvation Army travelers from Russia. A little boy, around 9 years old, was the life of their party and was trying out his arsenal of English words with me. It was amusing, to say the least! We enjoyed that steamed buckwheat (thinking of you, Heather) with breaded meat dumplings, a wonderful cabbage/cucumber/red pepper vinegar salad, and homemade pickles (Babs, they taste just like yours!). Food heaven, Ukrainian style. Nothing fancy, but honest, hot and delicious, and down one flight of stairs from my room.

The rest of the evening, I spent sitting in the darkened sanctuary, listening to the rain through the window, enjoying the cool breezes and the silent, sacred space. I decided to play selections from the 2010 Northwestern College Choir tour CD – which brought back rich Baltic memories, especially re-living some of the richness of that wonderful group of people, and a great program with its focus on the Cross. That’s where I will leave it for now. Still five days to go! Thanks for staying with me. Keep praying. 

Isaiah 40: 28-29

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Two Days in One

Thursday-Friday, July 19-20

My Meltdown and the Men’s Choir Festival

It’s hard to put into words the past 48 hours, but I need to try. So, pour yourself a cold beverage and sit back. This will be a longer entry, but hopefully worth it!

Somewhere between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, I definitely hit “the Ukrainian wall.” It usually happens here without warning, and I found myself sitting in the sanctuary of Central Baptist Church in the middle of the night, and sending out the Facebook “SOS” to which so many of you graciously responded. To feel the palpable “tsunami” wave of prayer support made we weep, lifted my spirits and launched me into the past 24 hours. I think it was a combination of 2+ weeks of being here, exhausted from walking around most of Kyiv, added to missing my dear family, and being unsure of what the coming days would require of me. So, I just kind of melted down. No regrets or explanations, it just happens. Thanks again for your support, those of you who knew. Don’t stop praying!

Thursday morning was rough, but got better quickly. Our “festival” began with an afternoon vocal master class with the tenors, translated for me by Serhiy Bilokin - himself a gifted tenor. It was very well received. Body alignment/posture, breath, tone and vowels. It never hurts to go back to the foundational truths of our craft. After that, we headed out on foot for dinner at our favorite “Pusata Hata” (the Copper Kettle), the Ukrainian version of Old Country Buffet (except it’s not all-you-can-eat, Slava Bohu). More of the men who were coming from work came and met us there, until we have 10+ around the table. What fun that was, and I did not need to know Russian or Ukrainian to know how much “brother/guy fun” was happening around that table. Interesting how boyish teasing and “brotherly love” is the same in any language! I suddenly felt at home in a way I had not yet on this trip.

Following dinner, we headed back to the church, and started the rehearsal part of our festival. I sight read some pieces in Russian, including a drop-dead beautiful men’s piece by Chesnokov that I had never heard before. I am finally starting to make sense of the Cyrillic alphabet after eight years(!), so this sight-reading really pushed me to not be afraid of the unknown, and like Nike, “just do it.” I taught them the Thomas Tallis “If Ye Love Me” (it went well, but we can still work on our English) and also we also started to work on Michael Olsen’s transription of “Witness” for men’s voices. This was a bit more of a challenge. Surprisingly, it was not the jazz style, but all the words that intimidated them. Believe me, I empathized with them, after all the Russian I had just slaughtered!

What a group of men – leaders, movers and shakers in business and in the Ukrainian church this is! There is Yuri, the sub-bass whom several of us met last May during our time in Luts’k. (he has a low C# below low C, and I am not exaggerating this. I heard him sing it.) And, there was Bogdan, the virtuoso trumpet playing-wind band conductor from Zhitomir; and my dear “twin” Valentin “Valek” – the orphan child, beautiful bald man with the amazing heart from Dnipropetrovsk. For the first time, I met Benjamin – the darker-skinned, Georgian-looking lad from Odessa, with and open heart, huge brown eyes and a smile that could brighten the dark side of the moon. There was Viktor, the stylishly-elegant, tall man from Luts’k who had the sweet Mercedes van we rode in when we were there last week. Ruslan, the earnest, introverted blonde haired, blue-eyed man – is from Luhans’k, the furthest Ukrainian outpost right on the border with Russia. I have loved bantering with taller Sasha, the PR guy from Kiev Christian University, with his impeccable English and impish sense of humor and, I could go on and on. This is why I am here: relationships, music and worship! SDG

Another rehearsal Friday morning was also very satisfying. Not only did I lead my songs, but several other men led individual pieces expertly. This is a Cantus-like group (you Minnesotans and Cantus lovers will appreciate this) in which nearly everyone is capable of leading and teaching pieces. Great teamwork. Lunch in the downstairs dining hall (full of memories past and present) was made up amazing soup, bread and rice and meat stuffed “garden peppers” – not the red or green, but beige ones. Smatchno! (delicious)  And, of course followed by Chai (tea). As usual, they tried to serve me “compote” but I declined. Compote is Kool-Aid and innocent  looking beverage made out of cherries and other fruits – like prunes – that are boiled and condensed, then water is added. Powerful effects. I declined. This has proven wise on other occasions.

After lunch, I ventured out onto the Metro once again to find the rehearsal hall of the Kiev Symphony and Chorus where Wes Janzen was rehearsing. I am thoroughly enjoying these subway excursions – the new paint, lighting, and signage in English help make this a much more inviting experience. And, you can hardly beat a 25 cent ride on the subway. A cab would have cost 40 hrivna ($5) and would not have been as interesting.

I entered the rehearsal hall, was greeted by Wes Janzen and his associate Vika, the “czarina” of the KSOC. She runs that room like a drill sergeant who went to charm school. They were rehearsing for an upcoming trip to Talinn, Estonia. As I sat down, they launched quietly into F. Melius Christiansen’s arrangement of Beautiful Savior (sung in English, heavily tinged with Russian) together with the strings. As they sang that old St. Olaf standard, playing on their Wenger music stands, I had a true Minnesota moment. Their other repertoire was significant: two movements from the Haydn Creation (in Russian, with soloists), two movements from the Bach B Minor Mass (Gloria and Cum Sancto Spiritu) Psalm 23 of John Rutter, then after the break Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei (Adagio for Strings) and Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. It was so interesting to hear the Handel in Ukrainian, and to once again ponder that it’s first performance since Baroque times was in the early 1990’s just after the fall of Communism. Remarkable. During the break, I met the principal viola player, who is also a tenured string professor at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. What a wonderful man, with such heart and soul, and a true Ukrainian patriot who appreciated that I spoke to him in Ukrainian. That’s a kind of big deal here right now. (read about it) I had a few more small chances to interact with Wes in small breaks in the action, but then I had to head back for the evening Men’s Chorus rehearsal. We will resume our conversation Saturday morning.

This evening’s session was similar to the morning. Several different conductors led new repertoire, including a snappy arrangement of A Mighty Fortress by our own Oleksandr “Sasha” Korchevniy, which easily rivals or even surpasses the traditional Glad arrangement. It was a great evening, followed by some weighty words about the importance of excellence, and not letting “just good enough be just good enough.” SDG again. This is so true on both sides of the Atlantic, and the time has never been riper for it here. A time of standing prayer (I love that tradition) and the men were off to all parts of the city to find their host families. Time for me to sleep as well. Thanks for your continued prayers for all of us during this time. Pray especially that God will provide the funding for these dear saints to come to the USA in November. I wish I were rich…. (I know, I sound like Tevye).

Free day in Kyiv

Wednesday, July 18

First full day in Kyiv – on my own

Well, today was my first full day on my own here in Kyiv. After a fairly uneventful evening last night (of which the adventurous part was walking from Central Baptist down to, as I like to call it The American Embassy/Church of St. McDonald’s down by the Dnipro. I hadn’t really planned to do it, but I was ambivalent about where to eat supper, and Cola Light was calling my name. I think it my have been about 5 miles, round trip. My feet were not happy with me after that. But, it was definitely an adventure.)

This morning I had adventure #2. I had scheduled a meeting with Wes Janzen, of the Kiev Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (KSOC) at their offices down near the Opera House. En route, I took the Metro (subway) which is normally an experience in and of itself, but this was fairly routine. New non-Cyrillic signage, notifications in English and clearer maps all made this a “normal” subway ride. Once I got off the “Teatralna” stop of the subway, it was about a 5-minute walk up the hill to Opera House square.

On my way, I made several observations since I was alone and had no one to talk to (even myself!) It struck me how quiet Ukrainians are when in large groups. There was virtually no talking – so quiet with thousands of people sharing the same space! Neatly funneling into lines, neatly boarding the escalators, and no talking on the train whatsoever. Fascinating. As I stepped onto the incredibly long escalator, I heard Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor playing somewhere over a loudspeaker. That was a first here, and it made me smile.

Wes and I shared a good 2+ hours together, getting re-acquainted and dreaming of the future. He is relatively new to his current position, though he has been Guest Conductor of KSOC since 2006 or so. We finished our time together with a quick visit to the Church of St. Volodmir, an Orthodox church near the Opera that I had never yet seen in all my trips here. It was remarkable inside. After that, I said “dopobachinya” to Wes, and shortly after Serhiy met me for lunch at a Café just up the street from the German Embassy and near the penthouse apartment of the Klitchko brothers, famous Ukrainian boxers. After lunch, we walked around Kyiv for what seemed like hours, because it was! We walked down Kreschatyk Street and some of the little underground malls located in many parts of that famous street.

Tonight, a quiet evening in my room allowed me to organize all of my receipts for the trip thus far. That was fun! Clearly, I know how to have a good time! Tomorrow the men’s chorus festival begins. Looking forward to it.

Who's Flying Home Today; Not Me!

Departure Day

Tuesday, July 17

Well, everyone flew out of Kyiv today.... except for me. No worries, though! It was planned that way. I will be staying on for another week+, fully wearing my hat as board member of Music in World Cultures, and so my posts from this point on will be regarding my “bonus” week in Ukraine.  I said good bye to all my fellow Evanglion-ers as they boarded the big beautiful white Mercedes bus with the really comfortable seats and great interior, icy cold A/C (which we all wished we could have driven around Ukraine).

I had a small bit of perezhevanya myself last night – in the hustle and bustle of finishing the concert, taking pictures, putting things away and being shooed out of the Conservatory, I left my garment bag containing my day clothes and my cell phone in the dressing room backstage. A small thing, but for a while it was a bit stressful to figure out what to do with the phone, and how to inactivate it. Thankfully, I was able to connect with my wife Heidi via FaceTime on my iPad and tell her what I needed to have done. Thanks, Heidi! Eventually, I began to think positively about it:  If I found it, we could reactivate it, and all would be well.  Were it to have been stolen, I would have considered it “God’s will” that I should get an iPhone. A win-win!

Vitaliy drove me to the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in his car, and we were met by the Director as we entered the side door. He had been present in 2006 when we sang our joint concert with the Conservatory Choir up in the organ hall on the top floor. That was when Oleksandr Tarasenko was their conductor. This Conservatory Director is also one of their main conducting teachers, and a very kind and generous man. I greeted him in Ukrainian, and to my great surprise he bowed to me and called me “maestro.” And, I think he sincerely meant it! That doesn’t happen very often (try NEVER), if you know what I mean! I might just stay here, and never come back!! (Just kidding, family…) We went backstage, and sure enough, there it was, just where I had left it. Big relief. Vitaliy then drove me to Central Baptist or the Shschekavits’ka Church. I am all settled in and cozy now in Room #35 for the next week plus. Got connected to WiFi, which is better than most of the hotels where we stayed. I remember the days of agonizingly slow dial-up, and the real veterans remember not having any way of communicating whatsoever with home and family, loved ones. So, I do not take this for granted in any way whatsoever. That I could be checked into my room, and online within 10 minutes is remarkable. But, it is this contact with the other half of the world that makes being here more bearable.

Here in this place, I have really everything I need. Comfy bed, private bath, windows that open (natural Ukrainian A/C), a room fan, and bottled water across the hall. It’s a balmy 72 degrees, breezy with blue skies here in Kyiv today, and a beautiful day to launch Chapter 2 of my Ukrainian Adventure. After an hour nap, I was more than ready to venture out for afternoon Chai (tea). I wandered down the block behind the church, to find an Italian restaurant called Sorrento. There I sat in their breezy outdoor patio, reading my book and enjoying a fresh Caprese salad, Italian bread and lemon-mint iced tea. Almost heaven, Kyiv style.

Many of you are asking me what comes next in my Ukrainian Adventure? No vacation, that’s for sure. I want to be used extensively during my time here, and I have made that clear. Tonight (Tuesday), there is a worship service in the church, which will be followed by dinner with Serhiy and Vitaliy, and we will discuss the events of the week. Tomorrow I will meet with Wes Janzen, principal conductor of the Kiev Symphony Orchestra and Chorus [KSOC] to discuss future collaborations. Wes and I have been friends since 1987 when he shadowed Dale and the Dale Warland Singers during our “year of Penderecki” where we sang the St. Luke Passion, and other pieces. Wes is on the faculty at Trinity Western University in Vancouver, B.C. and is a gifted conductor and a believer with a tender heart. We both love Ukraine. He flew into Kyiv yesterday, and attended our concert at the Conservatory last night. It was good to see him! We want to dream and imagine what the future looks like, with collaborations and projects to build the Kingdom here in Ukraine and beyond.

Later on Wednesday evening, we will travel out of central Kyiv to one of the churches where I will work with a Youth Choir, and we will talk seriously about the need for a high view of excellence in church music. Apparently, in this particular church, this is being debated. Prayer would be appreciated. SDG will play a large role. Thursday-Saturday, there is a men’s chorus mini-festival and individual conducting master classes, and the men’s choir will be involved in worship on Sunday. Next Monday-Wednesday there will be rehearsals of the Kyiv Youth Choir which will be preparing for a large Baptist congress in August. This will be jointly led by Serhiy and Vitaliy, so I am looking forward to observing their work and cheering them on. You can bet they will try to get me to conduct something.

Enough for now. Grateful to God for great weather and the Son shining down on all of this. Slava Bohu.