Kyiv: Final Day
Monday, July 16
Our final
day in Kyiv took on many different aspects. For some, it was sightseeing – a
bus and boat tour of the city, especially for those in Evangelion for whom Kyiv was a new
destination. For others, there were final shopping sprees or some quality time
at local cafes and restaurant. For Dennis, Sasha Korchevniy, Serhiy Bilokin and
me, it was a 2-hour orchestra rehearsal in a special rehearsal hall on the
other side of town. This is where DP was to meet with the KSOC orchestra
members, to take them through the 6 orchestrated pieces for tonight’s concert.
We took a cab there and when we arrived, there was another rehearsal finishing
up. (I stuck my head in and listened for a few minutes – wow, some really great singing!)
As they left the hall, many of the members and the conductor of this wonderful
local choir greeted Serhiy. They knew him from his time at the Tchaikovsky
Conservatory. It was heartwarming for me to see how highly regarded he is here,
and widely known. Not a surprise, but good to know our intuition was correct
about him – he is growing into a pivotal figure in the Kyiv musical
establishment.
Dennis’ contact within the KSOC organization is a vivacious
blonde named Vika (Viktoria) who is a dynamo conductor, contractor, organizer
and clearly a musical mover/shaker. She was busy setting up for the rehearsal,
barking out orders like a military commander, and phoning people who were
either late or unexpectedly AWOL. If the latter, she wasted no time in organizing
their replacements. The rehearsal went very well, and Dennis was pleased. It
was good that we had both Serhiy and Sasha Korchevniy there to translate both
language and music, and to trouble shoot. There were a few small notational anomalies
in a couple of places that Sasha fixed immediately and efficiently.
After the rehearsal, the four of
us decided to grab a bite to eat near the Conservatory, rather than go all the
way back to the hotel to ride the bus. It was a good decision. About a block
away, we had just finished our tea when the bus arrived with the choir.
The first
half hour in the Conservatory was a bit chaotic. Setup was just beginning as we
arrived. The stage, is quite rustic, with floors more like an Amish barn than a
concert hall. The stage extension (over the pit) would provide an American OSHA
inspector with enough work for a lifetime of citations! Loose boards, with too
little connecting hardware, and rough, uneven spots abounded. Hard to believe
this hall is so full of musical history! Large opera set pieces and staging was
piled at the back of the main stage, and once again dust older than God
abounded everywhere. One singer said it was like “breathing sawdust” as she
walked in. One can only imagine what kind of performances have taken place, and
who has played and sung on that stage. Workmen appeared, and, suddenly “they”
appeared: six dusty and well-worn,
3-step brown carpeted early-1980’s Wenger risers. These had been sent over to
Ukraine, donated by Northwestern College some 6-7 years ago. What memories seeing
those stirred up in me – even a few good memories! Long story short: we sent
them over with the intent of donating them to the Christian Music Academy so
that traveling groups like Evangelion would have something to stand on. Evangelion
tenor Mark Uecker’s shipping company donated their trip over here, but due to
lingering Soviet era corruption, they got stuck in Customs, with very little
hope of being ransomed. After much frustration and negotiation, Sasha Kreschuk
was able to get them out of Customs and into the protective care of the
government and housed in the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. For many years, DP’s Northwestern
College Choir and then mine had toured with and sang on those beauties! Signs
of NWC ownership were removed a couple of years ago, but that doesn’t change
the story nor their origin! Commemorative photos were taken.
Once the
orchestra was in place, which took some doing due to the small size of the
stage, we got the rehearsal started. That went well, and our departure from the
stage gave our piano virtuosa Pam “Cliburn” Sohriakoff some time on the mighty
9-foot Bechstein grand. After playing on mostly Petrov uprights during this
tour, or PSO’s (piano shaped objects) and making them sound so much better than
any of them had a right to, this must have been like dying and going to piano
heaven. She played wonderfully. The whole concert went well, and a full main
floor audience and even some balcony dwellers rewarded us with rhythmic
clapping as we exited after each set. I was struck to see so many more
Ukrainians smiling as we performed. It used to be that was more rare. Ukrainian
audiences have always listened intently, but one rarely saw them smile until
after the performance. That seems to be changing. I am not sure what this
means, but the word I shared with the choir tonight my favorite Ukrainian word, perezhevanya = living life
through all of its ups and downs, knowing that joy is out there, somewhere. It’s
a good word. And, that joy does not equate with happiness, but it much deeper,
and more enduring. Good word indeed.
More “meet
and greet” time with the audience in the foyer of this amazing building,
followed group photos on the front steps, and soon we were onto the bus heading
back to the Hotel Rus. Our group farewell dinner at the hotel was lovely, with
songs and thank you’s and gifts and bittersweet goodbyes or dopobachinya’s. (dopobachinya is the Urkrainian
equivalent to the German “auf wiedersehen”, or until we meet again). Time for
final packing tonight, and then heading to the airport after breakfast,
mid-morning tomorrow. Soon, we will see our loved ones, and the stories will
become much more personal and interesting than what I have attempted to portray
in this blog. We ask your prayers for safe travels, no lost luggage, and the sweet
savoring of the memories and life-changing experiences we have once again had
here in Ukraine. This chapter is closed, but something new is just beginning.
Isaiah 40:28-31
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. He
gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will
renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and
not grow weary, they will walk and not be
faint.
