A town choir has been chosen to represent Great Britain in a global choral project and perform for a Ministry of Defence pro-Ukraine campaign. The Sunflowers Choir, from Stamford , was formed to give the Ukrainian community a chance to meet and practice their language and culture after fleeing the war. Choir leader Mike Tymockzko , a music teacher from Belmesthorpe , was contacted by the Ministry of Defence to sing for a video to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day and promote the country’s ongoing struggle.
They will also be one of several choirs worldwide asked to sing a verse of a new work by Denmark-based Ukrainian composer Natalia Andersen called ‘Ukrayintsi My’ or ‘We are Ukrainians’. Natalia was impressed when she saw the choir in a video posted online by her friend, Ruslana Zayarna. “After our performance at the care home in Stamford, I shared photos and videos on social media,” said Ruslana, from Oakham.
“Natalia really liked everything we were doing with Mike. She said that we radiate goodness, beauty, peace and love, so she offered to take us to film a social video.” The project will also involve Ukrainian choirs from Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Los Angeles.
“Our task is to make a beautiful video on behalf of all Ukrainians in the UK,” Ruslana explained. “She (Natalia) was very careful when choosing people to perform. She invited everyone, but the important condition was that people should feel the same inspiration for the project as she did.