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.
” After rehearsing the piece, put to music by the Denmark Philharmonic Orchestra, the choir were filmed on Friday singing their verse in a field at Belmesthorpe. All of the choirs will be edited together into a video to be released on music platforms on August 24 - Independence Day. Ruslana is from the Cherkasy region, in central Ukraine, but for many years lived and worked in the capital, Kyiv.
She fled the country and arrived in Oakham in April last year. “It's always very hard to start life from scratch,” she said. “It is stressful, a long period of adaptation, but it is worth it.
” Ruslana only joined the choir recently but says the group, and particularly Mike and his wife Sally, have helped her adapt to life here. “Our relatives are not all with us, but we have formed a new big family here,” she said. "Sunflowers for me is a kindred spirit, sincerity, harmony and warmth.
” She added: “We are very fortunate to live a peaceful life here. “We have received so much kindness and sincerity from the locals over the past few years that words cannot describe.” The Stamford choir will also feature in a video produced by the MoD after being spotted via a Lincs Online article.
“I received an email from them out of the blue,” said Mike. “They really want to make a noise about Ukraine and independence day and asked us to help. “The ladies were delighted.
They are amazing people and want people to know about the tragedies that are happening.” The British Forces Broadcasting Service also headed to Belmesthorpe on Friday to hear personal stories and record the choir perform Ukrainian folk song, The Red Viburnum. The video will be shown on the MoD’s social media channels on August 24.
“The red viburnum is a symbol of Ukraine,” Mike explained. “In the song, it is wilting and fading and we need to bring it back to life. “It was used during the Second World War when fighting against Germany and Russia.
“We learnt it when we were kids because it came from our parents’ generation, but it’s so poignant now.”.
