18 May 2025, Linden Church, Berlin

On 18 May 2025, the Ukrainian-German Choir Schwalben, directed by Oleksandr Yerchenko, and the German-Polish Choir Spotkanie, under my leadership as choir conductor, gave a joint concert at the Linden Church in Wilmersdorf, Berlin.

Each choir presented a rich and colorful program. Spotkanie performed seven songs, including traditional folk tunes, a vivid scene from a wedding, and the beautifully melancholic Uwoz mamo roz from the Kurpie region. The repertoire also included lighter traditional German songs, such as Man sagt, die Liebe drückt die Augen zu and Eine kleine Melodie (“My Little Melody”).

The Schwalben choir captivated the audience with six songs, which they sang – and at times danced to – with great spirit. Their program featured Ukrainian folk songs as well as the beloved Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, arranged specially by their conductor.

At the end of the concert, both choirs joined forces to perform three songs together: a German folk song, a Ukrainian folk song, and Modlitwa o pokój (“A Prayer for Peace”) by Henryk Blacha.

Before and after the concert, attendees had the opportunity to sample homemade Ukrainian food and purchase handcrafted items made by Ukrainian women living in Berlin. The event was very well attended, and both ensembles received warm and enthusiastic applause.