Vanemuine Opera Choir to perform a concert in Tartu on Saturday for the people of Ukraine

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Juri Seredenko

On November 26 at 4 pm, the Vanemuine Opera Choir will perform a concert entitled “Time of Miracles” at the Paulus Church in Tartu. Aleksandr Bražnik, who is head choirmaster of the Vanemuine Opera Choir and is of Ukrainian heritage, chose works for the concert program that act as a prayer. Ukrainians can attend the concert free of charge.

“A lot of people around us live normal lives, forgetting that the war is still going on. It is still happening and we must not forget. For me and many others who have friends and loved ones in Ukraine, this is every day. I think about them all the time. My chosen works are like prayers through music. That’s how I want to pray with the audience and the opera choir through music. The name of the concert is “Time of Miracles” – we will try to create this miracle together and send out our prayers,” said head choirmaster Aleksandr Bražnik.

The concert program has been created together with choirmaster Kristi Jagodin. “We chose works to perform at the concert that both we and the choir like and that are enjoyable to sing,” said Bražnik, who chose several works by Ukrainian composers for the concert program. 

These include Mõkola Dõletski’s “Only Begotten Son”, Mõkola Leontovõtchi’s “The Generous Giver”, Mõhailo Shuhhi’s “Silent Prayer” (“And the Clouds Row”), Lesia Dõtško’s liturgy no. 2, “It’s worth it” and “Oh, in Jerusalem” by Yakov Yatsinevitch.

As for Estonian composers, Cyrillus Kreek’s Daaveti song no. 104, “Praise, my soul…” and Song of David No. 141 “Lord, I cry You are not…”. “Virgin Mother of God” by Arvo Pärt and “What is a person” by Pärt Uusberg will be performed. The concert program also includes works by, for example, Antonio Lotti, William L. Dawson, Richard Rodney Bennett and Josef Rheinberger. 

Between performances of the opera choir, organist Anna Humal will perform works by Michael Burkhardt, Alfred Karind, Léon Boëllmann and Gordon Young.

Tickets for the concert, which cost between 15 and 19 euros, can be purchased on the website of the Vanemuine Theater or at the Paulus Church in Tartu before the concert. 

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Concert music Paulus Church Tartu Tartu Ukraine Vanemuine Opera Choir Vanemuine Theater