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Kobzaring the World
Jurij Fedynskyj, The Poltava Kobzar Guild, Kobzarskiy Tabir, and The Kobzar Armada present:
The Kobzar's Prayer for Ukraine
Spiritual Defense and Cultural Diplomacy of the Traditional Ukrainian Kobzars
An all-national tour of 50 cities in the UK, from April to May, 2024
A short film, concert, and lecture on kobzaring under the bombs with the traditional Ukrainian bandura, kobza, and torban
Donations and CD sales go to funding the tour costs, as well as funding the Poltava Kobzar Guild's tours of the front and mission to revive Ukraine through reviving the kobzar tradition.
Donations are accepted through cash, or Paypal to jurij_fedynskyj@hotmail.com.
Kobzaring Under Fire- Jurij Fedynskyj and the Kobzar Armada
Jurij Fedynskyj is a practicioner of the Ukrainian kobzar and torban playing traditions. Over the past six years, he has toured the Western World extensively, in Ukraine, Europe, The United States, and Canada, informing the West of the truth about Ukrainian culture and cause, and warning them of the current Russian threat. On February 24, 2022 when all out war with Russia broke out in Ukraine, Jurij declined to join the Ukrainian armed forces, as many of his friends, collegues, and students did, but rather undertook an extensive program of national defense through kobzaring Ukraine with his students, with the so-called "Kobzar Armada". The first two months of the war were spent in and around Kyiv, visiting military camps and bomb shelters, supporting both civilians and military through singing historical spiritual repertoire of the Ukrainian kobzars, including the poetry of Ukraine's greatest leaders, such as Ivan Mazepa, Heorhiy Skovoroda, Dmitriy Tuptalo, Taras Shevchenko, and others. After Ukraine's victory in the Kyiv, and northern oblasts, the Kobzar Armada focused on the Eastern Front, as well as an all Ukrainian tour of 50 cities from East to West, North to South. In the Fall and Winter two separate tours focused on the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions respectively. This is Jurij's second tour of the United States, the first was in June 2022. Aside from kobzaring in Ukraine, the mission of kobzaring in the US is crucial to keeping Americans engaged in helping Ukraine, during the most critical phase of the war, the spring and summer offensive.
Biography
Jurij Fedynskyj was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was introduced to the Ukrainian bandura at the Kobzarska Sich bandura camp in Emlenton, Pennsylvania at age 16. There he met his first teacher, the renowned bandurist and kobzar, Julian Kytasty of New York City. Jurij graduated from East Carolina University as a classical piano performance major. Afterwards he moved to New York City to compose and perform with the Experimental Bandura Trio, Ukrainian Bandurist Capellya, and Dumka Chorus of New York. The first half of his life was spent in the United States, but the second half in Ukraine, where he currently lives with his family of seven, in the small village of Kryachkivka, in the Poltava region. In 1998 Jurij moved to Ukraine, studying the bandura, voice, and composition in the Lviv and Kyiv conservatories with such teachers as Myroslav Skoryk, Vasyl Herasymenko, and Roman Hrynkiv. In Kyiv Jurij worked ten years with the Kyiv Kobzar Guild, where he began studying the traditional kobzar tradition of playing and making instruments. It was there he met his second teacher of the kobzar tradition, Taras Kompanichenko. Jurij also invested his efforts in the sphere of "ethnomusic" working with the Kyiv music group Haydamaky, as well as creating the ensembles of Karpatiyany, and Khoreya Kozatska. In 2009 Jurij left Kyiv to start a family with his wife Mariya in the Poltavian village of Kryachkivka. There he joined the internationally renowned folk group "Drevo". In Kryachkivka, Jurij created "Kobzarskiy Tabir" a year round educational institition for teaching instrument making and playing. His annual music festival Drevo Rodu Kobzarskoho has been running for eight years now. In 2020 the Poltava Kobzar Guild was formed by Jurij and his top students, with the responsibility of reviving the kobzar tradition in the Poltava oblast, but also kobzaring the world. The groups "Drevo Trio", "Kryachkivka" and "Consonate Per Pe Tim" are amongst Jurij's other touring musical projects. Presently, Jurij is planning the creation of a museum dedicated to the Poltava Kobzar tradition, complete with historic, and new reconstructions of the kobzars' family of instruments.
Program of Songs
As I Walk from the Meadow to the Valley, Might I find any Long, Lost Kin?
Kobzar traditional, 19th cen, from the repertoire of Heorhiy Tkachenko, recorded 1990
There is No Longer Truth in the World, What today is called the Truth, is really a Lie
Kobzar traditional canticle, 19th cen, from the repertoire of kobzar Hnat Honcharenko, recorded 1905
The Zaporozhian Army, Warriors of Great Fame
traditional Ukrainian canticle. Music Dmitriy Tuptalo, words, Hryhory Hrebyankiy 1730 ca.
To Every City, It's Own Customs and Laws
Kobzar traditional, words Heorhiy Skorovoda 1790 ca.
God is Amongst Us
Spiritual and national hymn of Kyiv Rus-Ukraine, recorded in various Bohohlasnyks from 18th cen. words, the prophet Isaiah, 8th cen. BC
The Black Clouds are Rising from the Delta, and from Across the Fields
words Taras Shevchenko 1840ca. music Vasyl Yemetz 1915 ca. arrangement for torban
Everyone Wants Peace, but not Everyone chooses the same Path
words Ivan Mazepa 1700 ca. music Taras Kompanichenko, 2000 ca..
Weep You No More, Sad Fountains
music John Dowland. England, 1603
Clear or Cloudy
music John Dowland. England, 1600
From Across the sea, and Above the High Mountains, the Black Crowes Fly
traditional kozak folk song. village of Kryachkivka, 18th century
Across the Wide Field, The Crucifiction of Christ, and The Resurrection of Christ
traditional spiritual canticles from the 18th and 19th centuries
St. George the Dragon Slayer, the Victorious
traditional kobzar spiritual canticle 13th cen ca. Recorded by Porfiriy Demutskiy, 1903
The Duma about Khvedir the One Without Kin
traditional kobzar epic song, 18th cen, recorded from kobzar Ostap Veresay, by Mykola Lysenko, 1873
Duma about Mary from Bohuslav
traditional kobzar epic, 18th cen, recorded from kobzar Mykhailo Kravchenko, by Opanas Slastion, 1900 ca.
John the Revelator
traditional American spiritual hymn, 19th cen recorded from bluesman Blind Willie Johnson, 1940 ca. Texas, USA
Hail to the Queen (Salve Regina)
Johann Georg Seidenbusch, 1687, Germany
Dances "The Fatal Porridge", "On the Bull", Hopak, and Kozak
traditional kobzar dances, 18th cen. recorded from kobzar Ostap Veresay, 1873 by Mykola Lysenko
Mary, the Sweet Rose
traditional spiritual canticle. words and music Dmitriy Tuptalo. 18th century
Courante and Gigue, Sonata in Bb major
Silvius Leopold Weiss, 1730 ca, Germany
I Bring Praise
traditional spiritual canticle, Dmytriy Tuptalo, 18th cen.
The Sly World
traditional spiritual canticle, Stefan Yavorsky, 1700 ca
After the lecture and concert, everyone is welcome to take a closer look at the instruments, and even try playing them very carefully. Also photographs are welcomed with each and all. A big thanks to everyone who has helped make this tour possible, especially the volunteers in each city whove dedicated their time to arranging an event for their local community! Thank You to everyone who has taken the time to participate in this critical tour for Ukraine. through such good deeds and volunteerism, Ukraine will be fully restored, rebuilt, and revived. Glory to Ukraine! May God be with Us!
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