Ukrainian culture carried by voices for 50 years

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This article was published 25/11/2019 (2503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For 50 years, the sound of voices from the Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus have reverberated throughout Winnipeg.

The choir, named after a rare, archaic instrument, will celebrate its semicentennial with a gala concert on Fri., Dec. 6 at the Centennial Concert Hall (555 Main St.).

With 32 members, ranging between 20 and 70 years old, filling the four-part chorus, the group is the strongest it has ever been, according to Christopher Sklepowich, board chair and second tenor.

Although membership has fluctuated over the last five decades, the choir has managed to make leaps and bounds since its inauguration in 1969. The chorus was first comprised of roughly 15 singers, all alumni of St. Vladimir’s College in Roblin, Man. Back then, the chorus was named after the Ukrainian Catholic minor seminary. Not long after its inception did the choir change its name to Hoosli, a recommendation made by Paul Macenko, the choir director at the college at that time.

Throughout the 1970s the choir’s repertoire was primarily liturgical, maintaining its Ukrainian Catholic roots.

However, as membership began to falter and the 1980s were on the horizon, the chorus’ members — all of which were alumni of St. Vladimir’s — decided to make a call to the greater Winnipeg area. Bass singer Tom Dudych embarked on a recruitment drive in 1982, shortly before William Solomon adopted the role as choral director in 1985.

“That’s really when the group definitely started to take off and started to develop the sound that people know today as Hoosli,” Sklepowich said.

The choir transitioned from being onstage with dancers and a band, to strictly choral performances. Over the years, Hoosli has preserved its identity with a Ukrainian collection of songs, but has dabbled in German, Latin, and English works. The choir hasn’t veered far from its origins but continues to keep things interesting with various arrangements.

“When you arrange (songs) for a male choir, specifically a Ukrainian male choir, it just has a very different power, a very different majesty to it, so that’s what we try to bring forward,” Sklepowich said.

The 1990s saw an influx of members from both St. Vladimir’s and across the city, and a number of anniversaries. As the last decade of the 20th century passed by, so did the direction of Solomon. Between 2002 and 2005, Michael Ryczak took hold of Hoosli, but it wasn’t long before Solomon returned for another 11 years.

The 2010s have been defined by Hoosli’s collaboration with other artists and expanding its audience, in part due to Tadeusz Biernacki, who became Hoosli’s conductor in 2018.

“Our current conductor brings with him a very different pedigree than we’ve ever had before. He actually has won a Juno award for his work in the past, and to have somebody like him with our group just expands the possibilities of what we can do,” Sklepowich said.

The choir had the chance to perform national anthems at two Winnipeg Jets games earlier this year. This brought a new level of exposure and international fame, earning the chorus responses from TSN personalities, professional hockey players, and even a Finnish consulate.

“It’s been an opportunity for us to find a niche where we can show a much broader audience what the sound of a Ukrainian male choir is like,” Sklepowich said.

The goal has been translating this newly founded attention to the choir’s traditional performances and concerts. The modernization of music, by way of digital streaming, has allowed Hoosli to further develop its audience, while still preserving its original Ukrainian listeners.

“We’re apparently quite big in Brazil, of all places,” Sklepowich said. “(But) our Ukrainian fanbase is as strong now as it ever has been.”

Hoosli’s decade of collaboration will be reflected in its upcoming gala concert. The choir will be joined by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, renowned opera singer Andriana Chuchman, accordionist Myron Kurjewicz, and Ukrainian dance group Rusalka.

The brotherhood and a rite of passage

Hoosli can be defined by the sense of brotherhood — both literal and metaphorical — it cultivates. Many of the past and current members are connected by blood, including a father and son duo, and the three Burdeniuk brothers.

“(The choir) has moulded us and kept us joined. As far as my time with the choir, it’s been very enjoyable and continues to be,” said Gary Lukie, who has been with the choir for 49 years.
Lukie, a St. Vladimir’s College alumnus who sings second tenor, had the opportunity to perform alongside three of his brothers in the 1970s.

The Burdeniuk brothers — Myles, Julian, and Myron — now share the same experience Lukie and his brothers once did.

“Mom is very happy,” joked Julian, who has been in the choir for 18 years. “There’s four Burdeniuk brothers and at one time there was all four of us in the choir. I don’t know of a lot of families that have four brothers that are as close as, I think, the four of us are and singing at the same time.”

The Burdeniuks grew up hearing Hoosli albums at church, holiday dinners, and even in bed as they fell asleep, which is why it only made sense for them to one day join the choir.

“I’m the youngest of four brothers, so this was like a rite of passage for me…. It’s a point of pride for sure,” said Myron, who’s been a member for 16 years.

Although performing alongside each other has been a highlight over the years, promoting Ukrainian culture, which was the main reason the chorus formed in the first place, has been significant for many of the members.

“Sharing culture is really important, so when we can get out there and not only do what we do — Ukrainian stuff — but even singing at Jets games and stuff like that; sharing with others and then maybe exposing them to a little bit of what we do culturally is very cool,” said Myles, a St. Vladimir’s College alumnus who has been with the choir for 21 years.

The Burdeniuk brothers will get the chance to showcase their Ukrainian culture the night before the 50th anniversary concert, when they take part in a head shave. Each of the brothers have been growing out their hair for more than a year, and will have it cut in the traditional Ukrainian scalp lock hairstyle to raise money for CancerCare Manitoba.

“We’ve had other (choir members) do this in the past too, so it’s kind of like honouring that tradition,” Myles said.

Tickets for Hoosli’s anniversary concert can be purchased online at https://my.wso.ca/hoosli-chorus or by calling the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra box office at 204-949-3999.