The Prince Albert Concert Band returns to live performances in June, with an eye of supporting the people of Ukraine too.
The Concert Band will host Concert for Ukraine on June 5, which will raise funds in support of a humanitarian organization operating in the region.
President Kayleigh Skomorowski said the concert is a good opportunity to support a cause that is very personal for herself and other band members.
“As I am sure you have gathered, I myself am of Ukrainian heritage, so this is kind of a meeting of worlds for me,” she explained. “We had already discussed doing a spring band just as our return to live performance, bringing the band back into live rehearsals, and all that kind of stuff. As I was programming the music for that I just felt a really strong pull personally and artistically that if we are going to do this concert that we really should be supporting Ukraine if we can.”
Skomorowski said the musical selections for the concert will also demonstrate support for Ukraine. Band members are working on the Ukrainian National Anthem, and a Ukrainian dance piece. She has also produced an arrangement of a Ukrainian folk songs that her family sings around the dinner table, which will also be performed.
“That’s an important celebration of Christmas, Easter and stuff like that,” Skomorowski explained. “I arranged that for the band just for my own personal grieving and expression of everything that is going on in the world right now.”
The Concert will also feature guest Kathleen Clarke on the Bandura, and the band will also play a few regular pieces.
“We have those pieces celebrating and spotlighting Ukrainian culture and some other just really fantastic concert band pieces,” Skomorowski said. “We wanted to think back and do some things we played before, but haven’t played for a number of years, as well as some new things I wanted to give the band an opportunity to experience.”
The concert begins at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 5 at Calvary United Church. Admission is by donation. Half the money will go towards an organization called Ukrainian Patriots, which originally started in Saskatoon.
“They supply humanitarian aid plus protective safety gear and medical supplies to people in Ukraine,” Skomorowski said. “It ticks all of the boxes of the areas that we really wanted to help out.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
