Shchedryk Children’s Choir from Kyiv, one of Ukraine’s most-recognized youth musical ensembles, was poised to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year with new recordings and a world tour.
Then, on Feb. 24, Russia invaded Ukraine.
The choir had to halt all rehearsals and celebratory plans as children and their families scattered across Ukraine. Some fled the country, while others sheltered in their homes.
But the choir has still managed to find ways to share their music with the world, thanks, in part, to the efforts of Danish Argentinian Israeli conductor Saul Zaks.
Zaks immediately got to work on the new mission, contacting international choirs and children’s organizations to spread the word and find ways to share the music.
In collaboration with Choir of the Earth, Zaks has put out a request to global children’s choirs to perform a traditional folk song from the Shchedryk Children’s Choir repertoire called “Rocking the Sun to Sleep.”
