A quiet Night - tyhoyi nochi
BY NATALIA TSUPRYK
A Quiet Night - Tyhohi Nochi is a creative response to the full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in early 2022 and the ongoing conflict across the country which has displaced millions of Ukrainian civilians.
Written by Ukrainian composer Natalia Tsupryk, A Quiet Night sets text by renowned Ukrainian poet Serhiy Zhadan and quotations from one of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s many powerful speeches.
Natalia’s new piece is a musical expression of solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they continue to suffer at the hands of Vladimir Putin: it is also a catalyst for connection, providing a creative vehicle for choirs to meet and sing with all those displaced by conflict in their communities.
Released: 19.08.22
“Despite the ugliness of conflict and confrontation, SANSARA’s new recording breathes life into truth and beauty, which our world needs now more than ever. The performance is touching and poignant, and reminds us all that collaboration and cooperation should be the cornerstones of humanity.”
- Ben Parry
Director, National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
UKRAINe refugee appeal
With the release of A Quiet Night, we have launched our Ukraine Refugee Appeal, raising much-needed funds for the Ukrainian Welcome Centre.
Based at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London, the Welcome Centre is a non-denominational partnership between the diocese and the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain conjunction with established Ukrainian community centres across the UK.
Refugees from Ukraine on the border with Slovakia (© DepositPhotos)
“With Russian attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure increasing, we expect more people to seek shelter here in the UK. This places an increasing demand on our Centre, and so we greatly appreciate any help we can get."
- Andriy Marchenko
Director, Ukrainian Welcome Centre
music video
Performances
In addition to raising money for the Ukrainian Welcome Centre, it is our hope that choirs around the world - amateur and professional - will learn and perform this new work, creating spaces of sanctuary and refuge to facilitate genuine moments of human connection.
If you are planning a performance and would like to have your event listed below, please get in touch.
27.01.24 18th Street Singers (Washington, DC)
22.10, 05.11.23 AfterGlow Chorus (Oakland, CA)
30.05.23 PVA Chamber Choir, Central Memorial High School Calgary (Canada)
13,20.05.23 Hepton Singers
21.12.22 Mumbles A Cappella (Wales) - watch here
21.12.22 Sjøbodkoret (Norway)
10.12.22 Rouen Chamber Choir (France)
05.11.22 Carleton College (Carleton, MN)
18.10.22 Sorbonne University Chorus (France) - watch here
15.10.22 Chorus Austin (Austin, TX)
text
It is us who sing in the quiet of the night
when the inner town is silent
burying the seeds of our sighs
in the breath of black earth
- from The History of Snow by Serhiy Zhadan
(trans. Sasha Dugdale, Oksana Maksymchuk)
Our land was sown with bullets and shells
No enemy was able to take root here
No shackles can bind our free spirit
We are free people who have their own path
- from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech on the Day of Victory of Nazism in World War II (9 May 2022)
natalia tsupryk
© Olena Korniienko
Defined by a distinctive use of strings and vocals, Natalia's music draws from her classical background to combine elements of folk, electronic, and classical.
One of her most recent solo works Elegy for Spring is a part of Piano Day Vol.1 Compilation released with Nils Frahm's label Leiter. Another single The Trees Will Swing is a part of STRING LAYERS VOL. II compilation released by 7K!
Natalia has scored award-winning films across fiction, documentary, and animation that have screened internationally at festivals such as Palm Springs, Indy Shorts, PÖFF, and were short-listed for BAFTAs.
vivo vocal quartet
VIVO Vocal Quartet are choir in residence at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in London.
The quartet performs a range of sacred, classical, and Ukrainian folk tunes, as well as arrangements of contemporary Ukrainian songs. In addition to regularly singing the liturgy at the cathedral, the group has appeared at several charity events and festivals in support of Ukraine.
collective
SANSARA
Lucinda Cox, Maisie Hulbert, Victoria Meteyard, Anita Monserrat, Daisy Walford
Amy Blythe, Martha Mclorinan, Chris Mitchell, Olivia Williams
Sumudu Jayatilaka, Veronika Haidarly, Laurel Neighbour, Zoë Silkstone
Tom Castle, Phil Durrant, Oscar Golden Lee, Tom Kelly
Piers Connor Kennedy, Gus Perkins Ray, Andrew Tipple, Ben Tomlin
VIVO Vocal Quartet
Iryna Leskiv, Myroslava Lytvynenko, Volodymyr Paslavskyi, Denys Baryshovets
Artistic Director & Conductor Tom Herring
Executive Producer Chris Gunness
Audio Producer Jacob Ewens
Sound Engineer David Jones
Artwork Masha Krivopishina
Videography Ben Tomlin
Photography Matthew Johnson
© Matthew Johnson Photography
support
This project has been made possible through our collaboration with several key partners, from the commissioning phase through to recording and release.
Commission
We were able to commission Natalia thanks to generous support from Chris Gunness, Director of the Myanmar Accountability Project.
Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family
We are grateful to Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski and the community of the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family of London for allowing us to record the single at the Cathedral and for connecting us with VIVO Vocal Quartet.
