Music should be good, interesting, and simply genuine

The National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine hosts a concert dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Shchedryk Children’s Choir, which has no analogues in Ukraine, and maybe in the whole world.

The choir may be called children’s only according to the age of its members, because the rest of the indices – repertoire, level of performance, numerous victories in choir competitions, international music status – prove that it is an absolutely adult and serious ensemble. The tickets for the anniversary concert Shchedryk gave in the Lysenko Column Hall were sold out in a flash. The most fastidious part of the audience – professors of the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine – were listening to Shchedryk’s performance of Mykola Leontovych’s works, Ave Maria and cantata How to Paint a Bird by Yefrem Pidhaiets, five-part Missa Brevis by Mozart with surprise and tears of amazement. For the largest part of the concert Shchedryk sang to the accompaniment of Kyiv Chamber Orchestra (conductor: Vitalii Protasov) and soloists Oksana Nikitiuk, Valentyna Matiushenko, Olha Chubareva, and Olha Tabulina, whereas the artistic director and chief conductor of the choir Marianna Sablina was behind the curtains. However, namely Marianna and her mother Iryna Sablina who founded Shchedryk in 1971 were the main heroines of the anniversary. In an interview to The Day Marianna SABLINA told about the beginning of Shchedryk, how the choir has changed in the 40 years and shared the secrets, owing to which she is capable of keeping a children’s ensemble on a high-professional level, which adult musicians sometimes fail to achieve.

LIKE PREVIOUSLY, WE ARE CONSIDERED A CHOIR SOCIETY

Ms. Sablina, how do you select children for Shchedryk? Are there any age restrictions or any particular demands to its participants?

“There are no formalities in our work. On the one hand, it is bad, but, on the other hand, nobody dictates us anything. In this concern we are a very ‘mobile’ ensemble. Believe it or not, there are no rules whatsoever. In Soviet time we held selection in schools at the beginning of every new school year. Now it is impossible: most of secondary schools have turned into ‘closed clubs,’ with each one considering the pupils its own ‘property.’ Whereas the activity beyond school was welcome, now the situation is different. Besides, parents, in my opinion, are not really eager to teach their children music. I have been member of Shchedryk since I was nine, I have sung for 10 years, like most of children. Our ensemble has no strict age restrictions, this is a very individual thing. The choir members include not only schoolchildren, but students as well. There are people who come only for a week, they do not want to take part in the choir’s active life, they simply sing for their own pleasure. Formally we have amateur talent activities. ”

They say it is hard to get into Shchedryk. But the situation looks quite different in your story.

“Selection of children is a constant process. It is a myth that it is hard to get into the choir. Moreover, we do not eliminate anyone at once, we just recommend people to go to the preparation lineup. There are ‘silent people’ who begin to sing not even in the first year.”