Every spring Lviv Polytechnic holds Shevchenko Evenings. The unchanging tradition of the University is to honour the Great Ukrainian with Solemn Academy, which is prepared by talented not only in science, but also in arts polytechnicians.
This week began with the literary and artistic evening «...And all of us, together on the earth, give complete agreement and brotherly love», dedicated to the 205th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko’s birth.
Prosvita People’s House of our university, under the direction of the Honored Worker of Culture Stepan Shalata, is always very scrupulously preparing to Shevchenko’s Days, trying through the word and song to show the greatness of Kobzar. The evening started with the poem The Mighty Dnieper, performed by People’s Symphony Orchestra, the Gaudeamus National Students’ Choir and Orpheus National Male Choir. This composition was very powerfully performed, the choirs were on both sides of the balconies and the orchestra was playing on the stage. The audience, as they used to, stood up to listen to this piece.
A well-known work by Shevchenko To My Fellow Countrymen, in Ukraine and Not in Ukraine, Living, Dead and as yet Unborn was performed in a new way by the winners of many international competitions Anna Chorna, Oksana Sondei and Khrystyna Dutchak. Suziria Pop Song Ensemble (director Oksana Spondych) performed a modern song I Open Kobzar.
Khochu (I Do Want) Theatrical Studio (directed by Anastasia Nepomniashcha) performed a poetry-musical composition Struggle – And You Will Overcome. It was a new, modern performance of the work with the emphasis on the fact what our nation is experiencing today gives an understanding of how far-sighted Shevchenko was, and the fact that in a century the struggle of our people is continuing.
The classical performance of Shevchenko’s works were done by Akolada National Chamber Vocal Ensemble (artistic director Volodymyr Savytskyi), the Band’s Zaspiv Zaspiv National Female Bandore Band (artistic director Khrystyna Zalutska) and the Polyphonia Chamber Orchestra (the main conductor Roman Kreslenko).
The Solemn Academy ended with all the performers coming together to perform Shevchenko’s immortal Testament. The audience was singing it as well.
