May 4, 2023 —Last Sunday, February 19, 2023, the Kendal Chorus joined other local musicians in performance at a benefit concert sponsored by the Ithaca Rotary Club . In total, 41 musicians shared their talents to raise funds for an upgraded school bomb shelter in Lviv, Ukraine. The First Unitarian Society of Ithaca offered their sanctuary which has fabulous acoustics.
Some of the pieces had personal connections to Ukraine – they were by Ukrainian composers, performed by persons with personal connections to Ukraine or were treasured compositions in the culture. One particularly moving performance was given by the composer himself on the piano; he had debuted the piece with the Ukrainian Festival Orchestra in 2021.
The Kendal Chorus performed “How Can I Keep from Singin'” with piano and hammered dulcimer accompaniment and “Be the Light” with djembe and shaker joining the piano.
The performance closed with a spirited rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem. It was moving to hear voices singing along in their native tongue. Ithaca Rotary Club President Mary Kane reports that the concert and silent auction raised $5,100.
