A UKRANIAN choir visiting Hereford next month avoided conscription to the army in order to tour the UK and send money home to feed their families in the war-torn eastern European state.
The Boyan Ensemble draw from Ukraine’s top male choir, and - like most Ukrainian men - its members have recently been made eligible to be drafted to fight pro-Russian separatists in the country’s ongoing civil war.
Instead they will be in Hereford, performing at St Francis Xavier Church, in the hope of raising money to provide for their families, with many having lost their jobs as teachers or restaurant singers as a result of the conflict.
Margarete Rolle, the Boyan Ensemble’s UK representative, said: “The dire financial situation in Ukraine, and the punishing austerity measures that have been introduced, are a huge burden as the singers struggle to provide for their families.
“They need this current tour more than ever.”
The performance will include a mix of folk songs on sacred music, and feature the basses for which the Boyans are renowned.
The ensemble will be performing at the Broad Street Church on October 22 at 7.30pm.
For tickets, call Outback Records on 01432 275063.
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