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The UYA Rally – A Real Festival
This week millions of viewers sat in front of their televisions to watch “Britain has talent”, the competition in which the best performers were chosen to perform for the Queen. If the judges had only gone to the Ukrainian club in London on the second Saturday in June, they would without a shadow of a doubt, have been awed by the talent of Ukrainian youth.
In nearly every community were the Ukrainian Youth Association exists, artistic groups dance, sing and play music. Every year they gather and culminate their years work with shows, firstly at the regional rallys; afterwards the best go on to perform at the National Rally.
At this year’s Southern Regional Rally which took place with the moto “Ukraine, in your name I live,” around 150 members of the Ukrainian Youth Association from Derby, Leicester, Coventry, Wolverhampton and London. Guests also came from London and the surrounding area. By tradition, the rally started with a service to Holy Mary, read by the UYA’s chaplain Father Davyd Senyk and a priest from London’s Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
After the official part of the rally, the club in London transformed into a festival square. The mood matched the occasion, the youngsters emerged in bright national costume and everyone patiently waited for the opportunity to perform in front of the audience and judges, to demonstrate their stage ability. Although all the groups are amateurs, it’s worth noting that the some of the performances given were without doubt of professional standard.
With great enthusiasm the contestants sang, played, recited poems and danced. The opportunity presents itself to make a special mention of Emilia Levytska from London, who brought the audience to tears with hear reciting of the poem “Ukrayino” and Natalka Prykhidna from Leicester who touched everyone with her fantastic voice, singing “Chervona Ruta”
Amongst the winners were Nottingham’s orchestra, Coventry’s choir, the older girl’s choir from London and the dance group from Derby. They will all now perform at the National Rally at Tarasivka, where their competitors will be the winners from the Northern Rally. Now it’s understood, the competition will be tough, and it can be expected that a fantastic festive atmosphere will be created, a celebration of Ukrainian culture.
Unfortunately everyone could not win, the most important thing is the substantiation that Ukrainian culture lives and thrives amongst members of the Ukrainian Youth Assoication outside Ukraine.
To the next gathering at Tarasivka!
Written by Iryna Terleky
Tranlated by Martyn Chymera
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