NUMBER 65 OCTOBER 2008 626 BATHURST ST. TORONTO, ON ISSN-0703-9999

Annual Appeal of the Shevchenko Musical EnsembleUnique and innovative performing arts group needs your support The Shevchenko Musical Ensemble, now in its 57th year, has played a special role in the multicultural arts of Canadian culture. Over the decades it evolved from a small male chorus in the Ukrainian community into one of the most innovative and diverse musical organizations in our country. The Shevchenko Ensemble reflects the cultural traditions, not only of the Ukrainian people, but of many other nationalities in Canada.

The Ensemble continues to share these traditions with thousands through new choral, orchestral and dance programs. It continues to bring some-thing unique and special to the lives of performers as well as those in the audience.

The Shevchenko Musical Ensemble has an enviable history of great artistic accomplishments achieved by the striv-ing for excellence of the artistic leader-ship and the dedication and talents of the performers themselves.

However, these accomplishments would not have been possible without the financial and moral support of the community. This generous support has come from people of many different ethnic backgrounds who have seen their traditions reflected in the Ensem-ble’s programs, people who can truly call the Shevchenko Ensemble their very own.

To accomplish the ambitious goals

set before it for the new season and the many seasons to follow, the Shevchen-ko Musical Ensemble needs the contin-ued support of the broader community, support from people like you.

We hope we can count on you to donate to the Annual Sustaining Fund Drive!

Profile of Funding to the National Shevchenko

Musical Ensemble Guild of Canada

Concert revenues 20%

Fundraising by dedicatedGuild members 40%

Government sources 5%(Toronto Arts Council)

Corporate donations 5%

Individual Contributions to Annual Sustaining Fund Drive 30%

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Winter Concert features interesting choir collaborationEach year the Shevchenko Choir of the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble fea-tures a guest choir at its annual Winter Concert.

This season, on Sunday, January 25, 2009 in the Rotonda of Columbus Centre, the choir will host a fascinating singing group – the Darbazi Georgian choir.

Founded in 1995, Darbazi is a Toronto-based ensemble that focuses exclusively on performing traditional music from the Caucasus Georgia, a mountainous country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

With repertoire ranging from sacred chants to exuberant drinking songs, Darbazi seeks to broaden the aware-ness of Georgia’s heritage for abundant food and wine, hospitable spirit, and polyphonic songs. Over the years, the choir – made up of three women and eight men, two of whom are from Georgia – has striven for a deeper un-derstanding of this unique music.

Through cultural exchanges and travel, the members have had a chance to work with legendary Georgian singers and experience the profundity of Georgian hospitality. This in turn has translated into Darbazi’s authentic voice for the richly varied musical tra-ditions of Georgia’s many distinctive regions, bringing themselves and their audiences great meaning and joy.

Darbazi has performed in and around Ontario, at Toronto’s Fete de la Musique and First Night events, at Montreal’s World Music Festival, at

Festival 500 in St. John’s, Newfound-land and in New York City. The group was a finalist in the 2008 CBC Ama-teur Choir Competition.

Attending the Third International Symposium on Georgian Polyphony in Tbilisi in October 2006 was a high-point for Darbazi. Georgian traditional polyphony (music consisting of two or more related melodic lines) is not the result of any effort to create arrange-ments for the concert stage. On the contrary, it is the result of a creative process believed to have sprouted naturally and autonomously from the Georgian people before the Middle Ages, well before polyphony was used anywhere else in Europe.

Also featured on the program will be the Desna Ukrainian Dance Com-pany under the direction of Yuriy and Luba Grekov. The Grekovs are gradu-ates of the Pavlo Virsky Academy of Dance in Kyiv and former members of the famous Virsky Dance Company.

The Desna Ukrainian Dance Co. was formed in 1974. From that time on Desna has performed at numerous cultural events in Canada, the United States and France.

In 2005 Desna presented a concert in honour of the 100th birth date of the legendary Pavlo Virsky who influenced Ukrainian dance like no other. The following year they hosted a workshop featuring the wellknown Volyn Song and Dance Ensemble of Ukraine.

The Shevchenko Ensemble’s as-sociation with Desna began in 1989

when dancers Yuriy and Taras Pawluk and others joined the Kaniv Dancers to tour Ukraine that summer.

Watch for further information on this exciting concert by the exceptional Shevchenko Choir, under the direction of Alexander Veprinsky, with the Dar-bazi Georgian Singers and the Desna Ukrainian Dancers.

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Toronto Mandolin Orchestra returns to Glenn Gould StudioThe Toronto Mandolin Orchestra of the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble returns to Glenn Gould Studio (CBC Centre) on Sunday, November 16, 2008 for another sensational perfor-mance.

The program will feature the as-tounding Ira Erokhina, resident solo-ist with the TMO, in a new repertoire.

Former soloist with the world famous Osipov Folk Orchestra of Mos-cow, Ira has wowed audiences in Rus-sia, South Africa, the USA and Canada. She has been recorded and broadcast in Russia and abroad.

Guest soloist on November 16 is the popular violinist Eugene Draw.The performances of classical master-pieces by this eclectic young performer known as Dr. Draw are difficult to clas-sify as he blends those traditions with world folk music resulting in an “infec-tious performance of high energy”.

Born in Moscow to a family im-mersed in classical music, the young boy learned the power and drama of performance from his ballerina mother. He practised his beloved violin some-times up to six hours a day and when Eugene’s parents moved to Canada he was enrolled at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Montreal.

Feeling constrained by the school’s formal approach to music, Eugene left in favour of the street where he was free to improvise. With his beloved vi-olin and an unlimited imagination, the teenager’s performances drew growing audiences and he was soon declared one of the country’s most promising young performers.

Other soloists on the program are Helen Spiers, wellknown to Ensemble audiences for her beautiful lyric sopra-no voice, Artour Razgoev, outstand-ing young tenor originally from Arme-nia, and bass Herman Rombouts, a favourite of Shevchenko audiences for many years. Each will perform a new

repertoire with the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra.

The orchestra itself is preparing a new program of Slavic and other music, all arranged by Artistic Direc-tor Alexander Veprinsky for the unique combination of the entire family of mandolins (from primo to mando-bass) with woodwinds, accordion and percussion.

Tickets are $30.00 and are available from your favourite orchestra member or the Ensemble office at 416-533-2725. VISA orders add $2.00 per ticket.

Ira Erokhina, 3-string domra wizard Eugene Draw, eclectic violin

Helen Spiers, lyric soprano Artour Razgoev, spine-chilling tenor

Herman Rombouts, basso profundo

Can you believe it! I played Veprin-sky’s arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue to a full house of 1,200 seats in Tokyo’s Suginami Kokaido Public Hall on September 7, 2008 with the “Plettro” Mandolin Orchestra under the baton of Hiroshi Yamaguchi.

They used our recording of the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra to get pre-pared for the concert. It worked very well and Mr.Yamaguchi did a wonder-ful job. My husband,Tolya, who ac-companied me on this tour, played the accordion part which was very difficult with just one rehearsal and a dress rehearsal.

Hiroshi Yamaguchi has been the leader of this group since 1964 when he graduated from the university and started a small mandolin ensemble in a company. The amateur musicians followed him until retirement and then they started the “Plettro” orchestra 5 years ago.The mandolinists play only very high quality mandolins by Calace, Vinaccia and Embergher.

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CMSA Anual Convention in MontrealMembers of the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra in particular, as well as readers of

the Bulletin will be interested to know that Tamara Volskaya performed Alex-ander Veprinsky’s magnificent arrangement of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Plettro Mandolin Orchestra of Tokyo. Below is Tamara’s brief report on that memorable concert visit.

Veprinsky arrangement of “Rhapsody in Blue”performed in Japan

BY TAMARA VOLSKAYA Our second performance was with the Kyoto “Bravo” amateur mandolin orchestra which was organized in 1954 by the wonderful, very gifted mando-linist Masaki Kinoshita. He is a volun-teer conductor who leads the orchestra until today. He is 73 years old and full of energy and love for music.

We played with a small part of the“Bravo” orchestra with only young musicians (post university graduates).They were very good. Every section played very well.We were sur-prised to hear such a great sound from the mando-cellos in a pretty difficult virtuoso part. And again only very high quality instruments (mostly original Calace and Vinaccia) are used. The hall seated only 300 with a small stage area. That is why the orchestra shrank to 23 musicians although they have 70 members in the orchestra, the same number as “Plettro”.

This year’s Annual Convention of the Classical Mandolin Society of America will be held, for the second time, in Montreal, Quebec.

Tamara Volskaya and husband Ana-toliy Trofimov, bayanist, will be guest performers and workshop leaders. Anatoliy’s workshop will be on arrang-ing for mandolin orchestra.

Carlo Aonzo, world-class mandolin virtuoso, will be this year’s En Masse Orchestra Conductor and he and Rene Izquierdo will be performing and con-ducting workshops as well.

Eight members of the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra, representing the mando-cello section, tenor section, 2nd mandolins and 1st mandolin section will attend the convention.

In 2001 the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra hosted this convention in Toronto on the theme of “Mandolins of the World”. A series of concerts and workshops presented the mando-lin in various genres of music such as klezmer, country and bluegrass, and introduced mandolin-like instruments such as the Greek bouzouki, the Croa-tian tamburitsa and others.

This successful convention led to a series of concerts in Toronto, Hamilton and Peterborough on the same theme of “Mandolins of the World”.

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Annual Banquet to honour Kay KeniakThe Guild’s Annual Banquet, to be held on Sunday, Oc-tober 26, will honour a person who, for over 30 years, has been a dedicated and active supporter of the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble and Guild.

In the 1970s, the early years of incorporation of the Guild, Kay Keniak shared her considerable talents as an organizer in leading various fundraising projects for the Guild.

Most memorable of these were the Spring Frolics of those early years when Kay, as chairperson for the event, arranged to have on-site modelling (by real live models) of swim suits and outer wear from Rose-Marie Reid, a wholesale company of quality swim wear of which she was a partner.

After being modelled all night, the swim wear was then auctioned off at the end of the Frolic, adding greatly to the proceeds of the event.

The Frolics became known for their terrific bargains in fashionable swim wear and other items as Kay continued to bring a variety of clothing to the events. She even got the young dancers of the Ensemble (the Kaniv Dancers) to model the fashions at these events. Later the dancers mod-elled Kay’s fashions at trade shows, the Bridal Show and others. Some of the fashion shows at which the dancers modelled brought proceeds to the Ensemble. No wonder Kay became, and has remained, a friend and benefactor of young people.

When Kay was getting established in the new compa-ny in the fashion industry, her first inclination was to hire ‘our people’, members of the Ensemble and Guild, to work in the office and warehouse. This provided many of the women with fulltime employment and the young people with summer jobs.

For a number of years Kay was also convenor of the Guild’s Annual Banquets. These were held in conjunc-tion with Annual Membership Meetings and many were in hotels such as the Four Seasons, the Airport Hilton and others.

A very outgoing and friendly person, Kay introduced many new people to the Ensemble and Guild and brought many innovations to Ensemble projects.

The Guild is extremely pleased to have this opportuni-ty to thank Kay for her many years of dedicated volunteer service on behalf of the Guild.

A special treat at the banquet will be the appearance of Adam Timoon, an old friend of Kay’s.

Adam is an entertainer whose act consists of equal parts music and comedy. He’s also an extremely accom-plished guitarist, and no wonder since he took mandolin lessons as a child from Mary Kuzyk, concertmaster of the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra.

Kay KeniakAn active volunteer for many years in the

Shevchenko Musical Ensemble Guild

at the Annual Banquet

Reservations: $45.00 per personTickets are available at 626 Bathurst Street

Call 416-533-2725 • E-mail: info-sme@bellnet.caVISA accepted

Table reservations for 8 can be made with the Ensemble Office 416-533-2725

Sunday, October 26, 2008King’s Garden Banquet Hall • 15 Canmotor Ave

(South off The Queensway between Royal York and Islington)

The National Shevchenko Musical Ensemble Guild of Canada invites you to join us in

honouring…

5:00 pm • Cocktails

6:00 pm • Dinner and Tributes

Entertainment by

★ Adam Timoon ★

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SME Annual Concert a Musical Journey from Ukraine to Canada

A large Toronto audience celebrated Canada’s cultural diversity last May by joining the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble on A Musical Journey from Ukraine to Canada.

But before the music began, warm greetings were received from Dr. Ihor Ostash, Ukrainian Ambassador to Can-ada. Richard Szymczyk, Narrator/MC, then invited the audience on this excit-ing journey which would take them along the paths travelled by those who brought the musical traditions of many different peoples to this new land.

Narrator: “Our Musical Journey begins in UKRAINE, the land of the Ensemble’s namesake –Taras Shevchenko – a land of fertile wheat fields flowing in harmony with the grand Dnieper River – an ancient land of rich cultural traditions.”

The concert opened with Ukrainian Fantasy by the Toronto Mandolin

Orchestra, a fitting overture to the Shevchenko Choir singing Wheat Sheaf (Pshenychne pereveslo), in which the wonderful soprano voice of Tetyana Shkymba rang clear. The Desna Ukrainian Dance Co.followed with a lively Bukovynian Dance in traditional costume.

Narrator: “All aboard now on the rail express. Settle into your seat, get a glass of hot CHAI and we’re off to the vast steppes of RUSSIA!”

Accordionist Dejan Badnjar gave a resounding performance with orches-tra of Chaikin’s Concerto for Bayan. Herman Rombouts and choir sang a powerful arrangement of the Russian folk song Styenka Razin. The Kaniv Dancers were splendid in a Russian Dance.

Narrator: “South now to the Caucasus to a small but very beautiful country - ARMENIA – a land of proud people with a passionate love for singing.”

Tenor Artour Razgoev aptly carried the solo in the Armenian folk song Akhchik Bakhtavor sung a capella with choir. Narrator: “Around the Black Sea to the CZECH REPUBLIC and HUN-GARY, home of some of the world’s greatest classical treasures.”

The Chorus from The Bartered Bride by Smetana was performd by choir and orchestra. The lovely soprano

voice of Helen Spiers shone in Dvorak’s Elegy. Ira Erokhina abso-lutely wowed the audience with her performance on domra of List’s Hun-garian Rhapsody Nº 2 accompanied by orchestra.

Narrator: “All aboard! Our Musical Journey now takes us across the Tran-sylvanian Mountains to ROMANIA the land of exotic national instruments such as the cimbalom, pan flute and ancient bagpipes. Then onward to one of the most picturesque countries in the Balkans for a tour of MACEDO-NIA.”

The orchestra was joined by Kevin Budd on pan flute for an exciting performance of Romanian Medley. This was followed by an arrangement of popular Macedonian folk songs – Across Macedonia – specially or-chestrated for the orchestra by Chesky Neceski, an old friend and fellow musician.

Narrator: “We now catch a cruise ship to cross the Adriatic Sea to sunny ITALY – the land of opera, beautiful songs, some of the world’s greatest tenors … and, of course… soccer pas-sion!”

Zitti, Zitti from Verdi’s opera Rigoletto, performed by choir and orchestra, and the passionate love song, Non To Scordar di Me (Forget Me Not) sang by tenor soloist Artour Razgoev were warmly applauded.

Alexander Veprinsky, Artistic Director

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SME Annual Concert a Musical Journey from Ukraine to Canada Narrator: “Catch the tour bus now for a trip over the mighty Alps to SPAIN – a country of fiery dances, rhythme-tic castanettes and brave matadors. A country also of rich Sephardic folk traditions.”

The mandolin orchestra performed Farandola from the Bizet-Shchedrin Carmen Suite. The beautiful Sephardic folk song – Adijo, Kerida (Farewell, My Beloved), performd by choir and orchestra proved a favourite of the audience as well as the performers.

Narrator: “Ah, the vineyards of FRANCE! A land of beautiful land-scape, old architecture and revolu-tionary history. The land of l’amour! where the very air itself is filled with love.”

Choir and orchestra performed Bravo, Monsier Le Monde, a contemporary song about the beauty and bounty of earth and the need to preserve it. Soloist Tania Podolskaia was well received in Padam, Padam, a song reflecting Edith Piafs’s memories of past loves, Paris and her youth.

Narrator: “Let’s take the Channel Tunnel now across the Strait of Dover to ENGLAND, a land of tumultu-ous history and of great sailing fleets which bravely traversed the mighty seas exploring the New World.”

An elaborate arrangement of the old English lute melody –Greensleeves

– was sung a capella by the choir and baritone soloist John Nieboer.

Narrator: “We now board a flight to cross the Atlantic to our final destination – CANADA – the adopted land not only of Ukrainians, but of people from all corners of the earth seeking a better life in a new country, people who brought with them rich cultural traditions which became an integral part of a co-lourful and flourishing multicul-tural society based on equality, understanding and compassion.”

The Desna Ukrainian Dancers raised the roof with a lively and fun-filledCountry Dance staged by Yuriy and Luba Grekov.

Choir and orchestra followed with the popular folk song from Newfoundland – I’se the B’ye with soloists Tania Po-dolskaia, Fred Panasiuk and Ferguson MacKenzie.

The mandolin orchestra travelled on to Quebec with Scherzo from Five Picto-rial Sketches by Ben McPeek.

Narrator: “The Ukrainian people, more than 100 years ago, ventured into the unknown, to Canadian virgin lands where never before the plowman had set foot. And throughout that century, generation after generation, they have cherished, preserved and shared their

culture with others in this adopted land. Today we are honoured to once more share those traditions with you.”

The Desna Ukrainian Dancers had the audience tapping and clapping to a wonderful and highly energetic perfor-mance of the traditional Hopak.

Returning to its Ukrainian roots, the Ensemble concluded their musical journey with A Cossack Went Beyond the Danube (Yikhav Kozak za Dunai) in which soprano Tetyana Shkymba and bass Herman Rombouts, with choir and orchestra, were a spectacular finish to a memorable afternoon of great entertainment.

Richard Szymczyk, Narrator/MC

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90th Anniversary celebrationsAssociation of United Ukrainian CanadiansOn Sunday, September 14 members and friends of the AUUC gathered in the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Toronto to mark the founding of that organization 90 years ago.

Myron Shatulsky, keynote speaker, related the early history of how and why the organization was incorporated and how the building of the very first Ukrainian Labour Temple at Pritchard Avenue and MacGregor in Winnipeg was a result of great foresight of the men and women who played key roles in the establishment of the organiza-tion at that time.

He related the current interest shown by the media and academics in the Labour Temple and its history now that the building has been declared an historic site by both the City of Win-nipeg and the Province of Manitoba.

Since this 90th celebration was a local Toronto event, it was sadly remiss in not recalling some of the leadership, both in the organiza-tional and cultural fields, that played a distinct role in the Toronto and area association.

The National Shevchenko Musical Ensemble Guild of Canada brought the following greetings to the AUUC, the organization which gave it birth.

On this auspicious occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Association of United Ukrai-nian Canadians the National Shevchenko Musical Ensemble Guild of Canada is pleased and

cultural programs and its press, helped develop a national consciousness and pride of the Ukrainian people, counteract-ing slurs of “bohunk” and other derogatory remarks. This and the social-economic-democratic values promoted by the organiza-tion, are still the core values of the many generations that followed.

We recognize the outstanding contribution the Association has made to Canada in the choral, dance, and instrumental cultural arts. Indeed, this is the legacy we in the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble inherited and cherish to this day as we continue to pre-serve a cultural tradition shared with members of the Association.

Although life brings changes and new developments, shared memories are never lost but are the ties that bind us.

Members of the Shevchenko Guild and the Shevchenko Musi-cal Ensemble wish the AUUC, here in Toronto and across the country, many more years of valuable contribution to Canadian society both in the cultural field as well as the social-economic struggles still before us. We wish you all – good health and much success in your future endeav-ours.

The celebration was topped off with a performance by the Hahilka Choir, a presentation honouring mem-bers over 90 and a delicious and very substantial dinner.

– G. Kautto

In Fond Memory

The National Shevchenko Musical Ensemble Guild

of Canada gratefully acknowledges contributions in memory

of the following:

Steve Mylko2008

Kay Ross2008

Elizabeth Konkus2008

Gary Kirshenbaum2008

Marianne Kozlo-Leblanc2008

Joe Peiluck2008

Ronald Soble2008

Jean Yawney2008

Boris Plys2008

honoured to bring warm greet-ings to the members and support-ers of this Toronto branch.

What an amazing history! From its earliest days the organization was dedicated to the needs and interests of Ukrainian immigrant workers and homesteaders, and through its educational and

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Club 626 Seniors honours anniversariesOn September 10, Club 626 Seniors celebrated the wedding anniversaries of four founding members of the Club. Mike and Clara Sportun marked their 65th anniversary, and John and Helen Sportun their 60th.

The two Sportun brothers grew up in West Toronto and were active members of the West Toronto AUUC, dancing, singing and playing in the orchestra. Mike was an outstanding Ukrainian dancer, and John spent many years as an active member of the Shevchenko Male Chorus.

Under the auspices of the Shevchenko Guild, 23 years ago Club 626 Seniors received its charter. A membership drive led by Mike Sportun and assisted by John Sportun, Charlie Mazur, Ronnie Boychuk and Pinnie Saiger signed up some 65 members and an election was held for an Executive Committee. Mike Sportun was elected its first President and John its Membership Secretary, a post each of them held for 12 years.

One of the first major Club projects was to submit an application for a grant to New Horizons.

The grant provided for a freezer, stove and kitchen utensils, a commercial potato masher and peeler – all required for the making of pyrohy (perogies). The Club organized a Pyrohy Brigade from its membership and for more than 10 years the brigade made 3,000 perogies a year, raising funds for the Club and the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble.

Under Mike’s presidency other notable events included the planting of a tree in High Park in memory of Eugene Dolny, walking tours of the city, and the Annual Volunteer Luncheon. Trips to Cuba were ini-tially organized by Mike Sportun and Lydia Kit, more recently by June Beard.

The Friendly Visiting Club (or craft group) was organized as part of Club 626 and Helen Sportun was chairperson of this group for many years. Both Clara and Helen were also members of the Pyrohy Brigade and Helen organized the Club’s trips to Rama and Stratford Festival.

Stan Nazarec, Vice-President of Club 626, made the presentation at the meeting on September 10 and toasted the good health of Mike and Clara and John and Helen Sportun. Two anniversary cakes were a great topping for the Seniors’ lunch that day.

The Shevchenko Guild and Ensemble join Club 626 Seniors in congratulating the Sportuns and wish-ing them many more happy and healthy years.

Clara and Mike Sportun celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary

Helen and John Sportun celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary

Photos: George Rayko

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John Boyd’s paintings now on the InternetJohn Boyd, a long-time supporter of the Shevchenko Ensemble and Guild, is pleased to announce that his art work can now be seen on the Internet at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29526754@N05/

Here you’ll find reproductions of John’s work: paintings, drawings and collages – 144 items in all – produced over the past three decades. Most of them were on display at his two art shows, in 2001 and 2005. The items are divided into eight sections. If you scroll down to the end of either section, you’ll find the links to the others. The titles are a bit small, but if you zoom them up you should be able to read them. Under the Profile link you’ll find a brief account of how art became an important aspect of John’s life.

Note: The painting Gladys’s Cushion (fourth in Section 6) was one of the prize-winners in 1999 in an Ontario-wide contest for artists aged 50 plus sponsored by Ryerson University’s L.I.F.E. (Learning Is For Ever) Institute. Of the hundreds of entries, it was one of a few score winners, in different media and different categories, chosen by a jury of artists. John’s won in the water colour still life category.

John is currently preparing for another art show, which if his health holds out, he hopes to have next spring. And since by then he will be 96, he says it will definitely be his last.

You can contact John by e-mail: jobo999@rogers.com or by mail: 133 Wilton St. Apt. 723, Toronto, ON M5A 4A4

John Boyd at 95th birthday party, Feb.2008

Board Resignation

The National Shevchenko Musical Ensemble Guild of Canada regret-fully accepts the resignation of Jerry Szach of Vancouver from the Board of Directors.

Jerry has been a member of the Board since the inaugural meeting of the Guild in1972. From that time until 1981 he served on the Board as Vice-President from Western Canada.

– Board of Directors National Shevchenko Musical Ensemble Guild of Canada

How can you do your part to guarantee the Shevchenko Ensemble‘s

future?

Give a donationThe Shevchenko Musical En-semble needs the support of the broad community. Please give generously to the current Sus-taining Fund Drive.

Make a special occasion tribute

A wonderful way to acknowledge someone’s birthday, wedding an-niversary or other auspicious occasion is to give a donation to the Guild in their honour. A let-ter will be sent informing them of your thoughtfulness and you will receive a tax receipt.

In MemoriamFamilies are comforted in their sorrow by gifts made to the Shevchenko Guild in memory of their loved one. Acknowledge-ments are sent to the family.

Gifts of insurance and bequests

An insurance policy or pledge of a bequest can provide a ma-jor future gift to the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble.

Official tax receipts are issued for all such donations

and bequests.

National Shevchenko Musical Ensemble Guild of CanadaCharitable Reg. Number

11905 1910 RR00001Hoffnung Cartoon“Appassionato”

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Annual summer fundraiser a successSince 1980 the cultural season of the Shevchenko Musical Ensemble has traditionally ended with a picnic held at the beautiful Slovak Camp in Mis-sissauga.

This fundraising event for members and friends has featured many groups and individual artists as entertainment.

This year was no exception. A newcomer to the stage was Ibtissim (also known as Drorit Weiss) who performed traditonal Middle Eastern belly dancing.

Ibtissam is one of Toronto’s lead-ing performers of middle-eastern bellydance. She is an expert instructor as well as an accomplished soloist and choreographer. She is a former senior member of Toronto’s esteemed dance troupe, Habeeba Hobeika’s Egyptian Dance Ensemble.

Part of Ibtissam’s dance routine is

to invite people from the audience to participate. It was great fun when one gentleman took up the challenge and joined Ibtissam in her performance.

A familiar face to Shevchenko audiences was Kevin Budd who performed two sets of Balkan folk and other music on the pan flute.

Trained in Europe, Kevin plays and builds Romanian-style pan flutes. Adding immensely to his performance was his narrative on the history of the pan flute and the interesting similarity of the wooden flute in both European and South American countries.

Lorna Clark, a member of the Board of Directors, did a fine job as MC for the concert.

The picnic also featured a delicious meal of pyrohy(Cheemo) and borshch from

the kitchen made by Pat and Mike Ignacz, and burgers and dogs from the outdoor bar-b-q. The tables offering sales of various items were brightened up by a display of paintings by Lorna Clark and Vicky Vuksinic.

The Committee, chaired once again by Florenz Seychuk, must be thanked for their efforts in making this family event a very successful one.

Coming EventsSunday, October 26, 2008Annual Guild BanquetHonouring Kay Keniak, long-time Guild activist and volunteer.King’s Garden Banquet Hall.Tickets: $45.00 person. Tickets and/or tables for 8 can be reserved by calling 416-533-2725.(See page 5 for further details)

Sunday, November 16Toronto Mandolin Orchestra 2:00 pm – Glenn Gould Studio CBC – 250 Front St. W.Featuring outstanding instrumental and vocal soloists.See story on page 3. $30.00 (VISA orders add $2.00 per ticket). Call 416-533-2725.

Sunday, November 30Annual Membership MeetingNational Shevchenko Guild2:00 p.m. – 626 Bathurst St.Annual Report and Election of Board of Directors.

Sunday, December 7Club 626 Seniors Christmas PartyUkrainian Cultural Centre1:00 p.m. – 1604 Bloor St. WTickets: $25.00Call Olga Kowalchuk at 416-267-3147. Everyone welcome.

Sunday, January 25, 2009Choral/Dance Winter ConcertFeaturing Shevchenko Choir with guest artists the Darbazi Georgian Choir and Desna Ukrainian Dance Co.2:00 p.m. – Columbus Centre901 Lawrence Ave. W(just west of Dufferin)

Sunday, March 29, 2009Gala ConcertShevchenko Choir and Welland AUUC Mandolin Orchestra2:00 p.m. – Polish Cultural Centre in Welland. Call 416-533-2725.

Sunday, May 3, 2009Shevchenko Musical Ensemblewith Desna Ukrainian Dancers2:30 p.m. – Orillia Opera HouseSponsored by the Orillia Concert Association.

Sunday, May 10, 2009Shevchenko School of BalletAnnual Spring Concert 2:00 p.m. – Betty Oliphant Theatre404 Jarvis St. Toronto

Sunday, May 24, 2009Shevchenko Musical EnsembleAnnual Concert featuring choir, or-chestra and dancers2:00 p.m. – Leah Posluns TheatreToronto

The BULLETIN Published semi-annually with the support of the City of Toronto through Issued by the National Shevchenko Musical Ensemble Guild of Canada, a federally incorporated charitable cultural institution, Reg. Nº 11905 1910 RR0001 626 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2R1 • Phone 416-533-2725 • Fax 416-533-6348 • E-mail: info-sme@bellnet.ca • www.shevchenkomusic.comEditorial: Ginger Kautto • Editorial Assistance: Byron Kautto • Photography by Wayne Gilbert, GPS Digital Photo Images unless otherwise noted.

Do you enjoy the Bulletin?The Guild has issued the Bulletin since March 1972 shortly after the incorpora-tion of the National Guild. It has fluctuated between being a quarterly or semi-annual publication, mainly due to the availability of funds.

And for all those 36 years it has been sent gratis, not only to Guild members, but also to people who attend our concerts and events, and those who are genuinely interested in the work of the Guild even although they may not get out to functions.

However, costs of printing and postage are always on the increase, and we are now forced to trim our mailing list.

If you do not follow our activities with interest and do not want the Bulletin, please contact us at 416-533-2725 or info-sme@bellnet.ca and we will remove your name from the mailing list.

If you do enjoy the Bulletin and want to remain on our list, it would be encouraging to know that as well.

Thank you.

National ShevchenkoMusical EnsembleGuild of Canada

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